Put Him On His Back

Monday night will offer Jets fans the closure they have long desired in the Brett Favre saga.

Since he jogged off the field after an embarrassing 24-17 loss to the Dolphins on December 28, 2008, Favre has been an afterthought in Jets history. His arrival was one of the biggest stories in the history of New York sports and his selfish departure left much to be desired.

The 2008 New York Jets are most certainly the most disappointing team in the history of the franchise. After beginning 8-3 and lighting the world on fire, Favre stumbled down the stretch, throwing 2 touchdowns compared to 9 interceptions, which culminated in a 1-4 finish and no postseason. The Jets finished behind the Tom Brady-less Patriots and the Chad Pennington-led Dolphins. The entire "Brett the Jet" project could not have ended any worse.

It has been well documented that Favre played the last month of the season with a supposed "bum shoulder." He was hurt and chose not to tell the team. He refused to allow his consecutive starts steak to be broken and his selfishness cost the Jets a spot in the playoffs. Rather then think about what is in the best interest of the team, Favre did his usual routine, making it all about himself. Contrary to popular belief, many of Favre's late season interceptions were the result of bonehead decisions, not an injured arm. After going back and rewatching the game highlights, one can see that Favre's decisions to throw the ball into double/triple coverage caused the interceptions, not an injured wing.

During the 2009 season, Favre told the media that the Jets refused to place him on the injury list. Again, the team did not know Favre was hurt. This cost the Jets $125,000 dollars in fines. Thanks Brett.

Favre never embraced New York. Though he knew the Packers would never trade him to the division rival Vikings, his dreams of playing in Minnesota disallowed him to be open to playing for the Jets. The Jets gave him a chance when only 2 other teams would (Tampa Bay and Minnesota), they changed their offensive philosophy to make him happy, they gave up a high draft pick to acquired him, they allowed him to dishonor the team's dress code, yet their efforts were never fully appreciated.

Favre treated the Jets like a stepping stone. His lack of leadership late in the season showed he did not care about the team's future. He "retired" on February 11th, 2009 and claimed he would "never play in another NFL game" when talking to ESPN's Ed Werder. All the while he knew he would be going to Minnesota. The Jets, thinking Favre was truly finished, drafted Mark Sanchez in the 2009 NFL Draft. Two days later, Favre asked the Jets for his release so he could "retire as a Packer." Even after the Jets publicly stated that they would welcome Favre back, despite his disastrous finish, they still were not good enough. Rather then come back and give the Jets one more year, Favre was simply finishing the final stage of his grand scheme.

This Monday night, however, the Jets players and fans get one last chance to let Favre know how they feel. Many players spoke of their dislike for Favre during his time with the team. There were many reports of his reclusiveness, lack of leadership, selfishness, and special treatment. He never wanted, or tried, to be a Jet, and his teammates knew it.

Jets fans will rightfully boo the team's departed quarterback. Rex Ryan will add in a few extra blitzes and hopefully Favre will be knocked on his back. The Jets were always the afterthought in the Favre-Green Bay-Minnesota drama, and Monday night will allow New York to finally extract some revenge on "Good Ole Number 4."