Leer said the news media is intrigued by and often critical of Favre’s past indecisiveness about continuing his career as an NFL quarterback, something which has helped fuel the Favre image and brand. “That’s his marketability and I think we saw that with the national spot (commercial) of Sears with his indecision in the electronics section trying to decide about (buying) a flat screen television,” Leer said.
The Vikings quarterback knows who he is and how he wants to act. “…I don’t think Favre listens to anybody,” Leer said. “I don’t think his indecision, his evasiveness, I don’t think any of that’s calculated. That’s who he is.”
While Favre’s personality is natural, that doesn’t mean he’s a novice when it comes to marketing himself and creating business opportunities including endorsements. He recognizes the national platform of this week’s “Tonight Show” that celebrates the return of Leno as host for the five-night-a-week program.
“This is smart (appearing on the show). He (Favre) hasn’t been heard from since the (NFC) title game,” Leer said. “This is a fun way just to get out there. There’s no downside. This is not fourth and goal. This is just air it out and have some fun.”
The invitation is no charity gesture by NBC, inviting the losing quarterback from the NFC championship game to come on national television. Favre’s name is a huge draw for viewers as documented by the TV ratings in the NFC title game against New Orleans that drew an average audience of 57.9 million viewers, making it the most watched NFL conference championship game in almost 30 years. Excluding Super Bowls, the game was the most watched TV program since the 1998 series finale of “Seinfeld.”
The numbers and NBC’s desire to boost ratings on “The Tonight Show” doesn’t surprise Leer. “NBC is desperate in the sense that late night TV needs to work, and you need to call in the biggest names that can help you drive numbers,” Leer said.
Leer also said that not only does the “Tonight Show” put Favre on national television, it also places him next to Leno, someone he can be comfortable with. Favre won’t be in front of a probing reporter, or a young journalist trying to make a name for himself. “He knows Jay Leno isn’t going to ask him anything that is going to be detrimental to his career,” Leer said. “He’s there under the fun pretenses.”
Leno will almost certainly bring up the issue of whether the 40-year-old Favre will play next season, but he’s likely to package the subject in a script, not a serious question. “This (TV appearance) continues the intrigue and the exposure of who Brett Favre is,” Leer said. “I fully expect there will be a scripted bit between Leno and Favre about are you going to play? Are you done? It’s Leno’s humor and who Favre is.”