Allen: The media loves a 'regular dude'

For years now, I've wondered about the seemingly universal love for Brett Favre among the national sports media.

Despite a dismal postseason record for all of this decade, combined with a refusal to follow the plays dictated by his offense and coaches, along with his annual retirement/unretirements, Favre continues to get nothing but love from those assigned to cover him. A few brave souls here and there might grumble at having to go down to Hattiesburg, Mississippi each summer and camp out on his front lawn waiting for the puff of smoke that indicates that whether St Brett has finally decided grace the NFL with his presence for another season, but for the most part, Favre is loved with an undying devotion normally reserved for close personal friends and family.

The list of those who love Brett is well documented. Peter King can't help mentioning in Monday Morning Quarterback the text messages he received from Favre the week before. We'll hear about how much Favre loves mowing his lawn himself, or going down to the local high school and throwing passes with the football team. King gets a little sensitive on this topic, and has tried to be critical of Favre, but it has the feel of just trying to put up a front, when all really know the truth.

In a 2007 column for Slate, writer Robert Weintraub made the case that Favre is lionized for being a "regular dude", who has played "through tragedy" with the perception being that he's overcome so much in his life, yet remained "one of us." Weintraub correctly points out that others in the NFL have overcome much more than Favre has, yet they don't get that adulation that come with being a "regular dude."

If you watched Monday Night's Vikings/Packers game, as most of the country apparently did, you were treated to perhaps the most over-the-top Favre love seen yet. Monday Night Football analysts Jon Gruden and Ron Jaworksi, normally reasonable, analytical types, needed someone two wipe the drool off their faces as they unashamedly gush over just about every move Favre made. A simple 15 yard pass to a wide open receiver was the greatest play in the history of football. Even when Favre made the wrong decision, like a long bomb pass with 3:27 left in the fourth quarter when the Vikings simply needed a first down to just about run out the clock. The receiver was blamed for the play, while Favre's throw was praised. They praised his "eye disciple" for crying out loud. What the heck is "eye discipline?" Is it even real, or by that point were they just inventing ways to praise Favre?

After the game, at least one teammate remarked how Favre was "extra" prepared for this one. Could the implication be that Favre isn't always as prepared as he was for the Packers game? If you've watched Favre's performance in big games the last few years, you might come to the same conclusion. Most of the time, it seems Favre is just playing the "gunslinger" role, not holding to any game plan or discipline - other than eye discipline, apparently. Favre gave away the NFC championship game two years ago with a gift interception to the New York Giants. He folded down the stretch last season for the Jets after a terrific start to the season.

But you're not going to hear any of that from the national media. Not matter what Brett does, it is OK. He's a regular dude. The worst hasn't come yet. On November 1st, Favre and the Vikings travel to Green Bay to take on the Packers at Lambeau Field. I'm hoping the Apocalypse comes before then.

Bruce Allen is the creator of Boston Sports Media Watch, which has recently been recognized by SI.com as one of the best non-corporate sports web site's on the Internet