Jay Leno returns to “The Tonight Show” after the Winter Olympics, and one of his first guests is a great one: Minnesota Vikings quarterback Brett Favre.
His appearance is listed for March 4 on the show’s Web site. It will be one of Favre’s first public appearances since — literally — throwing away the Vikings’ season in the last minutes of the NFC Championship game against the New Orleans Saints.
It should be awesome, because the two have a lot in common. They can talk about how neither can exit a job gracefully, how much they hate the idea of stepping aside for someone younger and maybe give us some tips on how to be disingenuous and loathsome during the process.
For years, the Green Bay Packers did to Aaron Rodgers what NBC essentially did to Conan O’Brien. Both were promised the starting job in exchange for some patience and years of hard work, and each time it seemed Rodgers would finally get his time to shine, Favre would decide to come back. And we all know what happened to Conan once Leno’s prime-time experiment went in the crapper.
Hopefully, Leno will man up and ask Favre about his plans for next season — since he’s once again an indecisive mess.
Favre recently posted a letter to fans on his web site thanking them for their support and the memorable 2009 season, but he didn’t say whether he will return for 2010-11.
Earlier this week, Vikings linebacker Ben Leber said he believes Favre will return. Leber also said he hopes Favre makes a decision soon so that the organization isn’t at a disadvantage making roster moves this offseason.
Favre has one year remaining on his contract at $13 million for 2010.
I’m sure everyone remembers Favre’s appearance on David Letterman in April 2008 after his first “retirement” from the Green Bay Packers. Lord Brett told Letterman that “something (was) bound to happen” once NFL minicamps rolled around that spring.
We all know what happened after that.
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