The Arrow Flies…
Allow me to remind you of a time…it seems so long ago now because the arrow of time always flies and 
never lands. A time when football team was resurrected from the mire of years of mediocrity. A time when one kid stepped on the field and stayed there for what seemed like forever…One kid got dumped by the Falcons and picked up by the Packers and…in the words of Robert Frost “that [has] made all the difference” Remember when Brett Favre was the most exciting player in football? When his boyish enthusiasm captivated the world? Remember when we forgave him for his addiction to pain killers because we loved the way he played the game and we loved having a great quarterback who gave his team a chance in ANY circumstance? That is the Brett Favre I choose to remember. I know he threw a lot of INT’s but he also threw more TD’s than anyone in the history of the league to date. Brett Favre has said that a reunion with the Packers “is going to happen”. And it seems likely that this reunion will take place this coming season. Further, Brett told Sirius XM radio that his relationship with current Packers QB Aaron Rodgers is good. For some Packers fans though, it is gonna be hard to forgive Brett for the way he exited Green Bay. Here are three reasons I am glad time is bringing Brett Favre back to Lambeau:
Time has passed and retirement has finally “taken”
As mentioned above, a lot of time has passed since Brett Favre was traded to the Jets and then went to the Vikings. If time heals all wounds…the deal with the Vikings, though it may leave a scar, has healed as well. I hated it when Brett went to the Vikings too but I also am one who believed that Brett was traded when he still had a lot of football left in him. This proved to be true. As time has passed, I think it is coming into sharp focus that no matter what Brett did to salvage the last bits of his career, his true career…and the source of his legacy, is and always will be his time with the Packers. If Brett and Aaron and the Packers organization think enough time has passed…packernation should too. The greatness of a Packers player is not nullified by what he did late in his career after being traded.
In all disputes, both parties are to some extent at fault. “It takes two to tango”
Packernation’s feelings about Brett Favre usually dictate who they think is at fault in the divorce that took place shortly after Aaron Rodgers was drafted. If you still like Brett, you argue that he was traded by Ted Thompson, if you thought Brett was acting like a prima donna and/or spoiled brat, you say that Ted was virtually forced into the trade because there was no other way to deal with a quarterback who thought he should be influencing personnel decisions. Hey, let’s be honest…new coach, new GM, young first-round quarterback meets fan favorite, Super Bowl champion, multiple MVP but aging quarterback who has been the face of a franchise for over ten years. This is a recipe for conflict, we shouldn’t be surprised that it happened. But as with all such disputes, each party had its part to play.
This will be an exciting year for Packers fans and there are a LOT of expectation…a visit from Brett Favre would be a great addition to the celebration.
There is another GREAT season of Packer football right around the corner! The excitement is already building and it will be a fever pitch by gametime. A reinvigorated Super Bowl MVP quarterback, a re-tooled defense with a great combo of new talent and wise veterans, and one planet-sized chip on the Packers shoulders and this season could be EPIC! Add to that the return of a Lambeau legend and one of the best to EVER play the game, forgiven and embraced the only team he ever really loved and an epic season becomes…er…well…more epic-er! So Packernation, let’s bury the hatchet and get ready for a prodigal son to return home…forever! Brett is a Packer and will always be remembered as one. Right now the only people who remember ANY other team that Brett Favre EVER played for are Packers fans because we are the ones that had to deal with watching him play for another team. But now is the time to forgive and forget!
Go Pack!
Brett is and always will be a Packer..I for one can care less the way he left..he had to prove to himself he was done playing the game and the Packers was not going to let him prove it here so not totally his fault IMO yhat he did what he did..Now its time to bring him home and put his number to rest!!!!
I am with you Jeff. I was really angry when Brett went to the Vikings…man, that just sucked. But I can’t wait to re-live all the great memories and like you say, put his number to rest!
Totally agree. And he proved he could still play, even if he had to do it on two other teams. I will be there I. My Packer Jersey at Canton to welcome him into the Hall of Fame, AS A PACKER!
Dang I cant type lol ….what he did was not his fault is what I meant to type
Brady,
You have an awful short memory…Brett said he had nothing left in him and wanted to retire, so the Packers let him retire. Brett has no one to blame for his tainted legacy as a Green Bay Packer but himself. Some of my memories are of him laying down for Michael Strahan; his last “heave” as a Green Bay Packer was another interception in the NFC Championship game in over time at Lambeau Field and him playing for our arch rival. If he wanted to be a Viking that bad, let him retire as one, we don’t want him…any true Packer fan would agree.
