Monday, January 18, 2010

Into

I love sports. I am not a typical college student girl who will only keep up to date with sports to impress boys or have something to talk to them about. There are many girls that will try to learn the rules of football, but will then easily give up. I have known the basic rules of football since elementary school when I would play at recess. The football I played then consisted of my 5th- grade teacher playing as quarterback and throwing the ball to a new student every down. I can still catch and throw a football, but I never had a desire to play on an actual football team.

Instead, I have focused on watching football on ESPN. I have lived in Minnesota since I was born, but was never a Vikings fan when I was little. Having a mom from Wisconsin she had a larger influence on me about the Packers than my dad from Minnesota did. As a six year- old, the Packers won a superbowl. Brett Favre, easily one of the best players who has ever played football was part of the Packers then. When I was little, my favorite parts of football were typically the food or the commercials. I gradually got the hang of the rules and the understanding of the different positions. With learning the game, I began to appreciate the players and the various teams in the NFL.
http://scrapetv.com/News/News%20Pages/Sports/images/brett-favre-holding-a-guy.jpg

I have fallen in love with Favre over the years. He is incredible to watch and I have been a fan of him from the Packers, to the Jets, and now the Vikings. Although Favre holds numerous records and achievements, it is the way he plays that makes him unique. He is boyishly joyful with every touchdown pass despite the fact he has thrown ------of them in his career. He has a reputation for toughness and resiliency supported by his record for most consecutive starts. Cris Carter, a professional football player, said about Favre, “He’s the best, bar none. Whenever God was making them, He put a little extra in him”.

I am sad I was not able to watch the football game against Dallas on Sunday because I had a conflict that was mandatory. I hate to miss games with Favre playing in them, because every game is a special treat. I realize along with hundreds of thousands of fans that Favre eventually will retire forever. I will be sad for when he does but for now I cannot be happier that he is playing in Minnesota. Going to school in Nebraska has been difficult not being able to sit in my family's season tickets at Mall of America Field and watch Brettie gracefully throw the ball into Sydney Rice's hands.

I realize though the impact Favre has had on players in all professional sports. His mannerism and his poise has influenced many players, especially quarterback. I hope some of the quarterbacks now can study clips of Favre and learn how to be more like him. Romo, Brady, Warner, Rivers, Brees, Rodgers, Roethlisberger, P. Manning, are all great players but they lack his ability to see the field and his constant awareness of all the players on the field.s.

I hope that when this Favre era has finally ended, possibly after a superbowl ring, there will be new players for me to follow for ten years or so. I am excited to see the direction that Philip Rivers goes, because he has all the charm and family support that Favre currently has. http://i2.cdn.turner.com/si/2009/writers/bucky_brooks/01/08/chargersteeler/philip-rivers.jpg

I also think Joe Flaco has an incredible career ahead of him. Maybe in a couple years, he will be in a locker room chanting pants on the ground for his teammates and encouraging them before a big game.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONmEVro8Fog