The schism that once existed between Brett Favre and the Green Bay Packers continues to shrink.
Perhaps it may have finally vanished.
In an interview with Joe Buscaglia of 550 WGR Radio in Buffalo, Favre made his strongest remarks to date that he is ready to return to the Packers family. When asked if he had any regrets about how his departure from Green Bay went down, Favre replied with the following:
“It’s the way it is. It is what it is. It’s over and done with. I was at fault. I feel that both sides had a part in it. If you could go back would I or them have done things differently? I’m sure both sides would. But you can’t.”
This is one of, if not the very first times Favre has actually admitting to some kind of wrongdoing in his 2008 standoff and eventual separation with the Packers. These perhaps are the words many fans have been waiting to hear out of the former quarterback before they would be willing to once again embrace Favre as one of their own.
He also said that he and current Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers “have a good relationship.” That’s quite a change from when the Packers were preparing for Super Bowl XLV and Rodgers said he didn’t have a relationship with Favre. The joint presentation the two quarterbacks made at the NFL Honors show in February obviously got the ball rolling.
Favre also acknowledged that he has had discussions with Packers president Mark Murphy and also recognized that Murphy walked into a “hornet’s nest” when he took over as president and CEO for Bob Harlan. He also said he played for a lot of great coaches “that branched out” and mentioned Mike McCarthy as being among them.
Packers fans know Favre better than anyone. The phrase “I am sorry” has never been in his repertoire. Most can probably count on one hand the amount of times Favre has admitted to fault on anything, whether on the football field or in life. The Favre heard in the interview sounded like an older and wiser gunslinger.
Will this be enough to bring a good chunk of Packer Nation around to once again embrace their former hero? Maybe it is, maybe it’s not. Some people are just so cynical and bitter that there is nothing anyone can do to change their minds or their ways. It’s unfortunate that people have to go through life like that, especially over a game like football, but as Favre said “it is what it is.”
Reconciliation between Favre and the Packers is inevitable. If both Murphy and Rodgers are intent on making it happen, then nothing will stop it. Favre will come back to Lambeau to have his number retired and all will be right in the Packers kingdom once again.
Everyone is human and make mistakes. People perceive to have been screwed over by employers and then go to a competitor to get revenge. It happens all the time. That doesn’t make it right, but it’s human nature to seek revenge at times.
To the fans continuing to hold a grudge against Favre, consider this: Rodgers, the man you all worship and who was personally affected by the debacle in 2008, says it’s time to move on. Murphy, whose time as Packers president faced the ultimate trial by fire test that summer, says it’s time to move on.
Two people who were far more impacted than you by what Favre did are letting bygones be bygones and are willing to welcome Favre back.
If you want to remain angry at Favre forever, that is your choice. It’s just a shame someone can go so long being so angry at someone they (most likely) have never met face-to-face.
Bury the hatchet. For the good of the organization you love so dearly and the fans you share a special kinship with, let it go.
The storm has passed. They’re coming back across the Rubicon. The train is coming back to the station with an old friend in tow.
It’s time to welcome Favre home.
——————Kris Burke is a sports writer covering the Green Bay Packers for AllGreenBayPackers.com and WTMJ in Milwaukee. He is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA) and his work has been linked to by sites such as National Football Post and CBSSports.com. Follow @KrisLBurke
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Not yet.
I still sense a little “I just want to ram a pencil in his face” (thanks to Kathleen Turner in “War Of The Roses”) attitude on both the Packers and Favre’s part.
I think that a little more time will dull whatever pain remains with some fans. That’s important in this affair, because if you are celebrating one of the franchise’s all-time great players, I’m pretty certain you don’t want the background sounds to be a muted chorus of boos, jeers and catcalls.
Save it for his HOF induction year.
Sorry. Meant to put the word “fans” between ‘Favre’ and ‘part’.
Changes the context significantly.
I think it has to be the year before the HoF induction. You don’t want the issue to be outstanding when he makes his acceptance speech.
He is HoF eligible in 2015, so no later than 2014, say a home opener that year.
It looks to me like they are trying to leverage it to later this season, which is OK by me, but I can see where some fans might want a little more time.
We need to celebrate Favre’s contribution to the Packers and to football. I still think Favre should apologize to all Packer fans for playing for that team to the west of Packers. I just feel like he slapped all Packer fans in the face by playing for that team! Here’s a simple excuse Favre could use: I wanted the money ($25 million is a lot of money!).
One thing about the Vikings was they were ready to contend for a Super bowl, and it gave Favre the opportunity that the Jets did not, To show that he was truly an elite player despite his age. The Vikings were great with Favre. There were not many other teams that had all the pieces minus a quarterback at that time.
He was still good and wanted to show it. I hated him for it, but not anymore.
Yeah its time and frankly IM tired of hearing about it. Yes i will take Rodgers over Favre any day but Brett is one of the reasons i became a packers fan and i will never forget the magic he brought to the game. I know what happened with the changing of the guards rubbed ppl the wrong way but let’s get over it already.
