Not Time for Favre or Green Bay to Go Crazy

This weekend, Brett Favre will yet again play at Lambeau Field, but for the first time ever, it will not be for the Green Bay Packers. Instead he will be playing for the hated rival Minnesota Vikings. In the years since Favre's leaving Green bay, tensions between the fans and Favre have grown. Now with Favre coming to their home turf, it's important for both parties to realize this shouldn't be about revenge.

No one feels stronger about team loyalty than I do. Hell, I still cheer for the Redskins, but some Green Bay fans are going overboard. When the Packers went to Minnesota to face Favre, a bonfire was proposed in Green Bay so people could bring their Favre jerseys and burn them before the game. A fire marshall eventually ended this idea and only a single jersey was burned. People should count their blessings. They do realize Favre is going to the hall of fame don't they? Years from now they would have looked back and asked themselves what they were thinking. Yes, Brett Favre left your team and now plays for your rival, but one season (which will probably be all Favre has left in the tank), regardless of what he does with the Vikings, will not replace the 16 seasons, 2 NFC championships, and one Super Bowl championship he brought to your team. Rivalries are part of what makes sports fun, so its ok to boo and to make fun, and tape other names over your jerseys, but it doesn't mean you should burn all your soon-to-be-valuable jerseys in a bonfire.

Granted, Favre isn't free from blame in all of this. After refusing to mentor Aaron Rodgers, Favre then contemplated retirement every year leaving the future of the team in doubt. At some point, he forgot that the Packers needed to do what was best for the Packers, not what was best for him. They got impatient with him and eventually he was told to get lost. Green Bay could have handled this better, but essentially they were in the right. You can't go into every single offseason wondering who your quarterback will be, especially when they had a very competent back up to replace him. Did he go to Minnesota to stick it to the Packers? No. He couldn't last year because the Packers refused to trade him to any team that they would face that season, but Favre always was thinking of going to the Vikings who have a very similar offensive playbook. It made a lot of sense for him. But I don't think he realized what this would do to his legacy. Screwing the Packers and then playing for their rivals has not won him many friends amongst the Green Bay fan base. He may be surprised by just how loud the boos are when he steps onto the field.