Favre Retires - 2011

It's official. Brett Favre, the disgraced Vikings quarterback, has retired again.

From NFL.com:

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Brett Favre officially filed his retirement papers with the NFL, the league confirmed on Monday.

Favre, 41, sat out the season finale because of a concussion and said the game would be his last.

"I know it's time, and that's OK. It is," Favre said after the defeat. "Again, I hold no regrets, and I can't think of too many players offhand that can walk away and say that. Individually and from a team standpoint, it was way more than I ever dreamed of."

He also retired in 2008 with the Packers and 2009 with the Jets, only to return to the field both times when the football bug bit him this past summer. He knows that there will be doubters again.

"I don't know for me if it's ever easy," Favre said. "I'm sure throughout this year, the comment has been made that, 'We'll wait and see in August or September' and that's fine. It's time. I'm OK with it."

If this indeed is the end -- for real, this time -- for Favre, one of the most colorful and celebrated careers in league history concluded with a season filled with interceptions, injuries and insults.

He was picked off 19 times this season and his 69.9 quarterback rating is the lowest of his career. The Vikings sunk to the bottom of the NFC North after starting the season with Super Bowl aspirations, coach Brad Childress was fired during the season and Favre was fined $50,000 for failure to cooperate with an NFL investigation into allegations that he sent lewd photos and messages to a team employee when both worked for the New York Jets in 2008.

Favre's reputation took a serious hit from the humiliating scandal, which tarnished the image of one of the league's most popular players.

His union with receiver Randy Moss also was a spectacular failure and his cherished streak of 297 straight starts ended, with a sprained throwing shoulder making it impossible for Favre to let those famously zip-filled passes rip from his right arm.

And just for good measure, the Metrodome roof caved in to provide a perfect metaphor for Favre and the Vikings' 2010, forcing the Vikings to play "home" games at Detroit and at the University of Minnesota's outdoor stadium in December.

Is this really the end of Favre's playing career?

I hope so.

Another return would be beyond pathetic.

I wonder if the always classy Favre called Aaron Rodgers to congratulate him on his spectacular performance against the Falcons and to wish him luck in the NFC Championship game against the Bears.

Just kidding.