Putting the Kabosh on a Return by #4
Who is a bigger Packer fan than yours truly?
No one.
I’ve been a Marylander my whole life, but my Cheeseheaded-self could easily overpower the likes of a Redskin fan—right on down to the skivvies (I say Skins fan because along with the Cowboys, the Packers and Skins are the top, fan-favorite teams in the league). I’m often quizzed/challenged on all things Packers and/or football in general. I welcome it though because it feels almost like an initiation of sorts, and it also gives me the opportunity to stick it to the naysayers. I attribute my knowledge, love, adoration, and the possession of a cheesehead (the old school one that’s bigger and a darker shade of yellow) for this organization to family friends out in Wisconsin. Without them, I would never have been introduced to the amazing athlete known simply as “Brett”.
From the moment I laid eyes on #4 at the ripe old age of 8, I knew he was special. For the past 16 years, I have watched Brett Favre walk out onto the field to play his game. Through the turmoil, the illnesses, the bitter defeats, and all-empowering wins, he has been my quarterback. It was more than the good looks (any female with eyes will tell you Brett Favre is hot—grey and all), I felt some sort of comfort; a relief. Oddly enough I counted on him more than anyone else to give it his all, and he never disappointed. In a cliché kind of way that only a chick football fan could say—Brett and I grew up together. So if there was anyone on the east coast devastated by his retirement back in March, it was definitely me.
I was at work when I first heard the news, and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t cry over it. I had been in the office for maybe an hour, when I checked into ESPN. My heart sank. I immediately sat and stared—I knew he would retire, but I wasn’t ready for it to happen. Overcome with emotion and feeling utterly nostalgic, I poured it all into a fan blog on ESPN. I got a ton of responses from fans, non-fans, and ESPN friends who really were indifferent, but got wrapped up in the emotion of it all. ESPN even quoted me on the front page of their website. For the rest of the day people knew to keep their distance. Even my 10 y/o cousin knew not to mention his name or anything resembling it. For a week I was in a state of melancholy, trying to accept the inevitable. With a little help from my Brett Favre rookie card (which I give thanks to my twin brother for—Brett was a nobody when I traded for his card, just a no-name QB on my new favorite team the Packers. He looks better in Green and Gold than he did in Falcons gear; and no, I’m not selling it), countless memorabilia, and some fond memories, I was able to move on.
Fast-forward a month or two, and there’s already speculation regarding his return. If there was anyone who wanted Brett to return, it would be me. But he’s not going to, and we shouldn’t assume he will. Like I kept telling people this weekend, I’ve been through enough pain without these insinuations that everyone is reporting as fact. I can only attribute this sudden attention on “will he/won’t he” to two very different sources, but equally as important to NFL culture—Madden ‘09 and the NFL Draft.
Hearing the news of Brett gracing the cover of Madden ‘09 got me ecstatic. This honor reflects the quality of performance and character the player had during the past NFL season. It sparked debate, and I found 
myself defending Favre—at 38, the man ended his career with one of the best seasons he’s ever had. “Brett Favre” and “football” are synonymous with one another, and he rightly deserved the cover. Needless to say, immediately people started telling me that he would be coming back. Without a doubt. My response—it’s a videogame box cover people! Get a grip. What he and the fans went through during the whole retirement week would not be reversed by a piece of plastic. During and interview with ESPN, they asked Brett about making the Madden cover. In response, he flatly said (as only Brett could do), “I’m not savvy enough to play this game. Most of the younger generation has no idea [Madden] coached…Some of our guys play Madden better than they play on Sundays. And they spend more time talking about playing Madden.” Sounds like he’s going to come back. His enthusiasm over Madden ‘09 just makes it so.
Because it was draft time this past weekend, the Packers organization had to officially put Brett on the reserve-retired list. However, because he hasn’t signed his retirement papers, people thinks he’s coming back. Let me point out a couple of things: 1. The retirement papers are just a formality. He’s hardly the first, and he’s far from being the last to not sign his retirement papers right away. 2. Why would the Packers pick up two more QBs in the draft if they were anticipating Favre’s return? In case you missed it, they picked up Brian Brohm and Matt Flynn. After getting WR Jordy Nelson for their first pick (I’m not entirely sure why), I don’t think they would’ve wasted the attention there in lieu of a return by #4.
This past Friday, Brett further explained to ESPN, “There are always second thoughts, but that’s not saying I am coming back. It’s never a clear-cut decision. It’s something I can’t expect everyone to understand. No, there’s no perfect time. First of all, I won’t keep myself in shape. I’m sure after training camp is over and all that hard work is done, it might be ‘OK, now.’ It might be nice to dream about it, but no.” Even reminiscing with old friends and relishing in personal achievements couldn’t get #4 to change his mind on Friday. He doesn’t expect the skeptics to understand. In fact, I doubt he expects anyone to truly understand outside the likes of John Elway, Joe Montana, or Dan Marino. However, he has hinted he intends to be a part of football in some aspect in the near future. For now, he simply said, “I’m eager to get home.”
Tags: NFL, football, Draft, NFL Draft, Greenbay Packers, Greenbay, Packers, Brett Favre, Brett, Favre, Madden, John Madden
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July 10, 2008 at 10:55 am
It’s beginning to look more and more like ur boy is coming back..What if he comes back as something other than a Packer? For instance, a Raven. Don’t they play in the Maryland area somewhere?