Toy Story 3, Brett Favre, and Accepting Change

            Last night I had the pleasure of watching “Toy Story 3” (well, actually, I only watched about half about it before falling asleep, but nevertheless I viewed enough of it to spawn the idea for this column). It was a pretty solid flick (well, what I saw of it. I do intend to watch the second half of it at some point) that touched on the very uncomfortable subject of change.

            For those of you haven’t seen the film, Andy (the owner of Woody, Buzz Lightyear, and the other toys) is about to go to college. The toys, which have been neglected during Andy’s teenage years, are faced with ending up in the attic, being donated, or even ending up at the dump. Most of the toys hope to end up at a daycare where they can actually be played with. Woody, who was Andy’s favorite toy, is the only one who wants to stick it out in the attic, ready for when Andy will need him.

            I couldn’t help but be reminded of Brett Favre while watching this movie (and surprisingly enough, the reminder had nothing to with the main character being named “Woody” and Favre’s texting issues). Favre has been struggling with the decision to retire or not for most of the past decade. While the ongoing drama has frustrated the majority of the country, you do have to have a little empathy for a guy who’s scared about his future (I’ll only grant him a little empathy, because he’s made a buck or two during his playing career).

            Just think about where his fellow quarterbacks from 1995 (the first year he won the NFL MVP award) are now. Let’s look at some of the top ones in list form.

1. John Elway (Denver Broncos) – Retired after winning his second Super Bowl. Inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Worked as an executive for Denver’s Arena Football Team, and within the last week has been hired as the new President of the Broncos.
2. Steve Young (San Francisco 49ers) – Retired after getting knocked unconscious by Aeneas Williams of the Arizona Cardinals (which was the 8^th concussion of his career) in the 3^rd week of the 1999 season. Inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Now works for ESPN as an analyst. He has also earned his law degree from BYU and has been involved in several business ventures.
3. Troy Aikman (Dallas Cowboys) – Retired after a hit by LaVar Arrington gave him his 10^th concussion of his NFL career. Inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Has worked as a color analyst with FOX since 2001. Also was the co-owner of a NASCAR team, and is now a minority owner of the San Diego Padres.
4. Dan Marino (Miami Dolphins) – Retired after the 1999 season ended with a 62-7 loss at Jacksonville in the Divisional Round of the playoffs. Inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Now works as an analyst for CBS’ pre-game show. 

            Favre doesn’t appear to have any serious interest in big business, nor does he show much ambition to enter broadcasting (I wish Aikman didn’t have any ambition for broadcasting. I love the guy to death, but he’s a terrible announcer). I’d highly doubt that he would join a team in a management or coaching role (although if we was an offensive coordinator, I’d have a feeling his team would set the record for most 60-yard bombs attempted in a single season). I can say with 100% certainty that there is no way he ends up becoming a lawyer. With all that said, what will Favre do?

            I imagine he might consider another comeback before the 2011 season. Like Woody, Favre knows nothing else than what he’s done his whole life. Like Woody, he’s been unable to accept change. Has Favre finally reached the point where he realizes his playing career is over? I have a hard time buying it. This is a guy who suffered a concussion in a 2004 game against the Giants, threw a game winning 28-yard touchdown on 4^th down, and then afterwards couldn’t even remember making the throw. This is also a guy who played with a broken thumb on his throwing hand in 1998. Sometime around June or July, he’ll get the itch again. The question is, will any team take him.

            One last thought before I end this little rant…I won’t regard some of those quarterbacks I listed above as toys, or any of the other great players of that era (Emmitt Smith and Jerry Rice come to mind the quickest) as toys, but it’s amazing to me that all of these guys are really gone from the field. 1995 marked the first year that I followed the NFL religiously to the point that I knew every team’s starting left tackle. As annoying as he was at times, Favre was the last of that group. In a weird way, Favre was the last toy to finally get stuffed up into the attic. Change happens all the time in sports, but Favre has been a constant for almost two decades. I don’t know how many people share the same sentiment, but I feel a little older now that Brett Favre could really be finished as a NFL quarterback (you can multiply that feeling by 10 when Manning and Brady retire). I guess the greatest moral of the movie (and Favre’s career) is make the most of every moment you have, always try to remember the good, and even though you might not be prepared for it, do the best you can with change. Because living in the past will get you nowhere in the future.