Vikings play-by-play announcer Paul Allen knew it instantly. So did Brett Favre.
Coach Brad Childress had outsmarted himself following a timeout by sending 12 men to the huddle, but Favre still had the offense in position for a long game-winning field goal try at the end of the 2009 NFC title game. Favre rolled right, opted not to run or throw the ball away, and foolishly threw across his body.
Tracy Porter intercepted the ball, forcing overtime. And Allen exclaimed, “This is not Detroit, man, this is the Super Bowl!”
Favre was more concise.
“I choked,” Favre told former teammate Sage Rosenfels after the Saints won the toss to start an overtime period that would end without the Vikings touching the ball, other than to kick it off.
That’s the takeaway from a lengthy, detailed explanation of the game by Rosenfels, posted at Peter King’s TheMMQB.com. And while it’s a story that if it were a human would be old enough to walk and talk and most of the time crap in a toilet, it’s a bit jarring to see that Favre summarized his performance that bluntly.
What isn’t mentioned is whether Rosenfels has shared Favre’s candor with Favre’s blessing or even his knowledge. Later in the story, Rosenfels explains he was “pissed . . . off” when the "[t]alking heads” on SportsCenter accused Favre of choking.
If Rosenfels didn’t get clearance from Favre to share that Favre used that same term on himself in the heat of the moment and within the confines of an NFL sideline, Favre could now be the one who’s pissed off.
