Green Bay Packers fans booed Brett Favre vociferously Sunday afternoon as soon as he entered Lambeau Field for pregame warm-ups.
The boos got even louder when Favre took the field for the Vikings first drive of the game. It was loud and angry.
And that’s fine and good. Favre is a Viking now playing for one of the Packers’ main rivals in the NFC North. And it’s okay if those boos continue for the one, two or maybe three games Favre plays at his former home in Green Bay.
Favre has been a prima donna at times, holding the Packers’ front office hostage during several offseasons and then demanding a trade after the organization stood behind his replacement, Aaron Rodgers, just a few months after Favre announced his (first) retirement.
Understandably the emotions toward Favre were less in 2008 when he went to play in New York. The Pack only sees the Jets every fourth season and they are in no way rivals.
And it’s also understandable that those emotions turned ugly when Favre finagled his way to Minnesota this last offseason, again coming out of “retirement” in order to do so.
Nonetheless, Packers fans need to get these boos and bad feelings out of their respective systems now while Favre is wearing purple. Because when he retires, he’ll be five years away from entering the Hall of Fame and when he does, he’ll primarily be remembered for his years with the Packers.
Favre played in Green Bay for 16 years. There were ups and downs. He was erratic at times, especially when he was younger. But there were a lot more fantastic moments than there were ugly ones. While there were dribs and drabs of hope for the two decades before Favre joined the organization, the Green Bay Packers had not had sustained success in years before Ron Wolf traded a first round pick to acquire him from Atlanta in 1992.
So yes, there is a lot of anger among Packers fans toward Favre for his willingness to end his career wearing purple. And it’s understandable. But Favre’s issues have never been with the Packers’ fans. Right or wrong, it’s with the organization.
Favre summed it up after the game while talking with Fox’s Pam Oliver when he said he hoped the fans in Green Bay loved him as much as he loves them.
While it might not feel like it right now, at the end of Favre’s career they should.
The entire state has seemed to forget that Vince Lombardi retired from the Packers and then un-retired to coach the Redskins.