Brett Favre and Roger Clemens Likely Have More In Common Than Longevity and Success

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1/18/08

Brett Favre and Roger Clemens Likely Have More In Common Than Longevity and Success

NFL

CriticalFanatic

more posts by author

I've always enjoyed pairing up two similar players from two dissimilar sports. Right now there probably isn't a more accurate match than Brett Favre and Roger Clemens.

Among the elite at their position all-time, great arms, tremendous work ethic, legendary presence and haven't lost their game as they've grown older. I'd be the least surprised fan if their similarity ended there.

I realize what I'm about to say is blasphemous and would get me crucified in Wisconsin, or better yet, tied down and forced to wear a Packers jersey in Pardeeville. Keep in mind, that despite my Bears fan allegiance, there are few players I've ever watched that I like more than Favre. There's probably not a player on the Bears that I appreciate half as much as #4. My team of choice has no relevance to this opinion.

Brett Favre has likely had "help" maintaining his injury free run and elite status as he powers through his 18th NFL season, one that could very well the best of his career. If Brett played baseball this "help" would eventually come to the forefront earning him the Roger Clemens treatment. His legacy would be ruined regardless of how much this "help" provided. Luckily for Favre, he plays football and is so legendary the NFL would never let this kind of information go public.

Even Brett's addiction to pain killers seemed to be quickly swept under the rug. My guess is that would be a big no-no for major leaguers, an abstract performance-enhancing drug. But I'm thinking there's even more.

Of course, I could be totally wrong in this suspicion. I am, after all, just a blogger typing away in my parents basement. Perhaps, this is just my way of preparing for what seems like the inevitable. As kids, all our sports heroes were perfect. As we grow older, it seems every athlete of any distinction has either cheated, cut corners or is altogether a foul human being. Brett Favre is one of the finest men to ever play in the National Football League. He's more important than God and just below beer in the state of Wisconsin. If I could spend a day with any player, it'd be him. But I've lost my innocence when it comes to admiring an athlete for performing at a rate that defies his age.

All that said, in today's sports landscape count me the least surprised if rumors ever leaked that Brett Favre experimented in the same way I'm convinced Roger Clemens has done to extend his career.

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1/18/08

majikmanseven

first, I enjoy your blogs, it is clear to me you are a talented writer and good sports fan. With that said...I think your comparison is a bit pitiful. You say brett's addiction to painkillers was "swept under the rug", to that I say he had a public press conference in which he admitted his addicition and announced he was going to rehab, right in front of you sports media types.. How many other pro athletes have done that before entering rehab? Speculation on your part as a sportswriter, that may or may not prove to be wrong, I think is bad for all sports right now. between Marion Jones, Mitchell report, Tour de France... so many things BAD. yet, you attempt to taint one of the things still GOOD in sports? Are we now to the point, and you media types... you'll float these rumors on anyone exceptional in their sport? Has it now become guilty til proven innocent with sports media? Heck, go after Tiger Woods... does he use HGH? I mean, where does it stop? Your bears have started 21 QB's since Brett made his debut in 92. Could your anti-Packer bias be showing any more? I think that blog was a "low blow"... but I guess in your media types... "Let the witch hunt begin!"

1/18/08

kantwistaye

1	I wish I could come in here and say that thats all ridiculous but nothing is. Everyone does it. Everyone. Its just a matter of who gets caught. If Brett would ever happen to get caught, it'd suck because he'd be torn apart for it. However, I think anyone with common sense would know that its really not that big of a deal.

1/18/08

Ryan

0	If Favre on 'roids is wrong, I don't want to be right. Seriously, I've been kind of wondering about some of the "greats" also and Favre's name came to mind. I'd be thrilled if it never happened, but I wouldn't be shocked if it did.

1/18/08

JewelOfSong

I joke about Favre being on steroids with my brother all the time. I'm only half serious, but my brother is completely serious... he says he has a juice jaw. I don't know. Like you said CF, if it were true, it really wouldn't be shocking.