Benny Franklin
The time has not come and I hope it never will in my lifetime….
I can’t believe some Packers fans are so shallow. Yes he promised to end his career as a Packer & that didn’t happen. So what? It’s his life & if he wanted to “unretire” & the Packers already decided that Aaron would be the guy,Brett had every right to play for another team. For heaven’s sake, get over it people. You never changed your mind about ANYTHING during your lifetime?
Benny, thanks for the comment but ALL memory is selective. I choose to remember him winning a Super Bowl and throwing more touchdowns than any quarterback in history. I remember the League MVP’s that he racked up. I also remember when he retired. I remember when he was traded by Ted Thompson to the Jets and eventually ended up with the Vikings. I hated that as much as any fan. As for any true Packer agreeing with your statement that we don’t want him…well you have just accused a LOT of people of not being fans. I totally disagree that one would have to agree with that statement to be a true Packers fan. The Packers are bigger than ANY one player so one opinion about one player can therefore NOT determine whether you are a Packers fan or not.
I agree with Benny. He wanted to be a Viking, he was trying to arrange the trade himself. It would not surprise me to find out he had a agreement with the Jets to be traded to the Vikings after a year. He was so interested in his battle with the staff in Green Bay he forgot who the Packers really are, us the fans. Brett is the one who keep retiring. He was a great football player and by all means deserves his spot in the NFL Hall of Frame. ALL memory is selective and my selective memories do not feel he was a Packer at the end and he showed it. Let him be a Viking.
Benny, You Are Not A True Packer Fan And Don’t Speak For The Rest Of Us. I Believe They Had To Chose Between Keeping Brett Or Letting Rodgers Go. Seeing That Rodgers Was Younger They Chose Him
Rodgers Wouldn’t. Be Who He Is If It Wasn’t For Brett’s Teaching. No Offense Rodgers, But You Will Never Be As Good As Brett. You Need To Give Him The Credit He Deserves. He Made The Packers Contenders Again. Why Don’t You Become A Vikings Fan, We Won’t Miss You.
Let’s reminder we are Packer Fans. Remember, what would Vince do? Don’t hate❤️
Who are you to call someone a “true Packer fan” Why don’t you stop watching the Packers, we all won’t cater to your “qualifications”. If someone wants to see things there way let them. If you forgot, Favre chose to retire not the Packers. He also begged to be traded to MN because he thought that would be his best chance at a championship. He also played one yr in NY, with a plan to retire, just to sing with MN the following yr. Everyone could see that coming. “TO STICK IT TO GREEN BAY” I try and let it go, but it’s a$$hole fans like yourself who make it hard to forgive and forget. If your a season ticket holder, give them up, you don’t deserve them. Stop watching the Packers, we don’t need fans like you. Feels good don’t it ?
Great post, Gloria. Benny, I’m sorry, but you’ll have to remove most of those 16+ years of games that you watched, especially the comeback wins (those aren’t yours as a “fair weather” Packer fan anymore). Probably even means the Super Bowl, since the Packers wouldn’t have gotten there without the games they won; OH and Bret was the QB during those wins.
Reggie White was an amazing catalyst for the team and helped to get other good talent on the roster. AND, yes, FACT: defense wins championships, but EQUALLY IMPORTANT FACT: having NO offense will LOSE championships (actually you don’t even get to the big boy table) regardless of your defense. Do you honestly think that the Majik Man was going to do that?? No one else was thinking that after Favre came on.
Think what you’d like, but I agree that you and the other haters becoming Vikings fans would be so appropriate (for a number of reasons) because they:
1. Love mediocrity and that’s where GB would have been without Favre.
2. Haven’t won a Super Bowl and with your hate of Favre, GB wouldn’t have during that time either.
3. Have great “fair weather” fans and your credentials fit the criteria.
Totally agree, Benny. Well said.
Wrong! When Aaron was drafted (yes I LOVE #12) all Thompson wanted to do was move Favre out. The truth will come out, Brady. Thankfully, at the end of the day, WE ARE PACKERS! We can disagree, but we still bleed god and green.
I’ll never forget Bert Farver, greatest vikqueen to play the game!
The passing of time has also cooled the gee-whiz excitement that marked so many of my memories of Favre as a Packer. At the time he seemed like such an exciting player, playing the game with total abandon and having fun. Now, looking back, it’s obvious what a reckless gunslinger he was, and he probably cost us a couple of championships. The one title he did win had more to do with Reggie White and Desmond Howard than it did with him. That’s how I remember him now, and the classless way he ended his career was just a final slap in the face. I know it’s inevitable, but I don’t ever want to see his name in the ring of honor, tarnishing those of all the true Packer greats.
