Brett Fav-ruh: A complex and intriguing figure, to be sure.

There are those who would liken Fav-ruh to Hamlet. He is, after all, tragically torn between two dueling voices in his head, each compelling him towards a different decision and driving him to his ruin.  Others, like me, have made the less conventional argument that Fav-ruh is the textbook definition of a sociopath.  (For a refresher, the defining characteristics are superficial charm, the ability to manipulate, grandiosity, a sense of entitlement, lack of remorse or guilt, unreliability, and a lack of empathy. Underline this one:  Sociopaths “seek out situations where their tyrannical behavior will be tolerated, condoned, or admired.”)

Having landed on what I thought was the most obvious of all psychological assessments, I have not bothered to refine my theory.  However, after Fav-ruh recent Joe Buck Show appearance another theory was born.  Joe looked Brett in the eye and asked him if he had plans to continue playing football next season, to which Brett responded to the only way he knew how, with an unequivocal, “Maybe.”  Like any good sports news outlet, ESPN Radio immediately reported the story, adding their own twist to the coverage — a suggestiion that Farvie’s failure to make a clean break from the game was possibly evidence of a “football addiction.”

On behalf of heroin addicts everywhere, you really can’t be serious.

At the end of last season, Fav-ruh concluded that he would not be able to play unless he had arm surgery that he was determined not to have, so he figured he would throw in the towel.  (It was about all he could throw at that point.)   The offseason wore on.  He waited, he golfed, he took poolside photo ops with goofy.  There was talk, rumors abounded about something with the Vikings.  Still, no surgery.  Then, suddenly, about a week ago, at the eleventh hour, Fav-ruh caved, getting the operation he would need in order to play.   According to Fav-ruh, the operation will remedy the problem that had him throwing the ball “there” (pointing one direction) when he wanted to throw it “there” (pointing in another).  Who knew such a surgery existed?

ESPN Radio cited the above along with, well, all the rest of it – the threats to retire, the retirement, crying, the unretirement, the job theft, the destruction of the Jets – as evidence of the football addiction.  There was some kind of comparison to cake eating involved.  It went something along the lines of the following: “If a person eats too much cake and gets sick, he’ll typically remember not to eat too much cake again.  Unless he has a problem with cake addiction.”  I wonder if the people covering this store are aware of the greater likelihood of an addiction to crack than to cake.  Just saying.

Here’s the thing.  I don’t thing Fav-ruh is “addicted” to football. I think that he’s an aging athlete who is struggling to let go and move on to the next phase of his life. It’s one of the biggest challenges that every player will ultimately have to face as his career winds down, and every player meets it with varying degrees of class and dignity.  This may be the one time you ever hear me say something generous about Fav-ruh, but ultimately the challenge to move into retirement is indicative of his love of the game.  Presumably, it reflects his anxiety that he doesn’t know what he would do without it.  That said, it’s immature, short-sighted and fundamentally selfish to make choices from this place of fear.  His decision impacts, not just other individual players, but whole teams and their dynamics.  (Currently, see Minnesota Vikings.)

It’s the eighteenth of June.  The Vikings need better than maybe.  They need Fav-ruh to show up for offseason workouts, which he has said he would not be doing no matter what he decides.  They need him to make a firm commitment before the end of July.  They need him to really be a part of this team. It’s no secret how I feel about Fav-ruh, whether or not he still has any business playing football, the spelling of his name. However, if he’s going to make that choice, he should make it and make it with resolve – enough of this, “Aw, gee, shucks. I just don’t know.”