Tom E. Curran • E-mail

Somewhere today, little Zack Brett Mangini may shed a tear.

The man from whom he got his middle name – Brett Favre – has retired from the New York Jets (we’d say “from the NFL,” but recent history forbids).

And somewhere today, Eric Mangini – the man who put up the middle name of his unborn son as bounty if Favre signed with Mangini’s Jets last fall – is planning for his 2009 season as head coach of the Cleveland Browns.

Zack Mangini’s middle name and his father’s job weren’t the only things sacrificed in the name of getting Brett Favre to play his one season for the Jets. Reputations, money and a part of Favre’s legacy all took a hit as well.

In the end, Favre’s one season with Gang Green wound up being more trouble than it was worth.

There were high times. A six-touchdown game against the Cardinals. A Thursday night win in Gillette Stadium against the hated Patriots. A win at Tennessee that got the Jets to 8-3 and had us all whispering “best team in the AFC ...”

But the Jets' disintegration down the stretch was spectacular. Their failure – and Favre’s – in December will be what’s remembered about his time in New York.

The Jets losing four of their final five to finish 9-7 and miss the playoffs. Favre throwing two touchdowns and nine interceptions in his final five games, making the same dunderheaded decisions over and over again. The final loss to the Miami Dolphins and Chad Pennington – the player whisked out of New York to make way for Favre – that clinched a Dolphins playoff berth, sealed Mangini’s fate and touched off a round of criticism from teammates that probably helped get him out the door.

Those will be the things most readily brought up about Favre’s time in New York. He didn’t get them to the next level and into the playoffs. He didn’t really help them at the gate or with the all-important personal seat license auction held in October in advance of the Jets' move to their new stadium (620 of the 2,000 PSLs were moved). He didn’t play well enough to make anyone say, "He still has it."

Favre joins Vikings AP file   Video: Vikings are ‘the perfect fit,’ Favre says   Video: ‘I didn’t want to say ‘What if’ ’ Curran: Win-win for Favre and Vikings Celizic: Worst flip-flopper in sports history Newsweek: Let's give Favre a break Live vote: How will Vikings do with Favre Live vote: Does this hurt Favre's legacy? Packers not shocked by Favre's move   Slide show: Tracking QBs who couldn't quit Timeline of Favre's career  |    Slide show Fantasy impact: Favre not a huge get Vote: Top star in Minnesota sports history?

He wasn’t as good as the man he replaced. He cost the head coach his job. The GM and owner that had to have him – Mike Tannenbaum and Woody Johnson – took hits from which they won’t soon recover (Tannenbaum for putting the bottom line ahead of football and then for allowing his friend Mangini to take the fall; Johnson for being fairly clueless in general).

And the sanctified image of him as a great teammate also took a hit. A teammate complained he was “distant” and that he spent his time away from teammates in a specially designated office instead of the locker room.

And finally, after all these years, a teammate questioned Favre’s decision making.

Said running back Thomas Jones after Favre’s three-pick performance in that season finale against Miami, "You can’t turn the ball over and expect to win ... The other day, the three interceptions really hurt us. I mean, that's just reality. If somebody is not playing well, they need to come out of the game ... You're jeopardizing the whole team because you're having a bad day. To me, that's not fair to everybody else. You're not the only one on the team. ... You're playing to win, you're playing for the Super Bowl. That's what you do all this work for ... So when you get to the wire and somebody is just giving the game up, I mean, it's just not (fair)."

Ironically, it took 273 regular season games for someone to finally call Favre out for holding his team’s fortunes hostage with careless decisions. And when someone finally did, he never plays another game.

In all, it was as forgettable a time in New York as a person could ever have.

About the only thing Favre did for the Jets that was worthwhile? Give them reasonable advance notice that he was quitting. If he sticks to it.

More on Brett Favre  |  New York Jets

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