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Even if the Packers don't, fans want Favre

Dennis Punzel  —  8/06/2008 6:09 am

GREEN BAY -- The railbirds were rebellious Tuesday. From the start of practice, the fans who line the Green Bay Packers practice field along Oneida Street expressed their displeasure with the apparent breakup between the Packers and Brett Favre.

The chant of "Bring back Brett" first broke out as the team began stretching and continued in various forms through much of the practice.

"We don't have to do crowd noise this week," said coach Mike McCarthy, searching for a positive spin. "It was like working on the road. But it's fun. I think emotion is good. You'd prefer positive emotion over not positive. But they care. That's one thing you can always say about our fans, they care."

Quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who heard some catcalls when he threw three interceptions during practice, is well aware of the scrutiny he faces as the even more apparent heir to Favre. "We have great fans," Rodgers said. "I hope I can win them over."

Nothing personal against Rodgers, said many of the Packer fans watching practice, but he's not Brett.

"I saw Brett drive away just now," said Marty Becker of Rice Lake. "He didn't look very happy. And I know I'm really unhappy. He's brought more excitement to this team and to this city than anybody. The way the Packers have treated him is really lousy. It just doesn't seem possible that it's come to this."

The only thing that could make it worse for him would be a trade to the Minnesota Vikings. Such a move would force the longtime Packer fan to switch allegiance. "If he goes purple, I go purple," Becker said.

Brothers-in-law Jeff Bukowski of Milwaukee and Joe Woldt of DePere wore their colors on their sleeves. Bukowski came to practice in his Favre jersey and a sign that read "Dump Favre? Fire Ted! Fire Mike," referring to general manager Ted Thompson and McCarthy. Woldt, a native of New Ulm, Minn., and a Vikings fan, wore an Adrian Peterson jersey and carried a sign that said, "We'll take Brett."

"If Brett comes, I'll take him," said Woldt. "I think we have a solid team and quarterback is our weakest position. With Brett Favre, I say we're in the Super Bowl."

A thought that makes his brother-in-law shudder.

"If that happens, Ted Thompson will be the third most hated man in Wisconsin," said Bukowski. "Third to Ed Gein and Jeffrey Dahmer. That's a little extreme, but I think it's just sad to treat a guy like that. It's an embarrassment to both sides and it's just such bad PR for the Packers. Favre's reputation has taken a huge hit in all of this, but so many reports have been total fabrications. It really makes me sick."

While he is bitter about the Packers' treatment of Favre, Bukowski said it's possible to both support Favre and not dislike Rodgers.

"He's in a tough spot," he said of Rodgers. "But Favre was right when he said it's not about Aaron Rodgers. But I'm not going to have sympathy for the guy because the NFL is about competition, and it's unfair to tell a guy you can't even compete for the starting job. People feel sympathy for Rodgers, but he's being handed a starting job without even earning it. I don't feel any sympathy for him, but I don't hate him."

Rick Baurain of Neenah also put much of the blame for the breakup on Thompson.

"I personally don't like Ted Thompson," said Baurain. "He's being arrogant about the whole thing. I think we all agree here that Brett give the team the best chance to win so I say give him his job back because that's what's best for the team.

"I don't know how the players feel, but I think they really want Favre but they can't say anything because they don't want to cut their own throats."

The organizers of bringbackbrettfavre.com say the fans are overwhelmingly in Favre's corner. The group released results of an Internet poll that showed that 72 percent of Packer fans want Favre to be the starting quarterback this year, and 68 percent believe that Thompson should be fired if Favre is traded or released. Eighty-six percent said Favre gives the Packers the best chance to win the Super Bowl.

Dennis Punzel  —  8/06/2008 6:09 am