Fun-loving spirit made Favre a Green Bay legend
Wow.
That is the collective response in Packerland today.
Brett Favre, the symbol of the Green Bay Packers for the last decade-plus, apparently has played his final game.
If this indeed is true—there always is a chance he’ll reconsider as the season approaches—he leaves behind more records and memories than any other player in Green Bay history.
What made Favre a legend in Green Bay was his fun-loving spirit.
In his early years, he was the good ol’ boy from Mississippi who downed them with the best of them in Green Bay nightspots and then cut loose on Sundays. He fit in well with the blue-collar atmosphere that is Wisconsin.
When his free spirit went overboard, landing him in rehabilitation for abusing Vicodin, he took on a new persona. He married his longtime girlfriend, Deanna, and gave up drinking.
But he never lost his devil-may-care attitude.
That is what made him a darling with the fans and media. He was never predictable.
That is why today’s news shouldn’t have surprised us. But it did. After several years where Packers fans worried from the final game of the season whether Favre would be back, this season appeared to be a no-brainer.
The Packers, filled with young players far from their prime, went 13-3 to win the NFC North Division title and played the NFC Championship game in Lambeau Field. Then a Favre interception led to a New York Giant victory.
The Giants went on to win the Super Bowl. You would have thought Favre would have looked at that and said, “That could have been us. We are that close.”
That is what Packer fans were saying. And that is why they were positive he was coming back for at least another year.
But he isn’t.
The NFL has taken a toll on him. Every season, he looked older and older as he would limp to the podium in the Packer auditorium after games. His hair got shorter and grayer, although his stream-of-consciousness answers to questions always remained.
Coming off that field in freezer-like conditions after the Giants’ loss, Favre looked old. His face was a ghostly white.
Packer fans forgave him for the interception. They have come to understand that their hero has his imperfections.
It is unforgivable that the Packers only got to two Super Bowls and won only one during Favre’s unforgettable career. Poor management decisions are to blame for that.
The Packers will live on, although a certain percentage of fans will drift away, just like those Bulls fans who forgot about them when Michael Jordan retired.
Aaron Rodgers is now your starting quarterback, Packer fans.
It will be many, many years, however, before No. 4 is forgotten.
No, he will never be forgotten.
Tom Milller is a sports page designer and reporter for The Janesville Gazette.
Before you post a comment, consider this:
Note: GazetteXtra.com does not condone or review every comment. Read more in our User Policy AgreementPost Comment
Commenting requires registration.