Favre reverts to gunslinger at worst possible time

NEW ORLEANS -- As the Saints celebrated on the field, Brett Favre walked slowly and gingerly a few hundred feet away, in the bowels of the Superdome, his ankle smarting and his pride ailing. Following a game in which Favre was beaten to a pulp, he was almost assaulted again while simply walking to a news conference.

COMMENTARY Saints Aint losers no more after NFC-winning kick in OT by Pete Prisco • What's Your Take? Tell Pete your opinion!

After a drunken Saints fan bumped into an overzealous security goon guarding Favre, the goon pushed the fan back. A near fight ensued. The fan then threw his beer at the security man with some of the beer spilling toward Favre and splashing him on the back.

It was bad enough that Favre had to deal with getting hit by the Saints who battered him mercilessly, relentlessly and without pity. He then had to have beer thrown at him, too. Just one of those nights.

In the NFC title game, possibly Favre's last, we saw all of Favre: the good, the bad and the intercepted. Favre stood tall against what he called one of the worst poundings he's ever received on a football field and despite an orgy of Minnesota turnovers he had the Vikings poised to steal the game.

Then, the bad Favre showed up. It was only a matter of time before the old Favre made an appearance. The old Favre ... you remember him. The reckless Favre, the scary Favre, the alter-ego who for so long made Packers fans pull the hair strand by strand from their heads and the one Minnesota thought they'd never see again.

Well, he came back all right, this time with a vengeance. Vikings fans: you wanted him, you got him. There he was and there he goes.

For all the good Favre did for the Vikings both this season and in this game, he nonetheless had a relapse. Favre is as addicted to risk and chance as a poker player is to chasing the big score. Until now, that addiction was harnessed. Then it returned at the most inopportune moment like a filthy beast.

There are many reasons why the Vikings lost this 31-28 overtime classic. The 12 men in the huddle at the most poignant part of the game didn't help. Neither did Minnesota's six fumbles, three of them lost. ("Balls on the ground, balls on the ground, lookin' like a fool, with your balls on the ground.")

The biggest reason was Favre himself. Despite his heroics that late interception destroyed the Vikings. Killed them dead for sure and it was because Favre threw one of those vintage across-the-body passes into the middle of the field that'll get intercepted almost each and every time it's thrown.

The Vikings had this game. They had it. It was low hanging fruit. Then Favre pulled a Favre.

The 12-men-in-the-huddle penalty hurt, but the Vikings still had the football at the New Orleans 38 facing a third-and-10. The Vikings have maybe the best field-goal kicker in the sport (who was making field goals from well over 50 yards in pregame warm-ups) and with another 5 yards they would have a 50-yard field-goal try. It's long but doable. Even if the kick fails the Saints don't have much time left.

"At that point everybody smelled victory a little bit," Vikings lineman Bryant McKinnie said.

Not sure what victory smells like (gumbo?) but point taken.

The only thing that couldn't happen in that situation was an interception.

But that's exactly what occurred.

'I probably should've [run] it,' Brett Favre says about his INT late in regulation. (Getty Images)

Favre threw for Sidney Rice -- across his body towards the middle of the field -- and the pass was easily picked off.

"I was actually late to Sidney," Favre explained. "I probably should've [run] it. In hindsight that's probably what I should've done."

Favre afterward spoke about a number of things in that circular and blunt way that Favre talks about everything. The limp was pronounced and clearly he was physically aching.

"I've felt better," he said.

When asked about retirement, Favre said, "I know people [are] rolling their eyes or will roll their eyes. In a situation like this, I don't want to make a decision right now."

"I'm going out on top one way or the other."

It's the typical mixed Favre results. He took the Vikings further than most imagined. He was brilliant but also a tease as he often can be. Favre's last two passes in his past two championship games were interceptions.

And doesn't that just say it all about Favre?