"This time, Brett Favre insisted this was the end.

It's a little late for preserving a legacy. He once embodied the relentless warrior mentality that has made the NFL immensely popular. I once referred to him as the league's logo. Favre was The Shield.

But his self-absorption the last three years turned him into a caricature.

When giants retire, the emotions and fond memories flow in equal proportion, but when Favre called it quits following Minnesota's 20-13, season-ending loss to the Lions, the general reaction was a yawn.

"It's time," he told reporters. "I know it's time. And that's OK. It is. Again, I hold no regrets. I can't think of too many players offhand that can walk away and say that."

Pardon my skepticism, but can you really trust a Favre retirement until you get past Aug. 1 and ESPN isn't devoting half of its broadcasting schedule to the possibility of another comeback?

The author of the longest consecutive-game starting streak for any quarterback in the history bade good-bye to the NFL, comfortable that he's walking away having fully exhausted every last ounce of guile and desire."