A fitting tribute for a father

It's a relief when anything good can come from so much physical and emotional pain. In the specific case of Brett Favre it was downright uplifting, to see a man so honor his father, who at one point had also been his coach, by not just playing 24 hours after his death, but by playing his best, by playing so magically he elevated his teammates and brought an opponent to its knees.

It was emotionally wrenching to watch Favre play Monday night, probably because it hit a little too close to home for some of us, losing a father at 58, losing the man who coached you before anybody else coached you, losing the first man you played catch with, the man whose approval you sought on the ball field or the court since you first grasped the notion of competition and how cool it was to share it with your dad.

Favre didn't just bring honor to his own father, Irvin; he brought honor to all the kids and fathers who tossed the football or baseball in the backyard, particularly those who had to part before it was time. We already knew how physically tough Favre is. He's Cal Ripken tough. He doesn't miss a start, no matter what's hurting. Nothing is revered in pro football like physical toughness and Favre has that in such abundance it's scary. But what happened Monday night defines the NFL regular season that's about to end, much the way baseball's regular season was defined in large part by Barry Bonds hitting those late-summer, game-winning home runs after the death of his father and hero, Bobby Bonds.

The producers of all these silly reality shows think they can manufacture drama and emotion by locking some stiff in a box with snakes or forcing two teams of knuckleheads to spend a couple of weeks on a deserted island. They work every angle to create an outcome, to stage melodrama, and often draw millions of viewers in the process. Yet, their scripted junk can never, ever produce something as real, as unrehearsed and as compelling as Monday night in Oakland, when a 34-year-old man playing on adrenaline and memories threw for 399 yards.

Favre buried his dad in Mississippi, buried him on Christmas Eve without having gotten a chance to say goodbye, without having had one last knowing conversation like some sons are fortunate to have with their dads before the end. He now has to go back north, having mourned somewhere between insufficiently or barely at all, and join the Packers, who rely on him more than any team in the NFL relies on its quarterback. He'll take the field in Green Bay today, his Packers uncertain of a playoff berth, trying to beat the surging Denver Broncos.

There are a lot of plot lines that will finally get resolved this weekend, the 17th and final weekend of the NFL season. Marvin Lewis and his Bengals will try to complete a miracle season by making the playoffs. The Detroit Lions will try to assert themselves into the playoff picture the only way they can: as spoilers. Should the Lions summon the wherewithal to beat the visiting Rams (not likely), Philadelphia could wind up with home-field advantage in the NFL playoffs.

Jamal Lewis needs only 48 yards to reach 2,000 yards rushing for the season, and only 154 to break Eric Dickerson's all-time season rushing record. Is it possible Lewis could be the MVP of the NFL, but not even the most valuable Lewis on his own team? The weekend will also show us if the Cowboys are worthy of being considered a Super Bowl darkhorse.

But the guy we're watching more closely than anybody now, once again, is Favre.

On Monday night, Favre reminded us of what's possible with physical and emotional toughness, with charisma in the huddle and the locker room. See, the Packers are at the point now where they don't want to disappoint Favre, which may make anything possible for them.

As his own coach, Mike Sherman, told reporters Tuesday: "It opened him up and showed a side of him that a lot of our players hadn't seen. Brett is this tough quarterback that's indestructible; he showed a vulnerable side. He shared that with them and I think they appreciated that. Along the same lines the team showed a side of themselves toward him, a caring, consoling side to try to help him through his grief. That culminated with how they took the field against Oakland."

It's insane to think Favre has it in him to do that again, on a short workweek, four days after burying his father, six days after pouring out there onto a field everything he had in him, in the name of the father and the son. The thing is with somebody as tough and committed and talented as Favre is, you never know. So even as he mourns, we watch in fascination, wondering if he can play with this particular spirit again, and hoping not only that he can but that in such an exacting time, doing so might bring him some measure of peace in these holidays.