Don't let the door hit you, Brett

So Brett Favre is (allegedly) retiring again. For good this time, or at least until he changes his mind. No drawn-out "will he or won't he?" soap opera to plague the fans and management of the New York Jets. If only he'd been so considerate in his final seasons with the Green Bay Packers.

While on the cruise ("No! No! No more cruise stories!"), a fellow passenger asked me about Favre. I replied that I had very mixed feelings. Yes, he was possibly the greatest player in Packers history and gave the fans something to look forward to each week. And, after building an incredible reservoir of trust, affection and good will with Packers Nation, he proceeded to squander a good portion of it with his prima donna "unretirement" performance.

The interview with Greta Van Susteren pretty much did it for me. After he had announced his retirement in a teary news conference, Favre started waffling months later. The Packers, of course, had put in motion long-set plans to move ahead with Aaron Rodgers at quarterback. The team had taken Favre at his word. Training camp was very near. And when Van Susteren asked Favre whether he would be willing to compete for the quarterback position with Rodgers, his reply said it all: "Why?" Right then it became crystal clear: He felt entitled to the role regardless of what he had previously told the team about his plans.

Who did this guy think he was?

Over the years, Favre had carefully built an image of himself as a down-home, aw-shucks humble person. Now the truth had shone. He was no better than all the other high-profile athletes who put themselves above the organization. "Good old boy" Brett had morphed into "I'm most important" Brett. Which made one wonder: Was this the underlying person all along?

So enjoy your retirement, Brett, provided that you're serious this time. I really hope the Jets hold you to your deal and don't allow you to force a release so that you can play with the Vikings or Bears. You do that and I guarantee you'll be persona non grata in Green Bay.

Is there anything positive out of all this? Hmmm. Let's think long and hard. OK, I've got one. How about this?

At least he hasn't tested positive for steroids.