My lucky number is #4. For a few reasons.
1) I was born in April (4th month)
2) My childhood baseball hero, Paul Molitor of the Milwaukee Brewers, wore #4
3) My basketball idol for the Milwaukee Bucks, Sidney Moncrief, also wore #4
4) I spent all of my adult years cheering for - in my mind - the most exciting quarterback to ever play the game, Brett Favre, who also wore... #4.
And today the 4th reason joined the second and third in retirement.
*SIGH*
If you're not from Wisconsin or a Packers fan, you can't fully understand what Brett Favre meant to a city, a state, and fans across the country (maybe even around the world). I'll tell you what he meant to me, though.
I met him - once - in 1996, the year they went to the Superbowl. It was at a downtown Milwaukee bar called Taylor's. I met him in the bathroom of all places! Talk about one of the oddest places to run into a living legend. But we all have to go sometime, right?
Only a few words were exchanged, the fumbled, awkward 'Hi Brett... great game on Sunday... you're doing awesome'. I felt like Chris Farley in a SNL sketch. He was nice enough to clap me on the shoulder (yeah, I was still standing at the urinal doin my business) and said "Hey thanks, I really appreciate it buddy."
And he really seemed to mean it.
I worked in TV for many years and met a lot of celebrities, so usually I don't fawn over meeting someone famous. But this wasn't just any celebrity or TV star... this was BRETT FAVRE! So when I was done doing my business, I went running back to my friends with a near Marcia-like reaction from the Brady Bunch. "Brett Favre touched my shoulder! He called me 'buddy'!!" My friends couldn't believe it. Until they saw him walking across the bar on his way out. Then of course everyone wanted to touch my shoulder.
Sounds ridiculous, doesn't it? Adults acting like children because an NFL quarterback touched someone's shoulder while they were taking a leak. But there's a parallel there - Favre also played like a kid in an adult's game. And that's what made him so special.
You see so many athletes today that make you cringe. They say 'it's not about the money' when it always is. They complain about their coaches, their teammates, the city, the fans, etc. I don't ever remember hearing one word out of Favre. He hated to lose, loved to win, but was always gracious in both victory and defeat. How many other quarterbacks have the admiration of opposing defensive linemen?
I'll blog some more later and share some of my favorite Favre moments in case you'd care to read them. As for right now though, my heart is a little heavy, and I swear I can still feel that huge, meaty paw coming down on my shoulder.
Touched by greatness.
Touched by a legend.
I'm pretty damn lucky.