Almost every time I read one of these articles, and there are a lot of them, Brett says something about the Packers that just rubs off in the wrong way. I remember reading one just one week before Brett got done saying that “it took Rodgers long enough to finally win a Super Bowl”.
I don’t think it’s good to try and force this kind of rift to heal, it’s needs time. Mike Vandermause put it in plain english: http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/article/20130330/PKR07/303300368/Mike-Vandermause-column-Give-Packers-Favre-time-heal-rift
Favre, Historic Packers QB.
Favre, total douche bag.
You can not separate the two, it is what it is.
As far as Favre making a statement that he and Rodgers have a great relationship, all you have to do is read between the lines when Rodgers just recently said all the right things about Brett and the Packers reunitign, and that it was really great to get together and do that bit at the ESPYs with Favre, but he also notes they have not stayed in contact at all since. There is a tone in his voice when he talks about the lack of contact that sounds much like the tone his voice had when a few years ago he said that he has called Favre but never had any calls answered or returned.
My take: Retire the jersey, remember what he did for the Packers resurgence in the 90’s, he’s clearly one of the best football players to ever wear the green and gold, but don’t ever forget he’s a total douche bag.
The right amount of time to wait is, in my opinion, 16 years from when he left. One years wait for each year he played for the Packers.
That makes it 2023. Not much point in coming back just to be booed and it will take considerable time for most fans to forgive. It is not just one thing he did, it was everything together that turned fans so thoroughly against a former hero. It will take a long time for the bad feelings to be overlaid with the greatest healer – layers and layers of time.
Start the process now. Remember he had 25 million and ONE reasons. The money and wanting to go out a winner.
With the Vikings he was one play away from another SB. This year the flags would have been thrown for roughing and he’d have one more chance.
Maybe have him introduced at the GB VS Vikings game in Minnesota to start the ball rolling. Let the viking fans boo him first.
I can move on with another SB win by Rodgers
Are you otcho effin’ mind? You needed to be in Alabama in the 60’s, encouraging black guys to go on dates with white chicks.
After Aaron wins his second.
The Packers have a lot of NFL Hall of Famers who don’t have their number retired! On the field, there is no doubt he belongs in the Packer HOF. But it’s not just about what he did on the field! He had tried to stick it to Thompson and Green Bay at every opportunity! In fact, he went out of his way to do this. I believe he will get into the NFL HOF, but I also think the bar is set higher for the Packer Hall of Fame. Much higher!
I have been waiting for the time for Brett to come back to the Packer family. I lived through the losing 70’s and 80’s of Packer ineptness. It was rough times. The Packers were basically the laughing stock of the NFL. Brett help change that for close to 20 years, And I thank him for that. just reading the words “I was at fault” ,helps me with my decision that it may be time to take Brett back.
However, there is still the memory of Brett doing everything he could to get on the Vikings roster and trying to stick it to the Packers, with no regard to the fans and their feelings. He left the fans in his wake as his revenge motivation controlled him.
I watched the Lombardi special on ESPN last night, and I hope Brett did too. Brett knows how special the packer family is and how the legacy of its coaches and former players and its deep tradition in history means to millions of fans.If Brett wants to be truly be part of this tradition, he needs to dig deep and reconcile his relationship with the fans. I think we should give it a few more years and hope that Brett does the right thing.
A few years back, Brett could care less about the packer tradition,or its fans, because he was to busy being a ego -maniac
Some of these Packers fans haven’t been Packers fans for a LOOOONNNGGG TIME like some of the rest of us. I got to watch Starr with Lombardi’s teams in 60’s, for those of you who’ve forgotten or didn’t know–after Lombardi’s Packers won SB2, it was 25 YEARS and ONLY 5 WINNING TEAMS in all those years till Favre arrived in GB and made Packers a perennial playoff team for 11 of his 16 seasons. He won more games in his first 12 seasons than the previous 8 STARTERS won in their ENTIRE PACKERS CAREERS COMBINED. That is a testament in itself. At AGE 40, he had a season that 99% of NFL QB’s NEVER achieve, much less do it at AGE 40. Time to RETIRE Favre’s jersey in Packers HOF–before the accolades and honor of NFL HOF election diminishes the Packers own ceremonies.
Favres arrival was preceded by Wolf and Holmgren arriving! IMO they had more to do w/ the Packers becoming a perennial playoff team. They are the ones who got Favre! If it hadn’t been Favre, you can bet they would have gotten a different QB to lead the Packers to the playoffs and possibly SB. Favre had something to do w/ it, no denying that, but Wolf knew full well how important a franchise QB was, since he made it his priority to get Favre. Don’t doubt for a second that if it wasn’t Favre it would have been another QB!
Many of you won’t agree with me, but here’s my take, anyway.
Getting your jersey retired in GB is as great an honor as getting into the Pro Football Hall Of Fame.
