Retired Numbers

[Deputy Nutz]

I look at the impact the player brought to Green Bay and it would be hard to find a player making a bigger impact in Green Bay than Reggie White. When a player brings greatness to a franchise it is hard to over look that player because he played on another team before his arrival to Green Bay.

Is Woodson Great? He was dominant in Green Bay, and was at one point elite at his position in Green Bay, but I wouldn't say he brought greatness or that he made a bigger impact on the Packers than White, but then again very few have.

[Patler]

I look at the impact the player brought to Green Bay and it would be hard to find a player making a bigger impact in Green Bay than Reggie White. When a player brings greatness to a franchise it is hard to over look that player because he played on another team before his arrival to Green Bay.

Is Woodson Great? He was dominant in Green Bay, and was at one point elite at his position in Green Bay, but I wouldn't say he brought greatness or that he made a bigger impact on the Packers than White, but then again very few have.

If White had been younger and came to GB in 2006, after a decade of the team being one of the leagues most successful, would he have had the same impact?

If Woodson had been older, and had come to GB in 1993, would his impact have been greater?

White was a unique personality, and he loved the spotlight of media attention. Woodson does not search it out in the same way. How effective each is in the locker room, we can only guess at.

As a player on the field, White's best years were in Philadelphia. I would argue that Woodson's best have been in GB, when he learned and was used to have impact far beyond the top notch cover corner he had been in GB.

There is a lot of "good story" hype surrounding White's time in GB, starting with God telling him to come to GB, when he probably would have preferred less money from someone else. Unlike the typical FA, he flew in the face of common sense, and signed the contract with the most money involved. How often do you see a free agent do that?

[Smeefers]

Sure, if the circumstances were different, we'd view them differently, but they're not. They're as they are and that's all you can go off of. Wood had a great career here, but he wasn't considered the best CB in the league while he was here. He was always a top tier guy, but Revis or Asumgazuntites always had the top spot. Woodson hasn't brought anyone in. Woodson hasn't changed the attitude of the entire city. I'm not even sure Woodson is a first ballot HOFer. He probably is, but I'm not positive on that. Great guy, great player, but not worthy of a spot on the ring.

[sharpe1027]

Interesting discussion. Do you only consider the their games as a Packer, or can their whole career be looked at? Is it fair to give Woodson less credit because he came to Green Bay when they were not at the bottom of the barrel? Is White entitled to more consideration for his off-the-field impact?

If you look only at one the field performance while playing as a packer, Woodson stacks up well against White. White has more additional considerations. Personally, I think you look at the whole package. Advantage White.

[woodbuck27]

The best solution to this question is to stop retiring numbers all together.

If their NOT going to retire Favre's number 4. I agree with you.

[woodbuck27]

Favre will get his number retired, I don't agree with Woodbuck, Favre doesn't want to get a phone call from Thompson or McCarthy. He is still bitter. Thompson truly doesn't care one way or another, if Murphy told him he had to call Favre and work out a ceremony he would. He would think it is a waste of time, because anything outside of a film room is a waste of time in Ted Thompson's world.

Anyways Woodson is going to the Hall of Fame because of what he has done as a Packer, not a Raider. If he makes it to the Hall then he has a decent shot at the Packers retiring his number.

"I don't agree with Woodbuck, Favre doesn't want to get a phone call from Thompson or McCarthy. He is still bitter." Deputy Nutz

No. Read the Brett Favre interview following the last game of the season (2008) Jets and Dolphins. Brett Favre clearly sets his position straight on this argument. I'm not giving this away.

Find it ... read it ...absorb it.

It's just become silly to me the way posters here propogate the lie. The ability to use denial to support BS.

GO PACKERS !

[Gunakor]

Read the Brett Favre interview following the last game of the season (2008) Jets and Dolphins. Brett Favre clearly sets his position straight on this argument. I'm not giving this away.

Find it ... read it ...absorb it.

It's just become silly to me the way posters here propogate the lie. The ability to use denial to support BS.

It's been documented that Favre has a tendency to lie on occasion as well. Different people call it different things - changing his mind, coming to his senses, etc. - whatever they call it, a lie is a lie is a lie. So it's tough to take anything he says as being 100% truth. Truth in Favre's heart changes with the weather. What he said in any given interview, this one or that one, must be taken with a grain of salt. And for most of us, disregarded altogether.

[Upnorth]

If Favre can work with the organization and speak great things about the Packers organization then maybe you could retire his number. Right now he does not seem to be reaching out to the organization. This organization is bigger than any one player, any one person, and I think Favre forgets that. There is no singular owner of the packers, no singular representative of the packers. Lambea, Lombardi, Starr, Hutson, Canadeo. These are people who had sustained the organization from 1919 to 1992. That is 73 years. Then the next wave of greatness began, the question is how will there shine look in 20 years? Will people get that tone in their voice that they get when talking of watching Starr play? Will people tear up when they see a documentary about them like Lombardi does? If they can generate that level of feeling, then they might be worthy of retirement. Right now I don't see any players who generate that unfortunalty, but time will tell, and I do see potential in some to do that.


As an aside, lump me in with the stop retiring numbers crowd, instead just honour them.