Appropriate fan reaction to "Favre the Viking"?

[GrnBay007]

I will start off with saying I believe many Packer fans are what you may call "blowing a lot of smoke" right now due to emotions running high. That's understandable. I believe many of the people talking booing and hate for Favre actually loved to watch him play and are more hurt then anything to see him play for another team....and more so a rival.

Nothing against anyone, but I just hate booing any player/team....at any game. I remember being at the Packer/Titan game in I think 2003 when the Packers got crushed and seeing Packer fans boo the Packers. I just felt embarrassed that Packer fans could be booing the team they love. I mean, it's not like the players feel good about getting beat....or that they wanted to play a game like that. It just seems so disrespectful/classless to me.

Thing about Favre is he was part of the Packer family for 16 years. Favre gave the Packers and the fans 16 years and some of those years were the most exciting football I've ever seen. I could never disrespect him by booing.....no matter who he plays for. I'll cheer for the Packers to win, but I'll still continue to feel booing is an embarrassment.

Like what was said in one of those recent articles....Thompson had every right to move on with the new QB and should not be criticized for that just as Favre should not be criticized for wanting to continue to play football.

Packer fans have always been known to be friendly and classy fans. I just hope if/when Favre comes back to Lambeau to play the fans will continue the tradition of being friendly and classy fans.

[sharpe1027]

Favre asked for a trade, wouldn't that make it as much or more Favre's decision rather than TTs?

Regardless, I can cheer him AFTER he quits playing for the queens. While he is in purple, I will ignore him. I think booing or cheering him will only get him charged for the game. That is last thing I want to happen.

[Gunakor]

I will start off with saying I believe many Packer fans are what you may call "blowing a lot of smoke" right now due to emotions running high. That's understandable. I believe many of the people talking booing and hate for Favre actually loved to watch him play and are more hurt then anything to see him play for another team....and more so a rival.

Nothing against anyone, but I just hate booing any player/team....at any game. I remember being at the Packer/Titan game in I think 2003 when the Packers got crushed and seeing Packer fans boo the Packers. I just felt embarrassed that Packer fans could be booing the team they love. I mean, it's not like the players feel good about getting beat....or that they wanted to play a game like that. It just seems so disrespectful/classless to me.

Thing about Favre is he was part of the Packer family for 16 years. Favre gave the Packers and the fans 16 years and some of those years were the most exciting football I've ever seen. I could never disrespect him by booing.....no matter who he plays for. I'll cheer for the Packers to win, but I'll still continue to feel booing is an embarrassment.

Like what was said in one of those recent articles....Thompson had every right to move on with the new QB and should not be criticized for that just as Favre should not be criticized for wanting to continue to play football.

Packer fans have always been known to be friendly and classy fans. I just hope if/when Favre comes back to Lambeau to play the fans will continue the tradition of being friendly and classy fans.

NFL players are public figures, and as such must have thick enough skin that booing won't get under their skin. The only way a fan has to express their displeasure in a way that will be noticed is to boo. Well, the only legal, moral, safe, and proper way of expressing their displeasure anyway. Friendly and classy fans boo their teams when they are displeased by their performace too. It's nothing new, even in Green Bay.

As far as Favre goes, all that matters right now is right now. If he trots onto the Lambeau Field grass in a purple jersey then there's nothing wrong with treating him the same way as everyone else in the stadium wearing a purple jersey. That doesn't mean we've forgotten the past 16 years, it just means we recognize that very moment for what it is. At that moment, on that day, those previous 16 years are on the back burner and that one moment of imfamy is front and center. Brett Favre is Brett Favre and always will be, but Favre the Viking is not the same as Favre the Packer. So when that moment is over for good we can go back to our memories of a guy we neither saw nor cheered for that day.

[Bretsky]

I find myself agreeing with HH; I've moved on and have taken all emotions out of this.

I'd cheer for Favre for the memories he's given up and for helping lead us to the only local pro championship I've witnessed. It was a great ride.

[MichiganPackerFan]

I will start off with saying I believe many Packer fans are what you may call "blowing a lot of smoke" right now due to emotions running high. That's understandable. I believe many of the people talking booing and hate for Favre actually loved to watch him play and are more hurt then anything to see him play for another team....and more so a rival.

Nothing against anyone, but I just hate booing any player/team....at any game. I remember being at the Packer/Titan game in I think 2003 when the Packers got crushed and seeing Packer fans boo the Packers. I just felt embarrassed that Packer fans could be booing the team they love. I mean, it's not like the players feel good about getting beat....or that they wanted to play a game like that. It just seems so disrespectful/classless to me.

Thing about Favre is he was part of the Packer family for 16 years. Favre gave the Packers and the fans 16 years and some of those years were the most exciting football I've ever seen. I could never disrespect him by booing.....no matter who he plays for. I'll cheer for the Packers to win, but I'll still continue to feel booing is an embarrassment.

