As a lifelong fan of the Green Bay Packers, I know that I’ll never
forget watching Brett Favre throw that touchdown pass to Greg Jennings against the Minnesota Vikings to break Dan Marino’s all-time record for career touchdown passes. It was the latest in a long list of memorable moments from Favre’s tremendous career.

What I probably won’t remember after a few years is just how many touchdown passes it took to break that record – 420-something, wasn’t it?

Most NFL fans knew Marino had the career record for TD passes before Favre, and most people will know that Favre holds the record until someone else gets on the doorstep of breaking it. Do you remember who held the record before Marino? Don’t feel bad if you’re stammering trying to spit out Fran Tarkenton. That’s the simple nature of NFL records.

The longest hitting streak in baseball history? Everybody knows Joe DiMaggio hit in 56 straight. Hank Aaron eclipsed Babe Ruth’s all-time home-run record 33 years ago, and yet most fans remember Ruth’s mark stood at 714 and Aaron eventually reached 755.

Baseball’s all-time hit leader? Pete Rose. The last person to hit .400 in a season? Ted Williams, of course. Most RBIs in a season? That would be Hack Wilson’s 191 in 1930.

Baseball’s most amazing statistics are practically burned into the minds of even casual baseball fans. Even if you don’t know them, get a small group of baseball fans together, and they can probably quote most of them without a record book in sight.

Football’s most amazing statistics are just as amazing, but far less easy to memorize. The NFL’s all-time rushing leader? Emmitt Smith, even though his mark of 18,355 yards doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue. Most career touchdowns? It probably took you a minute or two before you remembered Jerry Rice’s name, let alone the fact he racked up 208.

Considering how popular football is in this country, it’s somewhat surprising that some of the game’s most impressive statistical accomplishments aren’t as well known as they are in baseball.

That might also explain, to some extent, why baseball has a larger collector base than football. Baseball is a game that has been measured by statistical accomplishments for decades, and a player’s stature in the game is measured more by his numbers than anything else.

I know Favre’s achievements will be remembered by fans, especially Packers fans, for many years to come – even if his exact numbers might not be.