But just because Sunday was his birthday doesn't mean there was good reason to be celebrating.
The iconic quarterback has been implicated in an embarrassing scandal, and the NFL is now investigating. If the voice in the voicemails is indeed that of the ol' gunslinger, and if the cell phone photos are indeed of his gross man parts, Favre could be facing a suspension.
And make no mistake about it: Roger Goodell fears no big name, and he won't hesitate to suspend Favre if the photos and voicemails can be traced back to him. The length of that suspension is anyone's guess, but Ben Roethlisberger's four-game suspension would serve as a decent benchmark. If Roethlisberger's alleged actions are considered much worse than the alleged actions of Favre, then it may just be a one- or two-game suspension.
While a suspension is rarely a good thing, it could be for Favre.
The reason can be found from his time with the Jets … well, more specifically, his time with the Jets that wasn't spent harassing Jenn Sterger. That season, a young and peppy 39-year-old Favre helped the Jets jump out to an 8-3 record before losing four of five and missing the playoffs. Favre's health deteriorated throughout the year, culminating in an ugly three-interception performance in Week 17.
Though Favre had one of his best seasons as a pro last year with the Vikings, that season ended with him getting pounded into the turf over and over again by the New Orleans Saints.
This year, Favre has not looked like the same player. That's due to a number of factors, including Sidney Rice's injury and Percy Harvin's migraines — but it'd be hard to say that some of it isn't because Favre is simply getting older.
A few days before he turned 41, Favre spoke to the media about his newest teammate, Randy Moss. The quarterback had his right forearm wrapped, as he's struggling with a bit of elbow tendinitis. His biceps and shoulder injuries in New York never went away, and it's not crazy to believe this nagging injury might stick with Favre for the entirety of the season.
So really, a suspension might be a blessing in disguise for Favre and the Vikings.
The biggest negative for Favre might be the end of his ironman streak. But with a ridiculous 288 straight starts (312 if you count the playoffs), his record might be safe from Peyton Manning (197 regular season, 215 including playoffs).
The other downside? Well, that involves being caught sending nasty voicemails and photos to a young woman, suffering the consequences with the public and his wife, and soiling his otherwise sturdy reputation as a decent person.
From a football standpoint, though, a few weeks on the couch may do the ol' gunslinger a bit of good.
Do you think Brett Favre would benefit from a suspension? Share your thoughts below.
