Sports: Football
Booed by crowd, some fans still loyal to Favre
Former Packer still finds support in his return to Lambeau
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GREEN BAY — Had the sky actually been falling during this past week, Brett Favre’s return to Lambeau Field still would have claimed the top story of every news broadcast in the Midwest.
With every prediction of the game’s outcome came a prediction for the fans’ reactions to Favre returning. Will they cheer? Boo? Or both?
In case you are still recovering from a Halloween party and have missed all news coverage, Brett Favre returned to Lambeau Field Sunday night for the first time in almost two years and was able to deliver that revengeful bite to Green Bay for the second time this season, vexing the Packers and all of Wisconsin in a 38-26 victory. Favre won the game in impeccable fashion but was unable to win over most of the fans that supported him for 16 years.
Packer fans proved to be unsympathetic toward Favre, turning hostile the moment he stepped on the field.
He was booed when he sauntered onto the field for pregame warm-ups, for team introductions, for the coin toss, during each play for the first several drives and every time he and his offense thought about getting near the end zone.
Scott Lamers, 35, of Kaukauna, Wis., admitted without hesitation that despite being a Favre fan for years, he did not want to see him succeed as a Viking.
“No, not as a Viking. I’m a Packer fan and a Favre fan,” Lamers said. “I like watching him — he’s exciting — but today I want to see him lose.”
For fans, Sunday at Lambeau was all about distinguishing where your loyalties laid between Favre and the Packers. Favre jerseys were inescapable and came in a variety of editions: as a Packer, Viking or a New York Jet. Even a plain black jersey of Favre was in abundance. This jersey came with no logo or stripe pattern, just plain black with a white No. 4 and Favre’s name on the back.
For some fans, drawing a line in their moral sand was easier said than done. Some adopted a two-face persona by dressing in half-Packer, half-Viking Favre jerseys.
A witness to the legendary Ice Bowl and resident of Green Bay, Bruce Nohr, 57, arrived at Sunday’s game with his wife, wearing a Viking’s Brett Favre jersey.
“I’ve been a Vikings fan ever since Favre joined the Vikings,” Nohr said.
Despite being Public Enemy No. 1 for 16 years, most Vikings fans are elated that Favre has crossed over and brought his infectious success with him.
Little factions of Vikings fans littered the seats at Lambeau Sunday, and many of them were seen with Favre jerseys. Ricky Frith, 30, and Dave Frith, 27, brothers from Minneapolis, welcomed the long-time enemy with open arms.
“We love it,” Ricky Frith said. “I was always a Favre fan, not a Packer fan.”
“I always respected Favre while he played here (in Green Bay),” Dave Frith said. “It doesn’t bother us at all.”
As far as moral victories go, Favre’s successor — Aaron Rodgers — has the full support of Packer fans behind him. His pregame introduction over the stadium’s loudspeaker triggered one of the loudest cheers ever heard at Lambeau field. Although he regularly posts statistically spotless performances, it is apparent already that Rodgers must become more adept at winning football games.
Jeff Dubord, 40, of Appleton, Wis., and vendor of the hybrid jerseys — sporting a half-Packer, half-Falcon jersey himself — knew exactly where his loyalties belonged.
“One hundred percent with the Green Bay Packers,” Dubord said. “I feel Rodgers in the long-run has an excellent chance of taking us deep in the playoffs with just a little more help.”
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IP hash: 62521f3b
Wow, what class the town off Green Bay has, a man that gave you 12 years + of his best, Put Green Bay back on the map. And you boo him, that broke my heart. We will never know the whole story, maybe some boos should go to Thompson. Nice classy town Green Bay is, great job. Maybe you should leave your little town, learn some manners. More to life then Green, Gold, & orange. Yes I said orange, (hunters)
IP hash: aad805bb
I am from Green Bay, so first off i would like to say STFU.
We have booed every opposing QB to come into Lambeau ever. We will continue to do so. We already know the whole story. The man was told to decide if he wanted to retire or not so that years of future decisions could be made. He made a choice, and those decisions were made. He changed his mind. He was not welcomed with open arms because his choice had affected trades, signings, and Aaron Rodgers, a QB who will likely win his own MVP and SB some day. He acted selfish, acted like a child. FROM A BUSINESS STANDPOINT TED THOMPSON WAS CORRECT. HE PROTECTED THE PACKERS. He saw him for the immature and very disrespectful person Brent Favre is. One year in NY and he retired (for the second time). The coach there lost his job because Brett blew it later in the season. He unretired (for the second time) to play for the Packers’ most hated rivals and SKIPPED TRAINING CAMP BECAUSE HE IS A SELFISH A-HOLE. He loves attention, and he loves to hear his name said.
Do not try to turn this on anyone but Brent. He is a selfish man who was to used to getting his way. I will laugh when all the Vikings “fans” go back into hiding as soon as he retires (for the third time).
To reiterate, fuck you for dissing Lambeau, have fun in wherever it is you live that is 10 years in the past still sucking his dick for Super Bowl 31 (13 years is a long time ago) when he played with one of the best defensive and offensive lineups of the past 2 decades (Reggie White, Dorsey Levens, Robert Brooks, Desmond Howard, Andre Rison, Edgar Bennett, a stacked offensive line and one killer defensive secondary). His last pass as a Packer? A game changing INT that lost them the game. Sad? Yes. Predictable? Yes.
I am a Packers fan, not a Favre fan. Have a little self respect and man up, see him for what he is.