Though last Tuesday was a day of heating up in states like Texas and Ohio, where the Democratic primaries saw neck and neck competition from two historic candidates, in Wisconsin, it was a very cold day indeed, especially in the world of games. The first blow: legendary Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre phoned in his retirement, surprising everyone after a record-breaking season and no sign of physical debilitation, even at the well-above-average NFL age of 38. After the 2007-2008 season, Favre holds the records for most touchdown passes (442), passing yards (61,655), pass completions (5,377) and games with at least three touchdown passes (63). He also holds what many consider the record for “toughest” quarterback, having started the most consecutive games (275) despite various injuries sustained during his 17-year career. This particular stat earned him a special place in the hearts of legendary tough guys like John Madden, who tends to exalt players who can take a beating and still show up next Sunday.
“He has had one of the greatest careers in the history of the National Football League and he is able to walk away from the game on his own terms. Not many players are able to do that,” said general manager Ted Thompson.
“I know I can still play, but it’s like I told my wife, I’m just tired mentally,” he told ESPN television. “Physically I feel okay, but the stress of studying [game film] every week has gotten too much, and the more stressful it got, well, I’m always trying to top what I’d done the previous week.”
Favre leaves backup quarterback Aaron Rodgers the difficult task of trying to take over a team that’s been led by a superstar for the span of an entire generation of fans. Cheese hats were removed and held over hearts all over the Badger State, and an era of Green Bay football has come to an end.
Slightly further west, there was perhaps an even more tragic loss in the world of games: the death of a man who was a hero to millions of young people who were likely to be thrown against the lockers by guys who played football. E. Gary Gygax, co-creator of the role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons, died at the age of 69 at his home in Lake Geneva, Wis., survived by his wife Gail and six children. Gygax, along with Dave Arneson, created the original role-playing game in 1974 that eventually spread, in a very grassroots way, throughout colleges and high schools and was arguably the precursor to all computer-based and online strategy games, such as the hugely popular World of Warcraft.
D&D, as it was known, defined an entire other world where (mostly) geeky teenaged boys could play the parts of massively muscled warriors, wily thieves and magic-wielding wizards, and featured an ever-expanding lexicon of dungeons to explore, weapons and magical items to possess and extremely detailed creatures to battle or befriend. Elves, dwarves, demons, elementals and, of course, dragons were but a few of the fantastical denizens of the D&D world, and happy indeed was the 10th level Ranger who was lucky enough to find a plus-six frost brand sword or the fifth level thief who stumbled upon a ring of invisibility.
Gygax deserves reverence as a person who pried open a realm where imaginations could flourish and confidence could be built despite realities wherein Coke-bottle glasses and un-hip haircuts or clothing could label people who were perhaps socially awkward as outcasts or value-less individuals. His creativity laid the foundation for a multi-billion dollar industry, and his influence on the minds and hearts of generations is almost unchartable. Don’t fret, Wisconsin; it’s just time to let the touchdown master rest on his laurels and the dungeon master rest in peace.