Wolf rescued Favre from a Falcons organization that churned through a lot of quarterbacks in the ensuing years. And just one month before he made the deal for Favre, he hired Mike Holmgren as the Packers' coach. It is that kind of kismet that sometimes determines whether careers are made or broken: the right quarterback with the right coach in the right system. Think what might have happened if Joe Montana, instead of landing with Bill Walsh in San Francisco, had strayed across the bay and wound up trapped in Al Davis's system.

Tom Brady was another quarterback who landed in the right place with the right coach at the right time. Perhaps the Patriots really saw the makings of a future star in the Michigan kid, who wasn't even a starter for most of his college career. More likely they saw competence. Had they truly envisioned Brady's greatness, the Patriots would never have risked waiting until the sixth round of the draft to secure him. And while all signs pointed toward Brady moving up the ladder with the Pats, would his chance have come soon enough for both him and his coach had the starter, Drew Bledsoe, not been knocked out of the lineup after the second game of Brady's sophomore season?

Favre's talent and drive probably would have enabled him to succeed and excel anywhere. But in Holmgren's skilled hands, he was an instant sensation. Like Brady he took over the starting job in the third game of his second NFL season, and he never missed a start through 16 seasons. Now we will be the ones doing the missing. Brett has finally had enough, but we could never get enough of him. More than any modern player he embodied exactly how fans believe players should feel about the privilege of being paid millions to play in the NFL. Some of his records, perhaps all of them, may someday be broken. But he will never relinquish that special hold on us.

© 2008