It was way back in 1992 when the young Brett Favre took his first snap as a member of the Green Bay Packers. Nearly 20 years later, just about the entire country is fed up with him and is anxiously waiting for the day he finally retires, not just when he says he will. Still, it cannot be denied that he has become one of the most prolific players ever to play in the NFL, and the sport certainly has benefited from Favre's numerous successes.
There exists another man in sports with a similar story. A man who, at the ripe old age of 76, isn't that much older than Favre himself. I am, of course, referring to Bud Selig, the long-time commissioner of MLB. Selig - who began his career-defining job back in 1992 like Favre - has contributed immensely to the sport of baseball. As acting commissioner from 1992-98, Selig saw baseball through the strike-shortened 1994 season and instituted the "Wild Card" expansion to the playoffs, which allows four teams from each league to have the privilege of playing baseball in October.
In 1997, Selig also introduced Interleague Play into the regular season, which marked the first time when teams from the National League competed with teams from the American League on the same field outside of the All-Star Game and World Series. Since its inception, Interleague Play has become an annual fan-favorite tradition and allows fans from, say, New York or Chicago watch as the Mets take on the Yankees or the Cubs play the White Sox.
Selig also should be given credit for killing the prospect of another work stoppage in 2002. In addition, he oversaw two expansion teams, the Arizona Diamondbacks and Tampa Bay Rays, both of whom have seen some success during their short histories. Moreover, he is mainly responsible for the international competition known as the World Baseball Classic.
Despite all the progress Commissioner Selig can account for, he has, like Favre, made his lasting mark, and it is time to hang up the towel. In recent years, Favre has made some questionable calls, to say the least, and the same can be said for Selig. After declaring the MLB All-Star game a draw in 2002 for the first time in its history, Selig admitted to being "terribly saddened" by the game's outcome. He decided to take what was already the best all-star game in all of sports and change it.
During every midsummer classic after 2002, the winning team was awarded home field advantage in the World Series. The All-Star game is supposed to come at a time when the players get a few days off during the demanding season; they do not need something so decisive at stake during their "vacation." They want to take in the monster home runs during the annual Home Run Derby and have a good time playing with the best in the league. Selig hoped this more "meaningful" All-Star game would attract more viewers, but ratings have shown that the changes have done nothing of the sort - and in fact ratings have declined during the years immediately following the change.
What got me thinking about Selig's need to retire during these past few weeks was his crazy idea to expand the playoffs by adding more wild card teams - again. There are a number of reasons why the current eight-team system should stay in place. The players and managers already compete in 162 games during the regular season, and the World Series has repeatedly been extended into November. Any more playoff games and the season could become too demanding for the players. Many players and managers have voiced their with Selig on this issue.
Remember the exciting race this year that stemmed from the Atlanta Braves, San Diego Padres and San Francisco Giants? The one that didn't conclude until game 162? Well, in an expanded playoff system the September push would have been meaningless, as would many of the other great regular season pennant races we have seen. Selig's reasoning for wanting to expand the playoffs is because other sports have more. Everyone knows the NBA and NHL playoffs are becoming diluted by letting .500 teams - and sometimes teams with losing records - into the playoffs. If the top eight teams from each league made the playoffs, the 1980-82 Florida Marlins would have snagged the last seed in the National League. The Mets would have been one game short of tying for the eighth seed, which is absurd if you know anything about their disastrous season. Expanding the playoffs would only make what many sports fans call the best post season among the big four sports change for the worse.
Some of us also know of the evil that has haunted the MLB for the last 20 years. Many of our favorite players are now known-steroid users and have eroded the integrity of America's pastime. I know Selig cannot take the blame for the lax atmosphere of the 1980s and 1990s and he did a fine job exposing the evil, but he will forever be connected to the controversy. With his retirement, baseball can finally put the issue completely to rest. Although the occasional user gets discovered now and then, I think it is safe to say there is no longer such a grave problem with performance-enhancing drugs in the MLB. Once Selig is gone, that chapter in baseball history can finally be concluded.
Keeping with the Brett Favre comparison, prior to his contract expiring in 2009, Selig expressed his decision to retire. When the time came, however, his contract was extended through the 2012 season. Selig since has stated he plans on retiring when his current contract is up. Maybe after that, he'll play for the Minnesota Vikings, as they'll probably be looking for a new quarterback.
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