Like what was said in one of those recent articles....Thompson had every right to move on with the new QB and should not be criticized for that just as Favre should not be criticized for wanting to continue to play football.

Packer fans have always been known to be friendly and classy fans. I just hope if/when Favre comes back to Lambeau to play the fans will continue the tradition of being friendly and classy fans.

And back to ya! ------>

[swede]

I think booing or cheering him will only get him charged for the game. That is last thing I want to happen.

No, that is EXACTLY what we want to happen. Grim and determined Favre is dangerous. A charged up and overexcited Favre overthrows the first fifteen passes.

It's the Green Bay Packers who are going to be fired up--having to be nice and diplomatic so as to not hurt the feelings of all the so-called Packer fans who wear Jets jerseys and join Vikings boards to see how Brett is doing.

The Green Bay Packers went through a ten-loss season while playing some very good football. They won't be able to turn on the freaking television without hearing ABC, ESPN, FOX, OPRAH, THE VIEW talking about Favre's triumphant return to football and his epic journey to this all-important game against the poor Favre-deprived Packers.

Trust me, Dom Capers will have his defense ready to Fed Ex Favre's spleen back to Hattiesburg.

[Bossman641]

I will start off with saying I believe many Packer fans are what you may call "blowing a lot of smoke" right now due to emotions running high. That's understandable. I believe many of the people talking booing and hate for Favre actually loved to watch him play and are more hurt then anything to see him play for another team....and more so a rival.

Nothing against anyone, but I just hate booing any player/team....at any game. I remember being at the Packer/Titan game in I think 2003 when the Packers got crushed and seeing Packer fans boo the Packers. I just felt embarrassed that Packer fans could be booing the team they love. I mean, it's not like the players feel good about getting beat....or that they wanted to play a game like that. It just seems so disrespectful/classless to me.

Thing about Favre is he was part of the Packer family for 16 years. Favre gave the Packers and the fans 16 years and some of those years were the most exciting football I've ever seen. I could never disrespect him by booing.....no matter who he plays for. I'll cheer for the Packers to win, but I'll still continue to feel booing is an embarrassment.

Like what was said in one of those recent articles....Thompson had every right to move on with the new QB and should not be criticized for that just as Favre should not be criticized for wanting to continue to play football.

Packer fans have always been known to be friendly and classy fans. I just hope if/when Favre comes back to Lambeau to play the fans will continue the tradition of being friendly and classy fans.

NFL players are public figures, and as such must have thick enough skin that booing won't get under their skin. The only way a fan has to express their displeasure in a way that will be noticed is to boo. Well, the only legal, moral, safe, and proper way of expressing their displeasure anyway. Friendly and classy fans boo their teams when they are displeased by their performace too. It's nothing new, even in Green Bay.

As far as Favre goes, all that matters right now is right now. If he trots onto the Lambeau Field grass in a purple jersey then there's nothing wrong with treating him the same way as everyone else in the stadium wearing a purple jersey. That doesn't mean we've forgotten the past 16 years, it just means we recognize that very moment for what it is. At that moment, on that day, those previous 16 years are on the back burner and that one moment of imfamy is front and center. Brett Favre is Brett Favre and always will be, but Favre the Viking is not the same as Favre the Packer. So when that moment is over for good we can go back to our memories of a guy we neither saw nor cheered for that day.

Bingo! Booing Favre would have nothing to do with what he has done in the past. It would have everything to do with what he would be doing in the present. I don't understand why so many people seem to think that booing Favre = not appreciating what he did for the Packers. If I were there I would boo him

1. because he's a Viking
2. because I don't appreciate the way he has acted over the past 2 years.

[ThunderDan]

Right on HH!

Most if not all loved Favre when he was in GB. He made a pathetic franchise great again. So many great (and bad) memories. We accepted the interceptions with the TD's then! Cheer the man for what we loved about him then.

It would be nice to go through one offseason with absolutely no Favre drama.

That is a ridiculous statement. He was our QB during that period. There were a hell of a lot of other players that made just as large contributions to the Packers success.

Also, you have QBs like Hasselbeck, Brooks, Brunnell you never got a shot in GB but had good careers elsewhere. Who is to say if Favre had gotten hurt one would have replaced BF like BF did to the Majik man.

[oregonpackfan]

I will start off with saying I believe many Packer fans are what you may call "blowing a lot of smoke" right now due to emotions running high. That's understandable. I believe many of the people talking booing and hate for Favre actually loved to watch him play and are more hurt then anything to see him play for another team....and more so a rival.

Nothing against anyone, but I just hate booing any player/team....at any game. I remember being at the Packer/Titan game in I think 2003 when the Packers got crushed and seeing Packer fans boo the Packers. I just felt embarrassed that Packer fans could be booing the team they love. I mean, it's not like the players feel good about getting beat....or that they wanted to play a game like that. It just seems so disrespectful/classless to me.

Thing about Favre is he was part of the Packer family for 16 years. Favre gave the Packers and the fans 16 years and some of those years were the most exciting football I've ever seen. I could never disrespect him by booing.....no matter who he plays for. I'll cheer for the Packers to win, but I'll still continue to feel booing is an embarrassment.

