Storyline: Don’t believe the hype about “the greatest fans in the world.” Packer fans cheered Brett Favre. Then they booed Brett Favre. Now they’re cheering him again.
This past weekend the Green Bay Packers inducted former quarterback Brett Favre into their team Hall of Fame. It was quite the spectacle. More than sixty-seven thousand Cheeseheads filled Lambeau Field to cheer on their living legend. As a welcome home gift, Favre was showered with a three-minute standing ovation from the crowd.
Courtesy: lombardiave.com
Of course the national media began salivating over the Green Bay fan base. The typical narrative of the “greatest football fans ever” was bandied about. Lambeau Field is a shrine and all those Wisconsinites who fill the seats are just the “best, gosh, darn it.” It’s the same cliché we hear every damn Sunday during the football season.
Yes, the Packer fans are dedicated and love the Green & Gold. We get it. But do the Packer fans really deserve Brett Favre? I remember the divorce seven years ago. I definitely recall most Packer fans response to it and to Favre himself. To me it was quite a shameful display of over-the-top team loyalty.
Before I get into the details of Packer fans behaving badly, I do have to share my history with the team. That history colors my entire thought process. I’m an admitted Packer-hater, but I’ve also had a very unique relationship with the team.
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I grew up two hours outside of Green Bay, just across the state line in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. (If you’ve failed to hear of the U.P. I guess we can just chalk that up to another geography-fail of the American public. It’s right there in the middle of the Great Lakes! Anyway, check it out on Google maps, numbskulls.)
Most of my relatives are lifelong Packer fans, as is most of the U.P. As a kid I didn’t think it was right to be rooting for the neighboring state’s football team. We were Michiganders, not Cheeseheads, and Wisconsin should be our natural rivals. So … no cheddar for me.
I didn’t feel an allegiance to the Detroit Lions, either. Detroit may as well have been Tokyo for a kid growing up in the U.P., pre-Internet. Plus the Lions were horrible, had little history, and played in a god-awful dome. No thanks.
So. naturally, at the age of five I became an Oakland Raider fan. They wore Silver & Black and just looked cool. Plus they were the mavericks of the NFL and owned a unique history. They also won the Super Bowl when I was six and that also helped. Yes, I was a fair weather fan at the age of six, but I’ve stuck with the Raiders ever since…and I pay for that choice quite often.
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Over the past twenty plus years my Sundays would probably have been way more enjoyable if I had just chosen to be a Packer fan and not a Raider fan. I’m basically the Nazi villain in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. When given the choice of drinking the Packer chalice or the Raider chalice…well…I choose poorly.
Yes, I hate the Packers, but that team has always been a major factor in my NFL life. Green Bay was always on TV and, back then, viewing options were limited. In high school my best friend received Packer season tickets from his dad and I started going to several games a year–right at the start of the Brett Favre era. I saw Favre’s first comeback win in his first start against the Cincinnati Bengals. It was a bomb to Kitrick Taylor with only seconds left. C’mon Cincy! I saw Favre duel Elway on Sunday night as the Packers continued to grow into contenders.
On Christmas Eve Day I saw the Packers beat the-then L.A. Raiders to clinch their first playoff berth in twenty some years. It was the origin game of the “Lambeau Leap” and the Raiders were crushed, 28-0. It was also ZERO degrees (4th coldest in Lambeau history) and the entire 4th quarter I became the victim of “Raiiii-derrrr Duuuude!!!” chants.
For 15 years straight Brett Favre was my own personal sports demon. Nobody scared me more, and he never took a day off, either. He belongs on my Mount Rushmore of Sports Greats … that I hated throughout their careers because they were simply too good and played for teams I despised. Only upon retirement do I become a fan. Also carved on that mountain are Larry Bird, Tom Brady, and Tim Duncan.
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Then, in 2008, the impossible happened. The Green Bay Packers decided to part ways with their legendary quarterback. G.M. Ted Thompson and Coach Mike McCarthy were sick of the yearly dance with Favre about his retirement plans so they gave him a March deadline. Favre couldn’t commit, so he retired. Thompson and McCarthy were ready to see Brett ride off into the sunset and they handed over the reins to Aaron Rodgers.
