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METAIRIE – The news that Brett Favre reportedly has told the Vikings that he’s retiring takes some of the luster of the Saints’ season opener against Minnesota – if you’re NBC or a Vikings fan or an NFL fan who’s not a member of Who Dat Nation.

But if you’re a Saints fan, nothing can detract from that game. New Orleans will celebrate its first Super Bowl title, unveil the championship banner, and get to work on a second championship. The members of the opposition are incidental

Besides, Favre doesn’t need to be there; he’s already done his part to contribute to this celebration, botching a possible NFC Championship-winning field goal opportunity and throwing a rookie-like interception to Tracy Porter that helped the Saints survive and advance.

A rematch of that dramatic championship game – featuring Favre – was a natural choice for the nationally televised NFL season opener on NBC. A battle between the Super Bowl Saints and Tavaris Jackson/Sage Rosenfels doesn’t sound as attractive to the general audience, but Saints fans won’t hear anything after the Super Bowl Saints part.

Of course there’s no guarantee that Favre won’t play against the Saints on Sept. 9 in the Superdome. The news that he was retiring was met by a healthy dose of skepticism at New Orleans’ practice facility Tuesday morning.

“Favre had to retire because you can’t unretire until you retire first” was a common theme, referencing Favre’s retirement-unretirement routine of the last two offseasons.

Saints safety Darren Sharper, a friend and former teammate of Favre, was among the skeptics. “It’s still early and there’s a lot of training camp left,” Sharper said. “We’ll have to wait and see.”

Quarterback Drew Brees was characteristically cautious, saying, “I don’t believe anything until it’s official.”

Of course with Favre, the question is: Short of waiting to see who’s under center for Minnesota’s first snap on Sept. 9, how do you know when his retirement becomes official?

“When do we play Minnesota – September 9?” defensive end Alex Brown asked. “If he’s not there, then I’ll believe it.”

I’ve been as big a skeptic of Favre’s previous alleged retirements as anyone, but this time I’m buying it, and I see only one explanation for this one being the real thing: His surgically repaired left ankle must not be right.

The ankle was messed up during the beating the Saints’ defense put on him during the NFC Championship. At one point Favre limped to the sideline and was lying flat on his back as the Vikings medical team worked on his ankle.

Favre, who had a remarkable season last season and a remarkable game against the Saints, remarkably came back and moved Minnesota to the edge of field goal range in the waning moments of the fourth quarter.

But his interception to Porter – much like the one he threw to Corey Webster in overtime Lambeau Field during the 2008 NFC Championship, helping to send the Giants, and not Favre’s Packers, to the Super Bowl, stands as the final throw in a Hall of Fame career.

Favre proved last season that he can still play at a very high level. He and his team would be one of the biggest obstacles to New Orleans return to the Super Bowl. There’s no doubt he still has the fire to play.

If he in fact is retiring and will stay retired – and I believe both are true – then it will be an ankle injury inflicted by a sandwiched hit from Remi Ayodele up high and Bobby McCray down low that ended one of the most remarkable careers in NFL history.

On Sept. 9, NBC will talk about the first NFL season in 20 years to begin without Brett Favre. And preoccupied Saints fans will simply reply, “Who Dat?”

Vikings-Saints season opener doesn't need Brett Favre

9thWardDesire

Favre or no Favre, LET'S GET IT ON!!!

D_it_up

Indeed. I could care less if he's there or not. It's not the Minnesota Favres. It's the Minnesota Vikings. Favre is only a piece of that team. We will beat them with him or without him.

Rugby Saint II

It would be funnier with him.

SaintPauly

I don't want anymore excuses from these d'bags. If Favre doesn't play, and we win, it will be, "Well, if Favre had played, we would have won the game." You know this. I want Favre to play. And I want to completely annihilate these idiots. That way, not one Dike fan, can say anything, anymore.

Saint_LB

Is it them you want to convince...or yourself?

I personally know that we are world champions...the best of the best.The onus is on them to show us that it's not true...not the other way around.

SaintPauly

LB, I hate the Vikings. Always have, always will. Am I taking it personally? Yes, your damn right I am. From the knocking us out of the playoffs in the late 80s, and then again in 2000. And the fact that they talk more crap, than any other fan base on the planet? Yes, superbowl or not, I want to see blood on the field when we are done. Just not ours. I'm trying to look forward, not backwards, as far as the championship goes. And right now I'm seeing a big purple short bus, that I want to slam into, at a hundred miles an hour.

What's popular is not always right, and what's right is not always popular.....

Saint_LB

Yes...they have been pains in our rearside...I have to admit.

breesfan27

I'm with you SP. I hate the Vikings too. All those years of living in South Dakota and putting up with dumbass Queens fans, my dislike for them has grown immensely over the years. I want to beat them soo badly WITH Favre so we can shut up all the d-bag Minnehaha fans once and for all.

Pete

NO EXCUSES!!!!!!!THE TURF WILL BE READY FOR YOU Mr.DRAMA(VI)QUEEN!Retire after the 9th and go get a job in the soap opera biz!