I believe that Favre never fully understood what his legacy could have been in GB, as guys like Ray Nitschke and Bart Starr did.
It wasn’t that Favre left to play in NY and then Minny, it was the way he left which turned me against him. Even in his comments in Buffalo, he shows me he still doesn’t get it. Yeah, he said he was at fault, but then he added that the Packers shared the blame. Well — no they didn’t, Brett. You were the one who bad-mouthed them. They never once bad-mouthed you.
Had he said it was his fault and left it at that, I’d have thought he had finally grown up.
But he’s still isn’t there and never will be.
Throw in what he did by sending those pictures of his privates to that girl who worked for the Jets, and it makes me totally uncaring about whether he gets his jersey retired or not.
We have had many great players in GB. But more importantly, we’ve had many great players in GB who were also classy people. Brett was a great player who made more dumb mistakes than any great player I ever saw play QB, but he left a lot to be desired when it came to class. He will never equal guys like Starr, Nitschke, Aaron Rodgers, and so many other great ones in that area.
So — if the Packers choose to retire his jersey, okay. But I won’t be excited by it at all. Same when he goes into the Hall Of Fame. I couldn’t care less if he wears a Vikings hat when he gives his speech.
That’s my take on Favre.
NYNEAL………EXACTLY what I was going to say! Throw in his treatment of his ‘great buddy’ Schmura when he had his moment of shame ,his ignoring his relatives after katrina , his lame attempt at philandering while his wife was sick ,and I think the picture of the man emerges. No doubt one of the most entertaining players yet many of his records are only due to his longevity. The author of the piece tries to preempt criticism by chracterizing those who disagree with his thesis as shallow,bitter and small-minded. Right. Or just holding our heroes to a higher standard. I’m guessing the boos will be plenty whenever the time comes, and he’ll probably react ,as he did figuratively in the past, by flipping off Green Bay. Count my raspberry please.
Its not if Favre is going to become part of the Packer Family again. That has already been decided. Its a matter of when, and IMO it’ll likely happen this year or next at the very latest. He will be a Packer HOF’er, he will be an NFL HOF’er. I’m largely ambivalent towards Favre at this point. I respect the player he was as a Packer, don’t like the man he turned out to be, tho the signs were there all along, Packer fans, myself included, ignored them. That made the breakup more difficult.
Favre making it a point to “stick it” to Thompson/McCarthy and the Packers made him a hated man. The fact he is admitting some fault is a good sign of his being allowed back into the Packer Family. I believe he needs to go further. IMO, Favre needs to publicly apologize to Thompson, McCarthy, the Packer Organization and Packer Fans everywhere! When that happens Favre should be allowed to return to the family, not before.
Favre started this mess, he needs to fix it. That said, no matter if he does or not, I won’t have any respect for him again. He became a selfish diva which is a far cry from what he was early. IMO Favre lost his moral compass when Big Irv died. Since that time Favre has turned into what he is now. And if Irv hadn’t passed, he would not have allowed Favre to make a mess of himself like he has.
took… words… from… my… mouth…
I think Favre the player was special, it all went to his head and media and fans were part of that. Many put him in to high regard including myself.
Surely a hof 1st ballot inductee. I remember all the heroics but also remember all the boneheaded int’s. In some personel issues ( IMO ) he did not conduct himself as a face of franchise player. Not classy at all. He should be in both halls of fame but not a retired number. Welcome back but no tickertape!
There are two things I will never forgive Brett Farve for:
1 Continually getting his ass kicked by the Dallas Cowboys in the 90’s.
2 It’s true he never gave Rodgers the time of day.
Remember, ” It’s not my job to get Aaron Rodgers ready to play football”
It’s way too early to talk about retiring his number.
Let the Vikings go ahead and retire his number that’s really who he is.
Farce deserves to have his number retired and to be inducted into the Packer HoF based on his on field performance. That is the only criteria that should be considered for the honors that he has earned. He made mistakes in his personal life, yes, but none of them are criminal offenses. We have all made mistakes in our personal lives, maybe not the same ones but we’ve made them. As for taking money and playing for competitors I have no problem with that. If owners want to offer big money to players they should all take it. The teams have NO loyalty to the players so why should the players be loyal to the teams. They are paid employees who are expected to produce results, specifically to generate revenue by winning games. If they get hurt the team says who’s next and that’s it. I never blame a player for taking all the money that they can get. I also watched Bart Starr, Ray Nitschke, Willie Davis, Paul Hornung and all the other Lombardi Packers in the ’60’s and you can be sure that if free agency existed then they would all have gone to the highest bidders just like today’s players. BTW, Lombardi himself went to the Redskins not to coach again but because they offered him part ownership of the team. It’s always about the money! Farve was well paid in Green Bay. The Packers got their identity back, won an SB and made plenty of money thanks to Brett and his team mates. We the fans got plenty of thrills, memories, great games and became stock holders. Can we really expect more of our players? Forgive Brett and give him his due. We will never his like again. Thanks, Since ’61