I have always considered farve a packer no matter where he has played. he is always gonna be a packer. and is still the best at what he did. I always hoped he wld retire as a packer, but having his number and jersey be home and layed to rest as a packer is awesome!!!
very happy about that.
Farve was the best thing that happened to football! When you watched Brett, you couldn’t wait to see if he was going to throw a precise rocket ball exactly to Donald Driver, or throw a 50 yd pass as he was going down, off balance, and still hit his receiver. That was exciting. Rodgers may be the “wonder boy”, but respect is earned.you don’t walk up to on of the best quaterbacks in the league, slap him on the back, & say “old man, when are you going to teach me everything you know”. People think he’s the bomb, but will never mesmerize a crowd with tears in his eyes winning a game the day after his beloved dad passed away. No one can replace the excitement, humor, or thrill of watching him throw a perfect spiral, in the cold, with a broken thumb & a popsicle stick taped to it so he could throw. A collarbone “hairline fracture, & out how many games? I would give anything to have Favre & his excitement back in the game. I bleed green & yellow now & forever, but quit jerking around the heart of the team, double what you took off of Clay Matthew’s salary & let’s get Jordy Nelson out there and show some magic!! The Pack will always be back, & Green Bay should welcome Farve with open arms! He has certainly earned it. Can’t wait till he us chosen for the hall of fame. You can bet I will be there!!
The most respected Quarterback an toughest who played the game.The game was never over until the clock ran out.
Twitter: GPN_JR
Absolutely right. When Brett was on the field it didn’t matter what the clock said you always thought there was a chance.
He always always always played like he loved the game and NEVER left anything but his best on the field. Fanoffavre4ever!
Does anyone remember when the great Vince Lombardi left us to go to coach the Giants? In our hearts Coach Lombardi IS Green Bay. So what if the kid still had the heart to play? Thompson did everything but change the locks at Lambau to keep him out. Bring him back! My message to Brett Favre? Thank you, thank you and welcome home.
If NOT going to another team at the end of one’s career was a prerequisite to being a Packer…we would have to strike a LOT of Packers off the list so you are exactly right! Thanks for the comment and point well taken!
if you need to refresh your memory just watch this….https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1HMbvwOf3I
Favre was an interception machine in the playoffs, glad he was able to show the Vikings some love as well in another NFC Championship Game….watch this….https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=icaMH-yT99I
He also threw 508 touchdowns: Watch this:http://goo.gl/ewY9Fl
When I was a kid, I remember how mad we all were when Jim Taylor signed with the Saints. Eventually, Packer fans got over that, too. funny thing is, Hornung’s number was “unofficially” retired, Taylor’s wasn’t. It was re-issued the year after Lombardi retired. Most recently, Al Harris wore it.
Twitter: GPN_JR
Seems like there’s nothing new under the sun doesn’t it. Thanks for sharing Leo.
How can you seriously not still love Favre? If still feeling snarky about him, look at highlights from the Superbowl in 97…seriously, the guy loved football. Can’t say I love all the choices he made…for me his personal choices were harder to take than his football choices, but then again, I don’t have to be married to him. After many painful years of being a Packer fan, Green Bay finally got on the map…and Favre was instrumental in bringing Reggie White here. Retire #4…don’t care who he played for after he left here….his legacy belongs in Green Bay.
I knew it would eventually happen-doesn’t mean I have to change my opinion about him being too selfish and unaccountable, nor that he was no better than a fart in the wind w/ only one Super Bowl and blowing many other opportunities because “he had nothing to prove.” He repeatedly let down his teammates and didn’t care.
Brett deserves to have his jersey retire this year… He gave his all for the Green Bay Packers, Green Bay and Wisconsin. More excuses why they shouldn’t retire his Jersey. Get over it, it is done and over with. I am a loyal Packer Fan but not happy with how some are treating him. It takes two…. Plus the packers didn’t want him any more, so he moved on…. Broke my heart to see him wear a Jersey that didn’t say Green Bay Packers. But this is FOOTBALL like it or not… Brett I am your number one Fan and you will always be my favorite Packers for ever… Thanks for all the memories BRETT… Bring Back Brett #4
I think it is time to retire number #4 for all he has done for the Green Bay Packers and the fans.