The last NFL MVP Blog got me thinking about these two. Favre has had his place in the Hall of Fame cemented since the last millennium, while Warner has been considered something of a fluke, a journeyman nobody who was the product of a great system, a Hall of Fame running back and two Hall of Fame wideouts.

But like Favre, Warner's been to two Super Bowls, winning one and losing one. And while Favre won three MVPs, Warner's won two, and is working on a third this season.

Favre has the longevity records, but Warner, though brittle at times, has also been benched - something that should have happened to Favre in the past five years, but was never a question given his status as a legend.

As for the numbers, Favre is obviously the all-time record holder in yards and touchdowns, so in totals he's unmatched. But in terms of rate stats, Warner is equally dominant. Warner's career YPA is 8.1! Tom Brady's YPA last year was 8.3, and Peyton Manning's career number is 7.7. In fact, Warner is fifth all time in career YPA, behind only Otto Graham, Sid Luckman, Tony Romo and Norm Van Brocklin. Three of the four ahead of him didn't play in the modern era, and Romo's sample is small, and he's never won a playoff game.

Favre's YPA is a pedestrian 7.0 (80th). Favre's thrown 457 TDs and 300 INTs. Warner: 168:106 - a very slight edge to Warner in ratio. Career quarterback rating? 85.8 for Favre; 94.2 for Warner.

So why is Favre considered such an icon (long before he set all the records), while Warner is a guy who came out of nowhere and benefitted from a great system?

Part of it is John Madden, Tony Kornheiser, et al. who have mythologized Favre beyond all recognition. Part of it is that Favre looks like a football player - he's bigger, stronger, has a bigger arm and is uniquely durable. He played at hallowed Lambeau Field, on grass, outdoors, often in the snow. Warner played on turf in a dome for a team that had recently moved to St. Louis. Warner also had no pedigree at all - an Arena League player who was seen as a Martz gimmick, even though that team won the Super Bowl.

Favre was a great quarterback, but Warner's the better quarterback now, and I think when all is said and done, you can make a good argument that he was the better football player overall.