Like what was said in one of those recent articles....Thompson had every right to move on with the new QB and should not be criticized for that just as Favre should not be criticized for wanting to continue to play football.

Packer fans have always been known to be friendly and classy fans. I just hope if/when Favre comes back to Lambeau to play the fans will continue the tradition of being friendly and classy fans.

Well put, 007. I still feel the guy is chipping away his legacy and he doesn't even realize it.

[Waldo]

I'd cheer for Favre for the memories he's given up and for helping lead us to the only local pro championship I've witnessed. It was a great ride.

I really don't think that Brett did much leading on the SB team. He was a young wild gunslinger. He never really was much of a leader (even after that), even though he is talked up as this great leader.

Reggie was the leader of the '96 team. Every player that was part of that team never fails to mention that.

Since Reggie left one of the things that Brett has taught me is that he is one of the poorest leaders and teammates of any starting QB in the NFL. He is a coward that hides behind a camera and microphone, and has an agent that can play the media like a fiddle better than any other sports agent in any sport. Bus Cook created public perception of #4 every bit as much as a few TD passes and running around on the field. This has been apparent for more than a decade.

It was apparent that BF did no more than he was required to do long ago, when the rest of the guys in the league pining to unseat him as top dog went above and beyond the call of duty at every step and did everything in their power to promote chemistry, to work outside the bounds of the practice field.

Do you think that AR has spent more time with his teammates outside of 1265 in the last year than BF had in the last decade?

It is no coincidence that when Brett was asked to be the leader, when that guy wasn't in place for him in somebody else, the man who was once a winner became a loser.

His whole thing of never going above the call of duty is one of the big reasons that GB never returned to glory under BF. There never was a strong enough team bond when the influence of Reggie was removed. Darn near every other QB in the league does as much as they can off the field for their team. The best QB's do even more than the norm. But Brett. But then again, he's not one of the best nor has he been for a long time. Even when he puts up some good stats. His influence on a team is not a positive one relative to other stating QB's IMO.

What % of the NFL's starting QB's don't even bother to live in the city they play for in the offseason?

[retailguy]

On the whole booing thing....

If you have to explain why you're booing, will it really be effective? Seriously, how many ways are there to interpret why fans boo?

What percentage of fans/public will understand that you love the old Favre and are pissed at the new Favre?


Sorry, from my vantage point, booing is pointless and juvenile. I don't engage in it when I'm in the stadium, or anywhere else for that matter.

[SkinBasket]

Booooooooooooooo. You suck.


USA! USA! USA!

[Spaulding]

I think signs would be more effective. I run the line of wanting to thank him for all the years of success and mostly good memories and on the other hand want to let him know what a douche I think he's been the last year.

Maybe a grass roots effort to buy blimp time that reads - "Thanks for all the years Brett, too bad you left us with a bad taste at the end, much like cheap beer."

[Patler]

I think there is a huge difference between booing the opponent and booing your own team. Booing an opponent is the fans way of becoming involved in the competition against the opponent. Booing the home team is usually a little more personal and an expression of dissatisfaction.

A reaction to Favre is a mixture of home team/opponent reaction.

I have absolutely no problem with fans booing, or cheering at PROFESSIONAL sports events. They can cheer, clap, sit on their hands, put bags over their heads, boo, do whatever to express the satisfaction or dissatisfaction; I don't care. I have never booed myself, but then again I am not a loud cheerer or shouter either. (That's why I originally proposed "shunning"! )

If fans have been "hurt" by how Favre has treated their team, they have a right to express that. Favre does not get a pass for boorish behavior just because of what he was. Maybe a single incident or outburst could be excused, but the signs are that he carries a vendetta against the Packers. His team mates last year said he was consumed by it.

Besides, as I argued over a year ago, in my opinion Favre has been trying to get out of GB for more than just one season, and not just get out of GB, but get back AT GB. I am as put off by his treatment of the Jets this off season as I am by his actions last off season.

Anyone who has similar feelings and wants to express it by booing certainly has the right to do that. Nothing Favre has done in the past gives him an exemption.

[CaptainKickass]

I think there is a huge difference between booing the opponent and booing your own team. I have absolutely no problem with fans booing, or cheering at PROFESSIONAL sports events.

Agreed - well said.

I also find it extremely ironic that Favre - who has a history of ending playoff runs with interceptions - is going to join the one team that I have always considered one of the most notorious "choke" teams in the NFL. Just look at the Viking history of choking in big games.

Let's hope the tradition continues and we get to see both Favre and the Vikes dabble in the art of "the NFL choke".

I don't wish any harm to anyone. What I do wish for, and am likely to get, is a VERY spirited crowd, boo-ing, cheering, shouting, holding up signs etc etc.

Be an individual, do what you feel is appropriate, but most importantly, BE involved. It's just so much more fun that way.

.