While most NFL fans (and many non-fans) are rolling their eyes at Brett Favre’s second return from retirement, it’s the Packers and Favre fans who are hurting the most. Last night on Greta van Sustern’s show (she’s a huge Packers fan), she adorned a new kind of Cheesehead: Half-purple, half-yellow. I talked to a Packer fan yesterday who said he’s just torn: Hating how Favre was run out of Green Bay but hating that he’s now a Viking. Spors Illustrated’s Don Banks, who lives in Packers country, said it’s brutal for Packers fans to watch this.
Has anything like this ever happened in the NFL? The face of a franchise going to an archrival? The closest I can think of is the Tuna. Bill Parcells left the Patriots and joined the Jets, but Parcells had only been in New England for four years. He joined the Cowboys after coaching the Giants…13 years after coaching the Giants. Nothing compares to Favre.
on Aug 19th, 2009 at 1:52 pm
Screw the Cheeseheads! What about us lifelong Viking’s fans that have literally grown up hating Favre and all his Packer loving fans. I’m supposed to put aside years of squealing in delight (well maybe not actually squealing) every time he was man sacked to the “frozen tundra”. I realize football is a business, but dammit to hell…
on Aug 19th, 2009 at 3:38 pm
Hmmm, Thurman Thomas was a Bill for twelve seasons before the salary cap took him out of Buffalo. He wound up a Miami Dolphin for a season before hanging it up.
It’s debatable as to whether Thomas was THE face of the Super Bowl era Bills. But he did win an NFL MVP award and has his bust in Canton today.
on Aug 19th, 2009 at 8:08 pm
I guess the old lady poem is true.
“When I am old, I shall wear purple.”
Perhaps he’ll buy himself a gaudy red helmet and join the old ladies for an outing to a dinner theater producton of Hello Dolly!
on Aug 20th, 2009 at 2:58 am
Warren Moon, TO when he went from Philly to Dallas, Neil Smith from KC to Denver, Eddie Kennison when he “quit” on the Broncos and was cut, then went to KC. Bill Bellichek/cheat/whateve coaching the NY Jets a day before going to New England…hmm…
on Aug 20th, 2009 at 5:58 am
I can’t help snickering in my sleeve a bit on this one. Any “Baltimore Colt” fan knows that team loyalty ended when they went to Indianapolis the way they did.
All acts of treason since pale in comparison.
The Ravens have mean zilch to us. No titles. No superstars. No love. Yea, the young folk are repeatedly suckered in by the hype. But those of us who remember the Alamo - who never expected the inquisition - can only laugh now at the new suckers.
on Aug 20th, 2009 at 11:47 am
Ravens won a superbowl in 2000 and has Ray Lewis, who is probably a first ballot HOF’er.
on Aug 20th, 2009 at 5:27 pm
Van Susteren’s suffering (say that 5 times fast!) will surely raise her Thetan levels.