I Hope Mark Murphy Visits PackerRats

[The Shadow]

Ok, Imagine Please :

The Setting : the Packers Monday Night Football game versus the Bears.
During player introductions = when it's time for Aaron to trot out - Aaron Rodgers, Bart Starr & Brett Favre - all in uniform -trot out together.

The payoff is tremendous :
1. The thorny problem of easing Favre back into the Packer Family are taken care of in a very smooth & dramatic way. There might not be a dry eye in the stands. This would go a long way to reconciling things between Favre & the fan base.
2. The 3 Packer SuperBowl quarterbacks are finally together - and face it, Bart is not going to be around forever.
3. The Packers gain absolutely tremendous PR around the NFL - the story will play everywhere.
4. The Packer tradition is highlighted in a fabulous way.
5. The Packers make a mint with posters & other merchandise.
6. The Packers receive a tremendous emotional life to demolish the Bears - and what would pump up the Lambeau energy more?
7. This Packer moment would not involve the stickiness of shoving Favre & Ted Thompson together - in case there is still any bad blood. Thompson & the rest of the Packer brass would simply be seen in the pressbox, giving the same standing ovation as everyone else in the stadium. Neat & clean.

Now then - it would all of course have to be done as a covert action. If Favre & Starr were spotted beforehand, leaks would ruin everything. But if the Packers could pull it off, it would provide an unbelievable moment for Packer Nation.

[mraynrand]

I hope Murphy stops by

[pbmax]

I was hoping they collected ALL his living NFC North opposing QBs (Detroit, Minnesota and Chicago) and had them in their jerseys in a line leading from where Favre will enter and lead him right up to the podium at midfield. Maybe his Packer backups could be around the podium.

I also imagine McMahon swapping out his Bears jersey for a Vikings jersey before ending up on the podium with Rodgers and Starr in a Packers jersey.

Nice distraction for crowd and a good warm up to remind the of what the guy accomplished. Put a real distinctive and positive spin on the opening. Some diehards will still complain, but most would be won over again. At least willing to give him a chance to speak.

[bobblehead]

I think this would be awesome shadow. Bart Starr is one of the finest human beings I ever had the pleasure of meeting and having him back for such an event would be crazy good PR with all generations.

[The Shadow]

I think it could be done - easily. And it would seem a giant win-win for everyone.

[mraynrand]

i like the idea of humiliating all the past Bears quarterbacks (beyond just watching tape of them). I doubt they'd do it though, but maybe some of them are pretty desperate. Pretty sure it wouldn't take much coin to lure Ty Detmer back - he's still cruising around without a pot to piss in.

[cheesner]

Hope it never happens. I don't like Brett and don't care if he is ever welcomed back as a Packer. Once you start cheering for the bears, trying to give advice to the Lions on how to beat the Packers, and then play for the Vikings for the sole reason of 'sticking it' to the Packers, I think we can safely move on without him.

It takes many to win a Superbowl, I'm not giving him all the credit. The Packers are more important than any one person.

[The Shadow]

We all know Favre has to be reinserted to the Packer fold - I am not a fan, either - but his accomplishments to Packer history have to be recognized & acknowledged.
This type of event would ease the transition.

[Old School]

Judas was one of the 12 chosen Apostles, but once he was a traitor, he was replaced and they moved on without him. Same for Burt.

[Patler]

We all know Favre has to be reinserted to the Packer fold - I am not a fan, either - but his accomplishments to Packer history have to be recognized & acknowledged.
This type of event would ease the transition.

Who is denying his accomplishments? Have they stricken his name from the Packer record book? Have they placed in storage the SB Trophy he was a part of?

The only reason this is even an issue right now is because Harlan promised to retire his number while he was still playing, sort of akin to announcing his sainthood before he was dead. Then, the equally ill-advised announcement of the actual date for the event, perhaps to cement his retirement decision (as if that would stop him from changing his mind).

All the honors, the kissing and making up, the official number retirement ceremony, etc. will happen eventually. I see no reason to try and push the timeline. When the events do happen, I will be as interested as I was in White's ceremony ---- not at all.

[The Shadow]

No. no one has denied his accomplishments. The problem is his post-Packer behavior.
Still, the problem remains : How can his contributions to Packer history be somehow be recognized - despite the vitriol still present in the monds of many fans.
This is simply a way to get him back into the mix.

[Patler]

No. no one has denied his accomplishments. The problem is his post-Packer behavior.
Still, the problem remains : How can his contributions to Packer history be somehow be recognized - despite the vitriol still present in the monds of many fans.
This is simply a way to get him back into the mix.

You keep mentioning the need to recognize his contributions. Just what is it that you think needs to be done? Retire his number? If Harlan hadn't made that promise while Favre was still playing, and/or if plans hadn't been announced years ago when he "retired", there wouldn't be any urgency to do it now.

Favre's accomplishments as a Packer were recognized by the organization with the big fanfare given him when he announced his retirement. Has the team planned a similar event when anyone else retired? They did it because of what he had meant to the team, and what he had accomplished as a Packer. There is no urgency for the other things that will eventually happen.

[Fritz]

i like the idea of humiliating all the past Bears quarterbacks (beyond just watching tape of them). I doubt they'd do it though, but maybe some of them are pretty desperate. Pretty sure it wouldn't take much coin to lure Ty Detmer back - he's still cruising around without a pot to piss in.

I hope you all know that none of this would be worth jack shit if Bobby Douglass isn't involved.

[The Shadow]

Any Doctor Who fans out there?
This whole Favre situation reminds me a lot of the plot of the upcoming 5oth anniversary special : there is a 'Dark Doctor' (played by John Hurt) with a terrible secret in his past - and his other incarnations usually deny his existence.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=no9NNRQ-cBM

[mraynrand]

Who?