Monday night Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre started his 200th consecutive game. In my opinion, Favre's 200 consecutive starts are more impressive than Cal Ripkin Jr's. 2,632 consecutive games.Ripkin's streak is amazing. It is mind-boggling to think of a baseball player showing up to work for 2,632 consecutive games and playing. Heck, the Cubs have a hard time keeping Sammy Sosa around for a few innings after they get bumped from the playoffs.
Most modern baseball players will sit out a game because they have a hangnail or a sore toe. Ripkin didn't let the pain keep him down, he just played through it.
Favre on the other hand is something special. (This coming from a Bears fan.)
Last year alone, Favre broke his thumb on his throwing hand and still played. Not only did he break his thumb, but the day after his dad died he led the Packers to a victory on Monday Night football.
Most athletes, heck, most people in general, would have taken a few days off just to collect their thoughts. Favre on the other hand did the only thing he knew, played football. Considering his dad was his high school football coach, it was a fitting tribute to the man.
Now comes this season. Favre's brother-in-law dies in an ATV accident on Favre's property and he still plays. As if things couldn't get worse for a guy his wife was then diagnosed with cancer.
Stack all those odds against any athlete and they are bound to take some time away from their sport. Ripkin would have certainly taken some time off if he went through the same things. Favre on the other hand didn't.
The other thing that is impressive about Favre's 200 consecutive game streak is the fact that it is in football and he is a quarterback. Opposing teams have one goal and that is to take Favre out of the game. Game after game Favre takes hit after punishing hit and he simply smiles and gets up.
Ripkin suffered some nagging injuries over the years and once in a while was taken out by a base runner trying to break up a double play, but it wasn't every single game.
To make sure he wouldnít forget his 200th consecutive game, Favre led the Packers to a 45-17 win over the St. Louis Rams. Sure Ripkin had quite the game when he broke Lou Gehrigís consecutive game streak with a tape measure home run, but as I said earlier he didnít have 300 pound linebackers gunning for him each and every game.
If youíre still not convinced that Favre's 200 consecutive games is more impressive than Ripkin's 2,632, then my final card to play is the fact that Favre can act. Favre made a cameo in the movie Something About Mary and he surprisingly wasnít the worst actor in the movie. Can Ripkin act?
Both streaks are impressive in their own right, but Favre and Ripkin are not the only people that show up for work every day. There are millions of Americans, Canadians, Spaniards, Germans, you name the nationality, that show up every day for work because that is the right thing to do. The only difference between Favre and Ripkin and the rest of us is nobody keeps a record of when we show up to work, only when we miss work.
Top of Page