Then, according to most media and Packer fans, Favre committed the biggest sin of all: he began to waffle. GASP! Favre wanted to play again, and he wanted his release if he couldn’t compete for the Green Bay job. Thompson refused to release Favre because he was apparently too scared to compete against him in the division.
This is where I thought Thompson and McCarthy did Favre a huge disservice. This QB–along with former coach Mike Holmgren and the late, great Reggie White–brought Green Bay back to football prominence after a twenty year drought. The least Thompson could have done for Favre is let the man go free, to pick the team he wanted to play for. Smart football move or not I thought it was quite classless of the Packers, as an organization, to hold Favre captive. I hated Brett Favre and every throw of his career until then and, even then, I thought he deserved more from the Packer brass.
In a sloppy end to the whole affair Thompson shipped Favre off to the New York Jets and the QB played one mediocre season in the AFC. Then, in 2009, Favre finally got what he wanted: he was able to pick his team of choice, which just so happened to be Green Bay’s AFC North foe, the Minnesota Vikings. The move seemed to rejuvenate Favre and he put together one of the finest seasons of his career. He led the Vikings to the brink of the Super Bowl. I even felt bad for Brett when he tossed one of the most critical interceptions of his career to halt the Vikings run in New Orleans.
The most absurd scene in that 2009 season was Favre’s late-season return to Lambeau Field. Sure, he was wearing a purple jersey and horned helmet of the enemy, but this was still Green Bay-legend, Brett Favre. What did these supposedly “great fans” do during Favre’s introduction? They booed him–mercilessly and more.
The Lambeau stands were littered with Traitor and Judas signs. A plane circled the field with a banner reading, “Retire 4 Good.” They not only booed him in the intros but every time he lined up near the ball. It was an absurd turn of events. Sure, not every fan turned on Favre but, in talking to people who were there that day, it was definitely the majority.
The 2010 season came around and Favre decided to come back and chase another Super Bowl ring. However, this time the season was the complete opposite of 2009. Everything was an utter disaster. In the blink of eye, Favre went from the ultimate NFL iron man to an old guy trying to play QB. He battled constant injuries; his consecutive games streak was broken; and Favre was finally forced into retirement. No more waffling this time. “The Game” told Brett he was done.
In Favre’s final game at Lambeau, the Green Bay faithful once again treated their one-time savior as whipping boy. The game served as a microcosm of Favre’s career. His gun slinging ways led to three interceptions. He turned his ankle badly, but wouldn’t leave the game. Then, as limped around the field in the 4th quarter, he led one last desperate comeback. The comeback fell short: replay wiped out what might have been a winning TD pass. The Vikings lost, 28-24. Brett played valiantly and showed one dose of the old magic, but he limped off the field tunnel for the last time in Wisconsin.
Knowing it was probably his final game at Lambeau, and seeing their fallen hero struggle to leave the field, how did these “best fans of all-time” react? They booed the living hell out of Favre. Of course, they did.
I understand fan is short for “fanatic” and, in reality, we’re all simply rooting for laundry. Wear green jersey, “good,” and wear purple jersey, “bad.” I realize that but you’d think a fan base, which is consistently labeled as “the best fan base in all of sports,” would show a little class and recognize history … just a bit. Or maybe they could exhibit just a little independent thought and not drink the Kool-Aid the organization is serving.
Courtesy: packers.com
And what did Brett Favre do to earn such disdain from these Cheeseheads? He waffled on a major life decision and changed his mind a few times. He decided to return and the Packers decided to move on. Then things got heated when both sides could not get what they wanted. Favre wanted his release and Thompson just wanted him to retire.
I don’t expect Packer fans to cheer for Favre on a rival team. But it just seems ludicrous to see them wash away sixteen Hall of Fame-worthy years and instantly hate the man.
But now everything is good and Favre has been welcomed back with open arms by the Green Bay faithful. I’m sure it was a tremendous event and everybody hugged it out. Brett’s name is now up on the wall along with Bart Starr … as it should be.
Just don’t believe all the hype about “the greatest fans in the world.” Packer fans are just like all other fan bases: fickle, obsessive, belligerent, and willing to take whatever news the team dishes out.
Enough with the tiresome narrative of the GREATEST FANS EVER! Big deal they fill the freaking stadium. What the hell else are you going to do in Green Bay?
I can say that because I know. My Favre hatred has evaporated into begrudging respect.
My Packer hatred is here to stay.
