It’s just another day in the world of professional football. Another Super Bowl has come and gone. Another NFL season draws to a close.

One team goes home with the Lombardi Trophy and 31 others go back to the drawing board. But there’s something that sets this season apart from those of years past: For the first time in two decades, Brett Favre did not play football.

Old Man Favre retired for the first time back in March of 2008, only to file for reinstatement a few months later. Unfortunately for Number Four, his old team, the Green Bay Packers, had already moved on. The grizzled gunslinger was sent packing. After a disappointing season with the New York Jets, Favre retired and unretired once again. This time he landed with Green Bay’s hated rivals, the Minnesota Vikings. Favre led the Vikings to a 12-4 record and a division title, but threw a late-game interception during the NFC Championship that cost the Vikes a trip to the Super Bowl. After yet another false retirement, Favre was back in Minnesota for the 2010 season. But instead of making another run at the Super Bowl, Favre suffered his second losing season in 19 years as a starter. His 41-year-old body began to fall apart, and he seemed to get injured every time he took the field. To cap things off, some salacious voice mails and scandalous photos that he allegedly sent a young female sideline reporter emerged on the Internet, solidifying Favre’s transition from America’s favorite sports hero to NFL public enemy number one. Anti-Favre fervor reached a fever pitch. His reputation tarnished, Favre finally retired for good in February of 2011.

Love him or hate him, Favre’s absence has left a gaping hole in the heart of professional football. Sure, there are still plenty of great quarterbacks playing the game, including Favre’s replacement in Green Bay, Aaron Rodgers. But none play the way Favre did. Favre was the last of a dying breed — the sandlot quarterback. From his audibled 80-yard touchdown bomb to Andre Rison on the second play of Super Bowl XXXI to his notorious improvised shovel passes at snowy Lambeau Field, Favre’s play was thrilling and unpredictable. Even his playoff losses were epic, almost Shakespearean in scope. He could lead his team to the brink of greatness, only to throw a devastating pick in the final seconds and bring the hopes and dreams of an entire season crashing down around him. Regardless of our personal feelings for Favre, we wanted to see him out there on Sundays. We wanted to watch him talk trash with defensive tackles twice his size. We wanted to see him sling a receiver over his shoulder after a touchdown, or tackle his own teammates in the end zone. We wanted to watch him play.

On February 5 we saw Tom Brady and Eli Manning face off in Super Bowl XLVI. Both quarterbacks are phenomenal. Brady’s 2007 season is one of the greatest single seasons of quarterback play ever. And of course you can’t spell “elite” without Eli. He may look like a Muppet version of Quentin Tarantino, but he plays with as much heart as anyone at the position.

That said, neither surgical passing nor scrappy play come anywhere close to capturing the intangible spark that made Brett Favre must-watch TV. The magic of Favre’s unpredictability, both on the field and off, is what made him such a joy to watch. It’s also what keeps pundits speculating on his potential return every summer. I, for one, will be looking forward to “Favre Watch 2012” as we enter the off-season. It’s just one more NFL tradition that never ceases to entertain.