Favre Watch 3: Same Old, Same Old
by Liam Blackburn
August 11th 2010
 
At first it was an intriguing storyline. It was a fascinating thriller, capable of twisting this way and that. Even the sequel managed to enthral us all. Revenge was the added subplot in the second version and our hero had an obstacle to overcome, a point to prove against his former friends.
 
The plot of this summer's Favre Watch, Favre Watch 3, took an unsuspecting twist this past week. Vicious rumours circulated that Brett Favre, our unlikely hero, was due to call it a day and NOT return to the Minnesota Vikings. Well, that was it. The Minneapolis Star Tribune's website went into meltdown, the sporting world entered a state of shock and mourners lined the streets leading up to the Metrodome as inconsolable fans wailed over Number 4's departure.
 
With the thought of a Favre-less world, Brett knew he needed to quash the looming apocalypse. He utilised his trusty sidekick Steve Mariucci to install a sense of clam in the frenzy that had erupted in the aftermath of the news that Favre Watch may be about to end for good.
 
“Everybody just needs to calm down just a little bit right now,” stated the ever-loyal Mooch. That is certainly easier said than done when the entire NFL is crashing down around us Steve!
 
But no, this time the excitement has died down. The hysteria and illusions Favre had previously conjured up have been lost and the drama may have gone in his old age. The plot has been rehashed, the characters have become stale and the hero no longer commands a great deal of respect. We've heard and seen it all before. He did his best of course. He practiced the day after rising from the ashes, albeit without actually moving (careful Brett, don't get us all thinking you're definitely coming back now will you). But Favre Watch 3 isn't fooling anyone this time around. If it were to be made into a film, the previous two may have smashed box office records but this one would be a straight-to-DVD release.
 
You all know the back-story by now, the small-town boy turned global superstar. Favre is the average Joe with the cannon arm and extraordinary recovery powers. He's a competitor, a fighter above all else. He's also a magician, holding the NFL on the end of a string, leaving us all in limbo summer after summer. Meanwhile Brad Childress has been reduced to a puppet, dancing to Favre's tune as he awaits word from Hattiesburg, Mississippi.
 
Of course it could have been different. Favre Watch 3 had the potential to be a big hit like its predecessors. Favre Watch 2 ended with that epic interception against the New Orleans Saints. Could our hero really bow out like that? The NFL schedule left Favre with a chance to return again for his Vikings, at home, against those pesky Saints. The contest would be the curtain-raiser for the entire season. The chance to right that wrong and have our hero conquer the odds once again. The plot was laid down but ultimately it hasn't done enough to capture the imagination.
 
Whilst Favre tries his best to spin a web of mystery and intrigue, the allure of a revenge contest against Gregg Williams and the Saints is too great. It provides a serious threat to the will-he-won't-he conundrum Favre would love us to scrutinise over. The storyline is ultimately flat because we all know Favre will return just in time for the season premiere. I didn't even need to prefix that with a spoiler alert.
 
The familiarity of Favre Watch has also hindered the third instalment. Whilst he trots out the same tired old lines, there are new summer blockbusters with more to offer us. There is the heist drama set in New York with Darrelle Revis holding the New York Jets hostage. Then we've been treated to the side-splitting comedy at the Bengals where comic legends Ocho Cinco and Terrell Owens have finally been united to perform their own humorous adaptation of Batman and Robin. Meanwhile in Washington, the world's most overpaid sports star is too fat to practice! No wonder, Favre Watch is flopping this time around.
 
For now though, it appears Favre will continue to lead Scott Hanson and the rest of us into a merry jig for the rest of Favre Watch 3. Expect high school practices, grassy knolls and the Da Vinci Code as the plot rolls on before concluding in Minnesota on the 9th September. This one will have a rather inevitable ending folks, sorry.