Tonight’s the night. When the Vikings and Packers clash this
evening at Lambeau Field on Monday Night Football, it will be the first
regular-season game in the post-Favre era for Green Bay.
And that’s something both sides can rejoice about.
Over the summer, Favre tugged at the heartstrings of
Cheeseheads from Eau Claire to Oconomowoc when he mulled a comeback. Opinions
were split on No. 4 as to whether he should come back or stay retired.
Many Packer fans couldn’t bear to see their idol in another
uniform, while others recognized his passion for the game and understood he
still wanted to play — whether that was in Green Bay or elsewhere. So when he
was finally traded to the Jets after an ugly falling-out with the Packer organization,
some fans turned on him, refusing to watch any New York games. Others rushed
out and bought new Favre Jets jerseys.
Across the border, Minnesota fans jumped for joy when Brett
jetted for New York. While there were early talks that Favre wanted to be a
Viking, the Packer organization smartly nixed any potential trade to their
in-division foe. So even though he didn’t end up in purple and gold, he wasn’t
in green and gold either.
Now here we are, with a matchup that may look less than
ideal on paper. The Aaron Rodgers-led Packers against the Tarvaris Jackson-led
Vikings? Not exactly a pair of future Hall of Famers going at it.
Nevertheless, tonight will usher in a new era for both
franchises.
With Favre under center, it was never out of the question for
the Packers to make a run at the division title. Over the past several years,
the three other teams — the Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, and Vikings — have
all been faced with inconsistencies at the one position that remained constant
in Green Bay for 16 years: quarterback.
The other three disposed of quarterbacks as if they were
going out of style. Rex Grossman, Joey Harrington and Brad Johnson, to name a
few, all failed to last more than a few seasons in the division.
But now the Packers have a big question mark at the position
that used to hold the team together. Although Rodgers didn’t look bad in the
preseason, tonight will be his first career start in the NFL.
At any rate, this is his chance to prove he belongs. It may
take a while for him to capture the hearts of Green Bay fans — and let’s face
it, he’ll never make them forget about Favre — but the show is his to steal.
The Vikings, on the other hand, are convinced that the bad
times are behind them. They’ve made the playoffs just once in the past seven
seasons. But with the emergence of Adrian Peterson and the addition of a few
veterans on defense, things seem to be finally falling into place for them.
And is it any coincidence that this season is the 10-year
anniversary of Gary Anderson’s fateful missed field goal in the NFC
Championship that cost the Vikes a shot at the Super Bowl?
The Packers organization originally intended to retire
Favre’s No. 4 jersey at tonight’s game, a tribute to one of the biggest legends
the franchise has even seen or likely ever will. Now that he’s still in the
league, though, they’ll put off the ceremony until he’s retired. For good.
Fans can only picture the irony that could have been: Favre,
running out of the tunnel and out onto the field as he has done so many times before.
As they retire his number — just the sixth in Packer history — Favre,
understandably emotional, stands on the sidelines.
The visitor’s sidelines.
Oh, how sweet it would have been.
Tyler is a senior majoring in journalism.
He attended the 1998 NFC Championship game and will never forgive Gary
Anderson. If you want to share your worst sports memory with him, he can be
reached at [email protected].
