Purple People Greeters

Tuesday August 18th, 2009 will be a date easily forgotten. But the events that transpired on this darkest day in Cheese Land will forever bitter the cheddar and pepper jack that accompany our beer soaked brats.

The rumor mill turned ever so gently on Twitter and ESPN. But mostly it was the local Minnesota media that pushed the story. A plane left Hattiesburg carrying some luggage, staff, Brett Favre and a Vikings logo.

Mere hours after landing, Favre was in a familiar red #4 jersey, only to be topped by a purple helmet. The sight of this was enough to make the average Packer fan puke.

Most people I heard on talk radio wanted Favre to fail miserably and some extremists even wanted him to be injured.

We may never know the whole truth about what happened when Favre announced his retirement from the Packers. So lets think about this instead of jump onto the Hate Favre Bandwagon.

The Packers have Favre to thank for carrying the team some 16 years. He is the reason we obtained Reggie White and won a Super Bowl. He is the reason a small market city has been able to keep one of the most beloved football teams in the country. He is the reason for pretty much every positive thing that has happened to the Packers. If he still thinks he can play, no matter where that is, we shouldn’t take it as a slap in the face.

This season the Packers will again have Aaron Rodgers behind center. He was a solid starter through all of last year, even playing through a shoulder injury. Maybe he did learn something from his predecessor?

I am not happy that Favre is a Viking. But in the grand scheme of things, it really doesn’t matter.

Please repeat after me:
“I am not mad at Brett Favre. I will applaud his announcement on Sunday November 1st, 2009 at Lambeau Field when the Packers face the Vikings as a Thank You for all that he did for this franchise and this city. This is the Packer way.”

Plug In – Participate – Go Gonzo

A Real Packer Fan,

Henry Gonzo
Contributor-at-Large
henry@gonzoguidegreenbay.com