After spending the last few years becoming more famous for his indecision than his skills under center, Brett Favre cemented himself as one of the most talked-about athletes this century.

Among his many commercials, the constant updates on his whereabouts -- including airport runway reports and helicopter views of his Mississippi ranch -- to his actual play with the Jets and now the Vikings, it has been hard to avoid the world's most famous gunslinger.

Apparently, all that coverage hasn't been enough.

Leading up to Monday night's rivalry game between the Packers and the Vikings -- a rivalry that only got more heated when Favre switched sides -- the ESPN2 series "SportsNation" will try to break the world record for the most on-air mentions of Favre in a single television show.

Really. They even have officials from Guinness World Records looking up the current mark so they'll have a target to beat.

Growing up, the only thing I disliked more about the NFL than Favre himself was the seemingly nonstop lovefest he got in the national media. (Full disclosure: As a Vikings fan, it was mandatory to root against all things Favre.) Which is why it pains me to say that I'm loving every bit of the Favre revival this fall, including the over-the-top fawning that he is sure to receive leading up to Monday night.

I was reluctant to accept him at first, but the past three weeks -- including last week's incredible touchdown pass in the final two seconds to beat San Francisco -- officially sealed the deal. This guy isn't just good for whatever team he's playing for, he's good for the NFL as a whole.

Before the season began, it was generally accepted that even if Favre's skills had greatly diminished, he would still sell tickets and serve as a cash-cow for the Vikings that would be well worth the price of his contract -- a $25 million two-year deal that I still feel is almost as ridiculous as Roger Clemens' pro-rated $28 million deal with the Yankees in 2007.

Still, he appears to be worth every cent.

The Metrodome will have a playoff atmosphere Monday night, and the game's TV ratings are also sure to be through the roof.

Considering that a MNF broadcast without Favre still manages a hefty amount of Favre mentions, SportsNation's record -- should it actually break the previous mark -- will probably be topped within the first 10 minutes of the actual game.

With 12 weeks of the season remaining, and no end in sight for the league's longest-running soap opera, hopefully the Guinness officials don't venture too far away.

Assistant Sports Editor Willis Jacobson's column appears exclusively each Friday in The Citizen. He can be reached at 305-292-7777, Ext. 223, or at wjacobson@keysnews.com.