Green Bay fans: Split on whether Favre should return but Thompson begins to give ground

Seventeen thousand Wisconsin residents have spoken about whether Brett Favre should return. The verdict: Meh! 47.2 percent want Favre to return next season and 46.5 percent say "retire already." The other 6.3 percent say they want to see Favre play for another team.

That is probably over simplifying it. This is probably more of a red state, blue state issues. At least the Packers fans that want Favre to return are red in the face about Packers' management not welcoming back Favre with broken arms.

After coming out strong with a "we've moved forward agenda" and playing the Favre can come back in a different "different role" card, Packers GM, Ted Thompson has backed down saying Favre would not necessarily be the back-up. Thompson said the report that Favre would have to assume a back-up role was never accurate, though Thompson has not guaranteeing the starting role to Favre either. Thompson has only said that Favre would be an "active member" of the Packers.


Thompson is still dancing, not addressing real issues because he does not want to "deal in hypotheticals." But he has had to have felt the backlash of his cold stance against his lack of loyalty for their resurgent star quarterback.

Thompson's softened stance had little to do with the hundred plus fans holding rallying for Favre outside of Lambeau Field on Sunday (though I would not seek to discourage their genuine efforts or valid impact). Thompson has had to rethink his stalwart stance as the national sports media has had this story, more than any other story under a microscope for the last week.

Even Yankee Stadium hosting it's last All-Star game and last 32 regular season games before being torn down has not trumped the Favre story. Could it be because the fate of a living Babe Ruth (of football) is more important to us than remembering the relic that the Bambino built?

Favre's 95.7 QB rating was only a tenth of a point off of his all-time best. Favre also had a career best 66.5 completion percentage on a team that did not feature a solid running back for the first half of the season.

Some merit has to be given to the Packers' fans naysayers who may remember the previous two seasons before that in which Favre threw 38 touchdowns to 47 interceptions.

Nonetheless, the team management has not cited those concerns. The reality is that they see Rodgers as their future and do not want Favre to interfere with that regardless of whether or not he is better in the short term.

But here's the memo to the Green Bay Packers, how did replacing Barry Sanders, John Elway and Dan Marino work out for their teams. Even when Steve Young's presence eventually forced the 49ers to trade away Joe Montana, it was clear that Young was the better quarterback.

Thompson is likely getting scared that three-time MVPs are harder to replace than he thinks.



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