The Peanuts Gallery takes on...Favrefest 2008

[Exile]

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Will he or won't he? This was the dance that Brett Favre has played for the past 3 years putting the media, the fans, and the Green Bay front office through hoops to figure out just how much was left in the future Hall of Famer's tank.

But finally this year, after leading the Pack to the NFC Championship, Brett Favre had finally realized that it was time to step away.

It was one of the most real and perfect moments in sports watching a great man sitting being the flashing lights and microphones and announce his retirement from a team and sport that he loved for so long. Favre wept and America followed suit, ready to honor a man who deserved every bit of adulation that was being heaped upon him.

And yet now here we are, days away from mandatory training camps and we find ourselves once again drawn into the will he/won't he drama. I thought this was finally over, that Aaron Rodgers time had finally come to lead Green Bay into the next venture for this company. Now as a quick aside, massive amounts of praise needs to be given to Aaron Rodgers who has been nothing but patient, understanding, and a good team player while sitting on the bench behind Favre for four years now.

So with Brett getting the "itch" again what is a Green Bay team that is ready to start Rodgers supposed to do?

First off, the "itch". To me this is a no brainer, he will always have the "itch" this time of the year. From pee-wee football, to high school, to college, to almost two decades in the NFL, he has spent the waining days of summer getting ready for a new football season. Much like a person who works everyday from 9am to 5pm for 40 years before retiring, your body is accustomed to that routine. Brett Favre's body and mind are gearing up to play football. That will be true if he stays retired or if he waits another 3 years until his body completely gives out on him and he retires then. This is just part of retirement from anything that you have been doing for the majority of your life. Its damn near Pavlovian.

What upsets me is that Favre is so willing to tarnish everything that he had built up by being the Packer's man through thick and thin. Last week Brett Favre told the Green Bay front office that he would like his release from the team to pursue other options with teams. To finish out his career in a uniform outside of the green and yellow and Lambeau field. To me this is like watching Michael Jordan playing out his career in the Washington Wizard's jersey and we all know how that ended up.

In response to Favre's request, the Green Bay front office have promptly denied it. Worried that Favre would more than likely accept an offer to play at Minnesota or Chicago (direct rivals of Green Bay) they are giving him the choice of either coming back to the team as Rodger's back up or possibly even being used as trade bait and sending him far far away. Tampa Bay, Miami, or possibly Buffalo being the top options to ship him off to. So either ride the pine behind Rodgers, ironic no? Or play for a team that has little to no chance of being a serious competitor.

I have heard some people say that this is a disrespectful move by the Green Bay president, but I completely disagree. Favre had made his choice and the team had moved forward with that knowledge, ready to retire his jersey alongside Bart Starr and Reggie White on the opening day game in Lambeau. The front office had done EVERYTHING correctly, it was Favre who called the audible and forced everythign back up in the air.

So what should be done?

Well hopefully this move by Green Bay helps Favre realize that his place is back at home. It's very likely that this will create some bad blood and the jersey retirement and such will be put off till another year, maybe 5 after Favre's hall of fame induction. But the best thing for a great player and for the team that he led for so long is to finally let go.

Enjoy your retirement Brett Favre and please for all of your fans, let us enjoy it too.