Or as Tennyson puts it later in “Ulysses“:
“Though much is taken, much abides. . . ; that which we are, we are;”
Numbers I came up with because I was curious and thought you might be too:
“Brett Favre” plus “legacy” — Google hits: 132,000
“Brett Favre” plus “legacy” plus “tarnished” — Google hits: 59,900
How fortunate was Ulysses to be merely a warrior and not a quarterback, nor Tennyson a sports reporter reminding him that the smart play would be to rest on his laurels.