And I don't think it's blasphemous to even suggest this about Favre, b/c the reality is athletes have always looked for ways to keep their bodies in top condition so they can compete.

1/18/08

majikmanseven

1/18/08

SportzTawk

0	Wow... I LOL'd when I read this...

1/18/08

Janse

It is always a possibility when it comes to any athlete. Even more so when that athlete plays in the NFL because of steroid policy and the weakness of it. I have heard people joke around about Favre being on steroids, just look at Jewel's post, and it does kind of connect. An older player who looked like he was near the absolute decline of his career and then all of a sudden a late career resurgence kind of like those of Clemens and such. I guess it would not be the most surprising "breaking news" within the first 2 minutes of SportsCenter, although I think my reaction would be different if this were ever true.

1/18/08

Damondogg31

If they cheated in the past, I would still be a Brett Favre fan as well I'm a Roger Clemens follower as well. Both have been a couple of my favorites for a long time. There are steroids that help you physically outperform the opponent and there are steroids that help you heal up faster than normal. It's skeptical at their age to see how they are dominating. We all know about the painkillers that Brett had even admitted to be addicted. It wouldn't be shocking if this were true for both of these athletes. There are plenty of other athletes who haven't been caught.

1/19/08

mevins31

0	You're crazy dude. The NFL has a much better testing policy than MLB. Brett Favre hasn't even taken anything even close to similar that Clemens has. Pain Killers are like tic-tacs compared to the junk Clemens and the roid heads of the MLB are taking. I can appreciate you're trying to think outside the box but you're way off base here.

1/19/08

COWBOYBLOG

0	It is common knowledge that the "painkiller" story was a coverup. Unless you are broadening the classification of "painkillers" to include both soft and hard core recreational drugs. If he was anyone else, he would have gone through the same progessive discipline for failing drug tests as anyone else.

1/19/08

IlliniBob72

0	COWBOYBLOG wrote: It is common knowledge that the "painkiller" story was a coverup. Unless you are broadening the classification of "painkillers" to include both soft and hard core recreational drugs. If he was anyone else, he would have gone through the same progessive discipline for failing drug tests as anyone else. Common knowledge? Care to elaborate?

1/19/08

IlliniBob72

I also have a problem with this blog. Particularly the use of the word "likely". I mean, what possible basis is there for the the use of the word "likely". If we've seen a resurgence in Favre's career, I'd chalk it up to the team around him having improved. Favre didn't go through a long decline in skills. He had two substandard years in '05 and '06, when his team stunk. He hasn't had injury issues as evidenced by his consecutive starts. It isn't like he is doing anything now that he's never done before, whereas Barry Bonds put up numbers at an advanced age that he never came close to doing before.

So, are we going to say everyone who plays well late in their career "likely" is on performance enhancers? Steve Young threw 36 TDs and 12 INTs at the age of 37...what drugs was he on? Y.A. Tittle had a passer rating of 104.8 at the age of 37, by far the best of his career. Big time doper!!! Phil Simms put up his best rating at the age of 36. Do you see my point? And those are just a few of the guys I've bothered to look up. I'm certain there's more examples. I need a little bit more than the fact that he's having a bounceback season at 38 years old to say he's likely doing anything. Sorry.

1/19/08

0	Pretty sure all that was said above was that 1) I'll be the least surprised and 2) just my opinion that he's had help. Help that would have him crucified in baseball, but since he plays football it won't even be a factor. 10 years down the road after he's finally retired, you'll hear things. That's all. I haven't accused him of anything, just my own speculation and putting it out there.

1/19/08

kantwistaye

0	COWBOYBLOG wrote: It is common knowledge that the "painkiller" story was a coverup. Unless you are broadening the classification of "painkillers" to include both soft and hard core recreational drugs. If he was anyone else, he would have gone through the same progessive discipline for failing drug tests as anyone else. Just like Tony Romo isn't a legit QB, right?

