Finding the Holes in the Defense

The shootout with Brett Favre and the Vikings beating his old team the Green Bay Packers on Monday Night Football is the stuff that sports history is made from. Here’s a guy not wanted by his old team the Packers, decides to retire then un-retire and take an offer from the New York Jets. At the end of last season he retires again. Then during the off season the Vikings come a call-en. Brett hemmed and hawed a bit and finally decided that his 39 year old body still had at least one more season in it. He took the job with his life long rival.These series of events led up to a great sports set up monday night. Past Packer Golden Boy deemed” over the hill “back to play his old team in a Viking uniform making the Vikings 4 and 0.

It reminded me of a story written by a friend of mine who was one of the great sports writers covering the SEC which I consider the best college football conference in the country.

Here’s part of what Roy said:

In my secret trove of things that I keep, there is just one page of the December 10 Issue of Sports Illustrated, the one with Brett on the cover announcing his award as Sportsman of the year. The story on Favre about his daddy’s death and his wife’s breast cancer and his class, went on for at least eight pages but I only saved the last one.

You see the writer had brilliantly shown the deep devotion Brett inspires from everyone who knows him and not until the end of the story did he mention which of Favre’s many golden moments on the football field were his best ones.. But the writer raised the question to those Favre holds closest to his heart rather than those with whom he shared a huddle and their individual responses were simply magnificent. To see such and insight into such a man was so special and so wonderfully done.

But the reason I saved the last page was because I never want to lose what was the very last of the story. I think you’ll agree as I share it why I put a one-word label on Favre when he retired from pro football.

Here’s the way the magazine article ended:

“ask Favre for his own favorite memory and he is quiet for a moment. I’ve got so many plays running through my mind he says, finally. “The funny thing is, it’s not only about the touchdowns and the big victories. If I were to make a list iI would include the interceptions, the sacks, the really painful losses. “Those times when I’ve been down, when I’ve been kicked around, I hold on to those. In a way those are the best times I’ve ever had, because that’s when I’ve found out who I am. And what I want to be.”

How about you?

This is the toughest season I’ve seen in my 20 plus years in this business. I’ve seen the gas crisis in the mid 70’s ,with it’s long lines, getting gas based on odd and even tag numbers, and a maximum of 5 to 10 gallons at a time, recessions, stock market crashes, and major financial fiasco’s.

Some of the best playing I’ve ever experienced has been watching how creative people in our business manage their offensive game plan by penetrating the opportunities the defense gave them. I’m reminded of a man from Atlanta by the name of Cecil B. Day the founder of Day’s Inn. His wife Dean Day told me the story of how he saw the seam in the defense of the gas crisis and built a company that provided lodging and guaranteed access to a tank of gas.

Has your offensive plan uncovered the holes in the defense?

If you have great. If not do as Favre has done: cherish and remember the interceptions, sacks, and painful losses you’ll find out who you are and what you want to be.