It seemed so obvious once upon a time: Whenever Brett Favre decided to retire, his name would join those of Terry Bradshaw, Dan Marino, Phil Simms, Troy Aikman and Steve Young as great quarterbacks who parlayed their accomplishments on the field into successful careers preaching the gospel of football each Sunday on television.
However, writes Milton Kent at fanhouse.com, what seemed obvious once upon a time isn't as clear now, as Favre's spot at a desk or in a booth doesn't seem certain, as no network has expressed an interest in bringing him on board.
Their reluctance to commit is understandable. The Favre brand is badly tarnished through actions almost entirely of his own doing.
To wit, Favre's name has been dragged through the tabloid sludge throughout this season because of his alleged "sexting" of former Jets game hostess Jenn Sterger. In addition, two former massage therapists associated with the Jets filed a lawsuit this week, contending that he behaved similarly with them.
Add that to the weariness over Favre's seeming eternal Hamlet act as to whether he would retire or return each postseason, and you get a name that isn't as dazzling to network officials as it once was.
Then, too, there's practicality. Normally, a network would go in for a splashy, high-profile name if its ratings were flagging or if there was a notable vacancy. In case you hadn't noticed, ratings for all the NFL carriers are up to the point where bringing in Favre wouldn't likely add any more eyeballs to the mix.
And, unless Bill Cowher does leave CBS' "The NFL Today" to return to coaching, there really aren't any openings at any of the Sunday or Monday broadcasts and there are no position that Favre would improve by replacing the current incumbent.
Still, just as it was never safe to count Favre out during his playing days, so might it be to do so with a potential broadcasting career.
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