I’m trying to preserve the reverence I have for the moment. You only bring a child home for the first time a couple times in your life. There are few occurrences that could happen in the outside world which would consequently interrupt these couple of moments so much so that I feel compelled to write a blog post about it. We have one of those moments.
Maybe this will shed some light on the severity of the situation. About an hour after we got home today with Lilli, I went to run a few small errands. I called my best friend. My best man from my wedding. My brother after my biological brother. And did we talk about tar poop, lack of sleep, and cute cooing noises? No, and not because we are apathetic male jack asses. We did not because the more pressing issue, characterized by my friends comment, was this, “I feel like someone has ripped out my heart and sent it to New York.”
We didn’t trade a player. A family was not split up by divorce. One of our own was abducted and sold as a slave to the bourgeoisie of the elitist east coast. Brett Favre is more than the guy who broke records and delivered a super bowl trophy. He was the identity of a predominantly blue-collar state, that can’t tell you the starting line up of the Milwaukee Bucks and who also has dwindling hope that the Brewers might get to the playoffs, a place they haven’t been since the 82 World Series. Prince Fielder hit 50 home runs last year. No one will care next year. The Bucks took the 76ers to game 7 in the Eastern Conference finals in 2001. What happened to Glenn Robinson anyways? Brett Favre is the face of the Badger state. He is the pride of a state that otherwise is noted for cheese and beer.
This is what Ted Thompson did not understand. Fans might not come right out and admit it. But I have a suspicion that Packer fans might be more satisfied with a 3-13 Favre leading the Packers season than they would with a 13-3 Super Bowl appearance with Aaron Rogers behind center. And speaking of Aaron Rogers, nothing against him. In fact if there is one person I feel bad for it’s him. He’s been great through this whole thing. But this is why it is going to a difficult year for him no matter how well he performs. He’s not just filling in for a legend, more importantly, he’s filling in for the guy that you’d love to shoot the breeze about at the bar in March. He’s filling in for the guy Wisconsin business travelers are proud to acknowledge when they are traveling around the country. He’s filling in for the guy, whom families have been proud to name their children and pets after for the last 15 years.
My faith convictions teach me not wish bad for anyone, but if the Pack can’t win the superbowl I hope that Jets do and that Thompson and everyone else who backed his decision find themselves general managing some other organization as they ponder their mistake. This is not about winning and losing. This is business as usual. This is ripping out the heart of Wisconsin and sending it to New York.
