The Packers are a religion in Wisconsin. When they play on Sunday, sermons are brief. It's kind of cute until they start losing, something the Pack rarely did with Brett Favre.
To some Packer faithful Brett Favre became a turncoat when he returned from his brief retirement and asked for a trade. Worse yet, the hated Minnesota Vikings were top on his list of acceptable destinations and this only one year removed from his lobbying for the Randy Moss trade. All cardinal sins to the orthodox sect of the Church of Packerland.
Brett Favre isn't the first Packer celebrity. The list is long and includes Hall of Famers like Clarke Hinkle, Johnny "Blood" McNally and Paul Hornung. But Packerland hadn't seen a cult of personality like that surrounding Favre since the days of Lombardi, and even then Vince never inspired the whole family quite like gunslinger Brett.
And there's nothing new about Packer heroes leaving Titletown. Favre merely followed precedent set by Green Bay's two biggest legends: Earl "Curly" Lambeau and Lombardi. Lambeau founded the Packers in 1920 (joining the APFA / NFL the next year), played halfback from 1920-29 and coached them to six NFL titles. He was fired in 1950 and became head coach of the Chicago Cardinals (1950-51) and then the Redskins (1952-3).
Lombardi would leave his GM post in 1969 when the Washington Redskins offered him the head coaching job and 5% ownership. Like Favre would do with the Jets forty years later, Lombardi turned a struggling Redskin team into winners with a 7-5-2 record.
I wouldn't expect a GM to show loyalty to an aging QB. It's not in the job description. But I am a little baffled by Thompson drafting Rodgers when Brett Favre was the face of the NFL. The profits he generated through merchandise and TV must have been enormous. Financially speaking, just having Favre on your team was like winning the Super Bowl.
Maybe Ted and his superiors (the Bishop & Co) just wanted to make their own mark, like the suits at Coca-Cola back in the 1980s. Those clowns had the most recognizable trade-marks in the world and flushed them down the toilet for New Coke and Classic.
But fans are a different ball-game. If there's one guy I'd have thought would get a pass from the faithful for leaving the Bay it's Brett Favre: the ironman; MVPs; Super Bowls.
So relax, Favre haters. Have a beer, have a Diet Coke. Count your blessings and give Brett a break. Packer backers had a great ride with "Mississippi" and you still have the best quarterback in the North, as long as you don't drive the guy insane.
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Daniella Sarahyba
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Good blog.
Personally, I believe that Favre and Bus engineered the whole divorce intentionally, trying to make Thompson the scapegoat for the rage that was bound to ensue. But we'll never know.
Curly Lambeau
Total Comments (5170)
I am one of the truest packer fans you will ever know. Bret was the packers while he was here. TT well hes going his own route his own way with no intention of be swayed by hate mails from the fans. I dont know if he will succeed or fail, I am not that good (If I was I would have his Job) So I was upset with everything that happened, I still love brett but will give tt the benifit of the doubt. If he fails I will be leading the lynch mob. I hope he succeeds. Nothing is better than the pack being on top.
Lestadt
Total Comments (4)
After enough time has passed both sides will reconcile.
Favre will always be remembered as a Packer great and the messy divorce will be a footnote to a great career.
People are only bringing up Lombardi and Lambeau leaving because Favre did it as well. If he had just retired for good and none of this happened hardly anyone would recognize that fact.
Good blog.
Illinois Cheesehead
Northern, IL
Total Comments (611)
It wasn't really all that baffling to see Thompson draft Rodgers. Rodgers had been touted as a possible #1 overall QB and was expected to be taken in the top 10 picks. Favre had been talking about retirement every year since '02 (I think). It didn't take a genius to see that the Pack needed to have a backup plan in case Brett really did retire. That's what Rodgers was.
The problem was that this was a year after the Pack went 4-12. Everyone wanted to get Favre more weapons for "one last run." Combine this with the "bungled" Randy Moss trade, and you've cemented Thompson as anti-Brett Favre. What Thompson was really doing was planning for the future. After years of Sherman mortgaging the future for the present, many fans forgot what this looked like, and when it happened, they figured that there must have been an ulterior motive. Many figured that Thompson arrogantly was trying to get rid of Favre, when in my view, he was just trying to get his ducks in a row to set the team up for long term success.
Thompson didn't push Favre out the door, he just didn't make any attempt to stop him when Favre decided to leave.
jayme0227
Wausau , WI
Total Comments (1)
Yup, agree with u jay. But what I really didn't like about Brett, and I Loved the guy - Die hard Packer backer, when he talked about not having an elite WR??? ****? First there was S Sharpe, then A Freeman. And Sharpe's name battled Rice's name for supremacy week in and week out. M Chumera - member the TE that did something very wrong? Yeah, that guy was an all pro. And don't forget A Green the RB. He was def in the top 3 for a solid 5/6 years. And at that same time the O-Line was tops in the leagues also. Now, for as great as Brett was, he sure had some talent all around him. And he should give that credit. To me, he owes S Sharpe a truck load of thanks. I think Sterling quickened Brett's progression.
kattie
Hockley , TX
Total Comments (3)
Yup, agree with u jay. But what I really didn't like about Brett, and I Loved the guy - Die hard Packer backer, when he talked about not having an elite WR??? ****? First there was S Sharpe, then A Freeman. And Sharpe's name battled Rice's name for supremacy week in and week out. M Chumera - member the TE that did something very wrong? Yeah, that guy was an all pro. And don't forget A Green the RB. He was def in the top 3 for a solid 5/6 years. And at that same time the O-Line was tops in the leagues also. Now, for as great as Brett was, he sure had some talent all around him. And he should give that credit. To me, he owes S Sharpe a truck load of thanks. I think Sterling quickened Brett's progression.
kattie
Hockley , TX
Total Comments (3)
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