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Packers fans struggle with Favre saga

Barbara Barker

12:17 PM EDT, July 18, 2008

OK, I admit it. I own a Brett Favre Christmas tree ornament.

I have relatives from Wisconsin. And this is the kind of thing they give you. Because, who wouldn't want to hang a plastic figurine of Brett Favre dropping back to pass between the tinsel and candy canes?

At least that used to be the thinking. Wisconsinites may disagree on politics, brands of beer and whether to boil or grill their bratwurst, but until a few weeks ago, everyone was unified in their love for the longtime Packers quarterback.

But now, some of the most die-hard Packers fans have finally had their fill of Favre. And some haven't. I know this because a few days ago, when it became clear that Favre wanted to un-retire, I called during a meeting of Martha's Coffee Club in Green Bay, Wis., to get their take on the issue.

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For more than 60 years, this group has been meeting to discuss the state of the Packers every morning at a coffee shop just down the street from Lambeau Field. Over the years, they have had some differences of opinion, but perhaps no issue has been as divisive as what to do about the Hall of Fame quarterback who won't gracefully fade away.

"There's a lot of people here with a different opinions," said member Jerry Kosnar, the first to come to the phone. "What do I think? I think he's such a good quarterback that we would have the best chance to make the playoffs if he came back. A good team like this with a lot of people in place only comes around every 10 or 12 years. I want to see him play."

Sitting at the same table with Kosnar was Mike Blindauer, who believes the Favre era should remain over.

"It's too bad it had to come to this," Blindauer said. "He's definitely always going to be my hero and I will always respect what he's done. But when you retire the way he did, I don't think he's being fair to the other players. He's really put the coaches and general managers on the spot."

Until recently, it's hard to imagine anyone in Green Bay questioning anything Favre decided to do. Green Bay is small enough - its population hovers at a little more than a 100,000 - that most there have had some kind of personal contact with Favre over his nearly two decades with the team. Several members of Martha's attend Favre's church, some have grandkids who attended school with Favre's kids and everyone has followed every down of his life on the football field.

What's more, fans from around the state, even from around the country, felt like they knew him intimately after watching his retirement speech last March. It's hard to imagine a better way to go out than the way Favre did last year, defying almost everyone's expectations by getting a young team a quarter away from going to the Super Bowl. He then capped it off with a nationally televised farewell press conference that set a new standard when it came to heartfelt goodbyes. In an age where all sports sentiment seems to be geared for a marketing purpose, Favre's tears were the real deal. And his folksy goodbye was so wrenching to watch that it made even a few Bears fans feel his pain.

Now, all anyone is feeling is a slight bit duped.

Most of the members of Martha's are retired - who else would have the spare time to discuss the Packers for an hour every weekday morning? - so they know what its like to miss a job you put a great deal of your life into. Still, if there's anything that they love more than Favre, it's the Packers themselves.

Said Blindauer: "This is tearing up a lot of the guys here. They're really struggling with it. We will always respect Brett for what he did, but this is getting a little out of hand."