I can not pretend to be a football expert. And I know I am dipping my toe into a very dangerous territory when I start to tell Packer fans what to do... but here I go.
In the euphoria of yesterday's thrilling win against the Bears no less, and in light of the fact that the Packers are Super Bowl bound and in some people's eyes will be favored, I think the goodwill being felt in the Badger state should be extended to one more person: Brett Favre.
Oh I know he is a pinata these days.
I know his retiring and unretiring has been nothing short of comical.
I know he left the Packers and ended up with the rival Vikings where he almost led them to the Super Bowl.
I know he sent text messages that had pictures of his junk.
I know all of that.
And all of that must have hurt as fans.
And I know the first impulse after yesterday's win was... OK it was to rub it in the face of your friend who is a Bears fan.
And the second impulse was probably to drink a LOT of beer.
But at some point I am sure you wanted to yell "Brett Who?" and think this game was a huge middle finger to ole number 4.
Get that out of your system. And today, welcome him back into the fold of Packer love.
That's right. For those of you who didn't burn his jersey, feel good about busting it out again and wearing it with pride.
The time has come to embrace everything positive he did for the Packers in his career. Favre not only had his great years in Green Bay but he made the Packers relevant and a national team.
The Packers had not been to the post season in back to back seasons since the days of Vince Lombardi. That changed with Brett Favre at the helm. Yes Mike Holmgren, Sterling Sharpe and Reggie White had a lot to do with it too, but I don't recall Joe Montana, Terry Bradshaw nor Tom Brady playing by himself either.
Not only were they a playoff team but they a Super Bowl team. Yeah Green Bay was Title Town... but that was kind of a sad moniker for nearly three decades of zero titles. Then the Packers won... and guess who was the MVP of the Game? OK, it was Desmond Howard, but that's not the point.
Favre delivered the title that Green Bay was starved for since the departure of Vince Lombardi.
Remember Vince? Another guy who left Green Bay to try and win a Super Bowl elsewhere! Oh I am sure there is love for Vince in Green Bay.
Even in Favre's last game as a Packer, he got your team to within a score of the Superbowl.
Think of the three MVP seasons.
Think of the crazy style of play that resulted in either a spectacular touchdown or an interception.
Think of the There's Something About Mary Cameo.
You can't find any good will?
As a Red Sox fan, I have my "I can't boo a member of the 2004 or 2007 World Champions" and that extends to boo bird targets Manny Ramirez and Johnny Damon.
We Sox fans wanted a World Series so badly and Ramirez and Damon delivered it to us. Think of all of those years of mediocre football and what Favre delivered.
And guess what?
To quote Khan's right hand man in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, you have defeated him. You don't need to defeat him again.
Favre left in search of another Superbowl appearance.
He didn't get it and the Packers did!
Don't be like Tom Hagen with Tessio. Let him off the hook... for old time's sake.
The old times were great.
And the new times look pretty great too.
Show some dignity and tip that wedge of cheese on your head to Brett Favre.
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"But Favre tasks me! He tasks me and he shall not find me wanting. I will chase him round the Metrodome and whatever Prince's nightclub was called if need be."
ReplyDeleteEven a life long Packer fan couldn't have put it any better. Yes I cried, felt betrayed when he joined the Vikings but I was also at Superbowl XXXI and XXXII. I remember the great games I've seen that are now legendary (and the not so great). My hope is that Brett will also forgive and forget and know that the fans were not part of the decision to force him to leave Green Bay.
ReplyDeleteHe put himself "on the hook", or as I prefer to say, he crossed the Mississippi and burned the bridge behind him. He did perhaps leave in search of a Super Bowl, but he ALSO left to "stick it" to Ted Thompson and the Packers. We don't have to do anything. If wants to come back across, it's up to him to rebuild the bridge.
ReplyDeleteNon-Packer and ignorant Packer fans need to get a grasp of reality. The "he retired but changed his mind and all he wanted to do was play and the Packers wouldn't let him so he went to the Vikings" simply don't get just what an ass Favre was the last three years before the Divorce, which led to his active attempts to harm the Packers.
Part 3
ReplyDeleteThen there is the post "salad days" doldrums between the NFC Championship game appearances of 1997 and 2007. The period between 1998 and 2006 saw four head coaches and three GM's. Many Packer fans lament this period and apologized for Favre that there wasn't a basketful of HOF talent by his side which explains why Favre couldn't possibly win another championship. No, he had to suffer with only pro-bowl talent and franchise leading record holders like Ahman Green, who is the all time Packer leading rusher, or Donald Driver, the all time leader in receptions and just 43 yards short in yardage, or 3X pro-bowler Bubba Franks. And saddled with a superior offensive line and a "bend but don't break D" on the short payroll side of the ball, it's easy to see why there wouldn't be even ONE NFC Championship game appearance with such trash.
The REALITY is that from 1998-2006, the Packers had the best winning % in the NFC. Fifth in the NFL, sure, but the best in the NFC. But, people would say, without this great talent that I'm ignoring because the NFL isn't marketing them 24 hours a day like some other people, that would mean Favre is leading his band of Special Olympians and beating bottom feeders and wanna be's but could only get them so far, not being able to do anything against good teams. Well, the Packers form '98-'06 had the best winning percentage against their home conference's playoff caliber teams in the entire NFL in the regular season. So somehow the team was beating the rest of the NFC, including playoff caliber teams, better than any other.
Ahh... let him off the hook
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