Retire Brett Favre's Number

I've been stirring on this for a few weeks. The seed was planted when, during the Packers Tailgate Tour, the question of when Brett Favre's number would be retired was posed to Mark Murphy. His answer was that it would be in a year or two, when it's meaningful to Brett.

I'm not sure what that means. Does that mean Brett is still pissed at Ted Thompson, and Mike McCarthy for not letting him come back as the started when he changed his mind about retiring? Does it mean Brett has hurt feelings about how he was booed by Packer fans at Packer-Viking games. I don't know. What I will say is the next number the Green Bay Packers should be retiring is #4. There should not be another number retired until Brett's #4 is retired. There, I said it. I did not like it when Brett went to play for the Minnesota Vikings. I never loved Brett as a player any less. I never turned on Brett in playoff failures, or after horrible games, or bonehead throws that ended up in the arms of a defender. But Brett put on the wrong shirt, and worse Brett maneuvered himself into that purple shirt as a "up yours" to Ted Thompson for not letting him come back when he changed his mind about retiring. And I cheered against the Vikings. Not because of Brett's presence, but because they're the Vikings. This guy is a Packer fan, and does not cheer for Vikings except in rare circumstances when their victory will be good for the Packers.

Having said that, retire the number. And when they do nobody should be booing. NO-BODY. If Brett doesn't play in 92 with a separated left shoulder he doesn't impress Reggie White, and Reggie does not come to Green Bay the next season. Reggie White said one of the reasons he signed with the Packers, aside from God's guidance, was he believed in Brett Favre's leadership as being key to the Packers being a place where he would be on a winning team. No Brett, no Reggie. No Reggie, very few of the other key additions through free agency that Ron Wolf brought in. Brett was the first domino of the players that led to the resurgence of the Green Bay Packers in the 1990s. So remember that when it comes time for #4 to be retired. When the day comes when Brett stands on the "G" at the 50 yard line of Lambeau Field at halftime of some primetime game remember that Brett Favre is the most significant reason that the Green Bay Packers became a perrenial winner. That day should be a cascade of cheers. The stadium should be resplendent with signage professing fan love and appreciation.

I think "meaningful to Brett" is a poor choice of words. Haw can it not be meaningful to Brett? Elite athletes have big egos. They always have, and always will. A stadium of cheers, even with the boos mixed in feed that ego. The truth is that it should be done when it's meaningful to the vast majority of fan. When those who will boo now, will not. That's when it should be done. I want to see Brett at midfield as the stadium roars. I want Brett to call Lambeau "my house!" and the stadium to roar. I want to hear a lone voice shoud "Love ya Brett!!" at a pause, and another roar. Retiring that number means as much to us as fans as it does to him as a player.

I hope it's meaningful to those yahoos soon.