You knew I was going to mention this eventually, didn't you?

I just finished reading the "Sports Illustrated" Special Tribute Edition on Brett Favre. Cover to Cover. I read every word, every photo caption, everything, and I relished it all.

Favre played 16 years as a Packer, which means I was 14 that fateful day when Don "The Majic Man" Majkowski got hurt and he stepped up to win the game. He started every game for the Packers after that. For 16 years. That is amazing to me. I hate calling in sick to work, but I've still done it from time to time, and for the past 4 years I haven't even worked full time. Also, as I look back on my almost 8 year career at the VA, I can't recall a time when anyone has ever open-field tackled me in the lab.

I remember the terrible times before Brett Favre. All of those losing seasons. I think the last time they made it to the playoffs before Brett took them there in '93 was in 1982. That's just getting to the playoffs. They hadn't even gotten to the post season in 11 years. I remember Randy Wright (Randy WRONG), Anthony Dillweg, and, of course, Don Majkowski. I also remember Majkowski's sexified commercials on local TV, but that's beside the point.

I was in Winona during their Super Bowl years, and I felt cheated. I was in MN, where most of my classmates came from somewhere in MN, and they did not like Brett Favre or the Packers. Luckily we could get local stations from LaCrosse, so I did manage to watch a lot of Packers coverage on the news, but at my parent's house the local news is from Green Bay, and their lead story of almost every newscast during the football season was about the Packers. Everything you've heard about the mania in that state regarding their football team is true. It's something, and it's really fun to be a part of. I used to regularly argue with my teacher in gradeschool on Monday mornings about the Packers. "They should play this guy", "No, he sucks, they should stay with this guy".

I'm sad to see him go. No matter how the season was going, he was always fun to watch. I know that we probably won't hear from him much now. He'll resurface when they induct him into the Hall of Fame and then disappear again. I'm glad that I will get to tell my children and grandchildren that 'yea, I remember watching Brett Favre play', and even though they will roll their eyes and wonder why I think they care, I'll care.

So there you have it. The post I've been trying to avoid writing since I heard the sad news two weeks ago. I guess my WI roots just won't let me be quiet about the subject. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go find my cheesehead and get back to work.