In the fall of 1992 I was 8 years old. I was in Mrs. Levenhagen's 3rd-grade class. I was learning multiplication tables and how to write in cursive. I was earning the nickname "Fingers" because when we played "Around the World" with multiplication flashcards, I had a habit of throwing up (not vomiting) a random number of fingers as I shouted the answer to the problem. Bill Clinton hadn't been elected yet. My family lived one block away from the elementary school I attended with my brothers in the only house I'd ever known at the time. My mom didn't work outside the home, except to be a "room mother" at every single school party and field trip I ever had. Computers weren't even a remote part of daily life, and the only cell phone I'd ever seen was used by Zack Morris in new (yes, NEW) episodes of Saved By The Bell. OJ Simpson was still a good guy. No one had ever heard of Monica Lewinsky. Family members could accompany you right up to the gate when they dropped you off at the airport. Thurgood Marshall was still alive. Computer-animated movies were still a distant speck on the horizon, and the Chicago Cubs were awful (okay, some things never change) - but their roster included names like Joe Girardi, Mark Grace, Ryne Sandberg, Andre Dawson and Greg Maddux.
Why am I bringing any of this up?
Since September 20th, 1992, Brett Favre has not missed ONE start in the NFL. Not one.
The stat you'll hear on TV is that tonight is his 289th consecutive start, but that stat counts only regular season starts (which I think is completely stupid). He's also never missed a postseason start, and his teams play in the postseason nearly every year, so the real number is something like 313 consecutive starts. For an NFL quarterback. If you're not impressed, let me know and I'll roll a 300-pound shopping cart over your body 15-20 times per week, 17-18 weeks per year, for the next two decades (and you'll have to set nearly every NFL quarterback record, and run some wind-sprints while we're at it). Even then we're probably not coming that close to re-creating the environment that guy faces.
P.S. As I finished up writing this post, Favre set another record: Most fumbles in a career.
Seriously? That's pretty incredible.
ReplyDeleteHow many game losing interceptions has he thrown?
ReplyDeleteHow many touchdown passes? And how many career yards?
ReplyDeleteMost consecutive games played
ReplyDeleteMost career passes attempted
Most career passes completed
Most career passing yards (he broke 70,000 in last night's game, almost 9,000 yards ahead of the next closest player)
Most seasons of 3,000+ passing yards
2nd in Most games of 300+ passing yards (only 2 games behind Marino - he'll probably pass that one)
Most seasons leading the league in touchdown passes
Most career touchdown passes (broke 500 last night - more than 80 more than the next closest guy)
Most career games 4+ touchdown passes
And yes...
Most career interceptions
Currently 2nd on the Most career sacks list, but he could very well catch that one (entered this season 13 behind the leader)
And one more he picked up last night (which I mentioned in the blog post): Most career fumbles.
Joel, I don't think they keep stats for "game losing" interceptions, but I have NO DOUBT that he'd lead that list too. Doesn't mean the guy's not impressive. Some of those stats are going to happen just by virtue of playing almost 200 consecutive games more than the next closest quarterback!