Wonder how the Packer faithful felt about Brett Favre’s latest move, out of retirement once more, this time headed for Minnesota and one of their most hated NFC North rivals?
I just happened to be visiting relatives in Milwaukee when that front page news hit home like a slap in the face to my two teen-age nephews. They were willing to forgive and forget Favre’s first curtain call with the New York Jets, but another comeback that will pit the Hall of Fame quarterback against their beloved Packers not once but twice this season was going way too far.
The autographed photo with Favre standing between the two of them still hangs on their wall, but he is now viewed as public enemy No. 1, and many Green Bay Packer fans just like them feel they have been betrayed.
That sentiment was splattered throughout Wednesday morning’s edition of the Journal Sentinel, including a lead story headlined, “Purple Pain,” that featured a picture of Favre strapping on a Vikings helmet during his first day at training camp.
“The unthinkable is reality,” wrote the Journal Sentinel’s Lori Nickel in her story on the front page of the newspaper.
Inside, the lead page of the sports section featured an opinion piece by Michael Hunt and the headline that pretty much summed up how most cheese heads now feel about Favre: “The Ego has landed.”
“That’s one small misstep for the Vikings, yet another giant leap into silliness for everyone else,” wrote Hunt, who later playfully referred to the former Packer beloved as Brett Farce.
In Hunt’s opinion, Favre’s primary motivation is “sticking it to the Packers.” On the field, Favre and his new team will get two chances to do that, on Oct. 5 in Minnesota and on Nov. 1 at Lambeau Field.
My nephews, and what seems to be all of Wisconsin, most certainly will be sticking to their guns and wishing him the worst.