1/19/08

IlliniBob72

CriticalFanatic wrote:

Pretty sure all that was said above was that 1) I'll be the least surprised and 2) just my opinion that he's had help. Help that would have him crucified in baseball, but since he plays football it won't even be a factor.

10 years down the road after he's finally retired, you'll hear things. That's all. I haven't accused him of anything, just my own speculation and putting it out there.

That's fine, CF, but you don't offer anything supporting your suspicion. If I stated, "I think it is likely CriticalFanatic eats puppies for lunch", you and everyone else would be justifued in asking, "OK, Bob, why do think this?". I don't think you'd accept it if I said it was just a hunch and an opinion of mine. I mean, your opinion has some basis in facts, right? I'd love to know what it is that makes you think this, that's all.

And for the record, I don't believe you eat puppies. At least not for lunch.

1/19/08

majikmanseven

COWBOYBLOG wrote:

It is common knowledge that the "painkiller" story was a coverup. Unless you are broadening the classification of "painkillers" to include both soft and hard core recreational drugs.

If he was anyone else, he would have gone through the same progessive discipline for failing drug tests as anyone else.

Awesome...another CONSPIRACY. Favre admitted he was hooked on vicoden, admitted he did it recreationally and became addicted...saught treatment, recovered. Maybe some of the Cowboys players should take a clue and realize that sometimes if an athlete comes forward and tells the truth...good things happen. But, I always love your conspiracies...so let er rip! (Just not another nate newton getting busted delivering drugs to brett, that one was OUT THERE.

1/19/08

IlliniBob72 wrote:

I'm with you. Maybe Emmit Smith had help? heck, Romo went from a cheesehead in Burlington, WI to the new rock god of football in just a couple years...did he have help ? This speculation is worthless and only attempts to taint sports further.

1/19/08

CriticalFanatic

IlliniBob72 wrote:

And for the record, I don't believe you eat puppies. At least not for lunch.

I prefer squirrels for lunch.

There's no way for me to have facts here. If they were available then we'd all know. Blogs = opinion.

What leads me to this opinion is that 1) he's been uninjured for 274 straight games. Not in baseball. Football. I'd love to say that's because he's solely because he's the toughest player in football, which he probably is regardless, but that just doesn't happen naturally. 2) Favre has a history with pain killers. I doubt he just stopped their. His wife documents his addictive traits in her book. 3) You think a guy as competitive as Favre wouldn't try anything to gain an edge? I'm not saying it's only Favre, just brought up this point because it's relevant with what's going on right now in the sports world. A lot of players have "help" and very few get caught. It's football, no one really cares.

The point I was intending to make is that if Favre were a baseball player he'd been under much more scrutiny. Insert Roger Clemens. Similar careers, similar ability to fend off injury, similar personalities. So thus my comparing them I don't thing deserved a "pitiful" remark. Is it that much of stretch to say I'd be the least surprised if Favre and Clemens shared more in common?

I know it's Brett Favre, and we're not supposed to think bad things about him. All of this said, he's still one of my favorite players to ever play and I desperately hope he's been clean as a whistle.

1/19/08

IlliniBob72

CriticalFanatic wrote:

Thanks, CF. Asked and answered. Yeah, I know you don't have "facts". You're a blogger and not an investigative reporter. I was just looking for why you thought this, other than his performance this season. And just so you're clear, I never said anything was pitiful.

1/19/08

CriticalFanatic

IlliniBob72 wrote:

No, you didn't. Someone else did.

I agree it's probably not a 'respectable' opinion to have, and I suppose careless, but a lot of things that end up true start out that way.

1/19/08

COWBOYBLOG

0	The favre wing at heaven hall of fame will be right next to Cheech and Chong.

1/19/08

majikmanseven

0	COWBOYBLOG wrote: The favre wing at heaven hall of fame will be right next to Cheech and Chong. right beside Mikey Irvin, Golden Richards, nate Newton,Holywood henderson, Clayton Holmes and the others?