Here’s a name you don’t hear nearly enough these days — Brett Favre.

I wonder if Election Day 2008 will get as much press as the prime time, all the time coverage of Favre’s unretirement? Sure it was big news to find out No. 4 and the Green Bay Packers had divorced after 16 years — and Favre opted for a quickie marriage to the New York Jets. Still, there’s reporting and then there’s massive overkill.

“This just in … Brett Favre was seen walking to his mailbox in Hattiesburg at 11:13 this morning. According to sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity, he received a light bill, water bill, a letter addressed to ‘Occupant’ requesting that he try a new lawn service in the area, and a packet of coupons worth more than $100 at area Hattiesburg retail stores. We are efforting to get more information. Stay tuned to ESPN for complete coverage as Favre will likely have to go to the restroom within the hour.”

I’m glad World War III didn’t break out Thursday. If it had, information would’ve been confined to a crawl at the bottom of the TV screen and then placed in the context of how it might affect Favre’s first day at Jets training camp.

I remember back in March writing a “Brett Favre is great” column for this paper. I honestly believed when he said he was retiring he really, really was retiring.

Here’s what I wrote:

… Favre left on his own terms. A couple of years ago I thought he’d overstayed his welcome and that the magic in his arm was gone.

But the magic in his heart never left, and he proved it this past season with a campaign no one but himself expected.

While a second Super Bowl ring would’ve meant Favre had gone out at the top of the game, he still managed to go out at the top of his game.

It was a fitting finale for my favorite quarterback.”

So what will Favre’s farewell be like now?

Will he walk away for good after the close of the 2008 season, mentally and physically bruised after “guiding” the Jets to a 6-10 record?

That’s probably more likely than a feel-good story in which the grizzled old QB revives the former AFL franchise and makes it viable again in a town that is currently ruled by the Giants.

At any rate it’s time to give this story a rest until it actually becomes a story again.

I grew up as a pseudo Jets fan so there’s part of me that wants to see Broadway Brett channel Broadway Joe and have a season for the ages.

But I doubt it’ll happen.

And I doubt that when Favre does retire — and I mean when he actually decides not to play competitive football anymore — I’ll be writing a column about how he exited on his own terms at the top of his game.

That being the case, consider this space a Favre free zone from this day forward.

Unless, of course, World War III begins and it causes him to miss a start against the Patriots.