Brett Favre breaks NFL touchdown record
by Matt Critton
What Kiwi, you might ask, would care about American football while the All Blacks are on their way to a rugby world cup title?
Better yet, what Kiwi cares about American football at all?
Few, if any, New Zealanders even know what the NFL is. However, I have been an avid supporter of the National Football League, and its top quarterback, Brett Favre, for as long as I can remember.
Favre has been the quarterback of the Green Bay packers for the past 17 seasons.
Late season playoff runs, Super Bowl games, and MVP seasons are still vivid childhood memories of mine.
The past few years, however, have not been so kind to the green and gold. Two seasons ago I had to watch my team struggle through a 4-12 season. That was their first, and hopefully only, losing season while under Favre’s command.
Favre has contemplated retirement the past couple of seasons, but come time for spring training he has been ready to go, gray hair and all.
Favre is turning 38 later this month.
Currently only 30 consecutive starts short of the NFL record Favre has amassed an arsenal of other accomplishments. He controls the records for most wins as a quarterback, most passes attempted, and most completions. He is second only to Dan Marino in total passing yards and Jim Marshall in consecutive starts.
This past Sunday Favre surpassed Marino in perhaps the most prestigious of all records; total touchdown passes. Number 421 was thrown to second year receiver Greg Jennings to break Marino’s record of 420 successful touchdown passes. Favre later went on to throw number 422 in a 23-16 victory over the Vikings.
The Packers are off to a fairy tail 4-0 start, the first time since 1998. With Rumors of Favre being too old to play, and his surrounding teammates too young to understand the game their fiery start has taken the NFL by storm.
Although the packers have a long ways to go, and a lot of skeptics to silence the thought is creeping in… Can Favre go out on top?
Matt, I care, but then I don’t fully qualify as a Kiwi.
I’ve been a Green Bay fan for 40 years. I actually saw them win the first every Super Bowl in 1967. They had a great quarterback in those days too. His name was Bart Starr (I kid you not) and the team was coached by Vince Lombardi.
I was living in Milwaukee and never got to see the Packers play live, but I loved watching them on TV.
These days though the game is so slow and the ESPN coverage is ruined by ads that run through every time out.
Bring back the ‘good old days’. But I hope the Packers make the Super Bowl again it would be a fitting 40th celebration.