Green Bay welcomes back the Gunslinger

Article by Rob Newell

 

This past weekend, the Green Bay Packers faithful welcomed home one of their own, someone who has been described as one of the best to everRRE play the game and someone who has thrown for more yards than anybody else in NFL history.

 

Yet the manner in which Brett Favre left Green Bay and gave rise to the Aaron Rodgers era, had many people doubting that such an event as we saw this weekend could ever happen.  Even up to the Saturday itself there were doubts remaining as to what sort of reaction, the old number four would encounter.  Favre himself had admitted to certain levels of doubt, but as the Sun shone down on Lambeau Field, and the PA announcer asked the close to 80,000 gathered to welcome Brett Favre, the close to five minute standing ovation that followed left nobody with any doubts that in footballing terms, Favre was home.

 

From Favre to Rodgers, Green Bay have since 1992 to date experienced a level of QB play that very few franchises can match,  Colts fans will point to Peyton Manning to Andrew Luck as a rival, but the Colts had a season in between the two whereas the Packers transition was seemless, but the Packers fans remember the years before Favre and Mike Holmgren came to town.

 

Favre of course was originally selected by the Atlanta Falcons, who must have kicked themselves several times when they saw what he went on to achieve, but in their defence their was nothing in that rookie season that indicated what was to come.  Favre’s rookie season was little better than what Johnny Manziel managed last year in Cleveland.  Yet Green Bay offered up a first round draft pick for Favre at the time, can you imagine anyone doing the same in today's NFL for Manziel?

 

The Packers, got the best end of that deal, Favre went on to earn 3 MVP trophies himself, and bought the Vince Lomardi trophy back home in the eyes of Packer faithful, and Green Bay could once again call itself Titletown USA.  This is something that those in attendance on Saturday night will not forget, and as a result the number four will never be worn by another Packer, but remains as frequently spotted in stadiums around the league wherever the Packers are playing.

 

Brett Favre belongs in the Packers Hall of Fame alongside Bart Starr, Reggie White etc… But scratch that Brett Favre belongs in Canton when all is said and done.  He is one of the all time greats, and excelled in an era that included Elway, Kelly, Manning, Brady, Montana and Young, Favre is a legend and the 80,000 who came to Lambeau and the millions who watched on TV around the world know it and wanted to make sure that the returning Gunslinger knew it too.