The Green Bay Packers and their fans had every right to be pissed when Brett Favre came out of retirement twice and joined the team's archrival in the twilight of his career. That's somewhat understandable — although they should consider that the team discarded Favre, not the other way around. Regardless, things ended badly and it hurt a lot of fans.
But you know how I see it now? This is like breaking up with a really cool girlfriend and then meeting Kate Upton, or losing a really good job but then finding your dream career.
Naturally, it's a lot easier for human beings to forgive and forget when they're better off than they were when the infraction(s) in question took place. And so it should be easy for Packers fans to do exactly that. After all, they've won a Super Bowl and have been to the playoffs four times since Aaron Rodgers took over in 2008.
Favre was special, but Rodgers might out-special him. We're talking about the highest-rated quarterback in NFL history here, and by a wide margin.
Hell, even Rodgers, who was victimized while holding clipboards during Favre's final, waffle-filled years in Green Bay, is willing to bury any hatchets.
"It's been too long," Rodgers said on "The Jim Rome Show" Wednesday regarding the grudge Packers fans have held against No. 4. "You know, our country and the state of Wisconsin, these people are a people of second and third and fourth chances. I think it's time to let the healing process begin for those who are still upset for what went down."
Rodgers and Favre appeared on stage together at the NFL's annual awards show on the eve of this year's Super Bowl in New Orleans, and it appears that broke some ice.
"It was kind of a good first step," Packers president Mark Murphy said last month. "And our intent all along is we want to bring [Favre] back into the family and retire his number. He deserves it."
He does. And because the Packers are winning now, this is no harm, no foul. It's a win-win. No more pettiness. Time to move on.
