Brett Favre gets incredible reaction from Packers fans upon his return
The last time Brett Favre was at Lambeau Field, the Green Bay Packers fans booed him.
Those fans wouldn’t stop cheering on Saturday night, when Favre finally returned.
Favre’s last time at Lambeau Field was almost five years ago, and Favre was with the Minnesota Vikings. The fans booed, and it was awkward because very few players have meant more to a franchise than Favre did to the Packers. Unless you are from that part of the country you have no idea what the Bears-Packers-Vikings rivalry is about. Favre had to be booed, as strange as it was. And then uncomfortable feelings about the split with the organization kept him away from Lambeau for years.
But everyone knew that eventually a night like Saturday would happen.
Favre was inducted into the Packers Hall of Fame and also had his No. 4 retired on Saturday night. When the NFL’s all-time leader in passing yards came out of the tunnel, he got a five-minute ovation. it wasn’t the last ovation. Packers fans erupted any time Favre paused.
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There was some doubt over how the fans would react to Favre when he returned, given how messy it ended for him in Green Bay. It didn’t take long on Saturday to figure out that should never have been a concern. Everyone just wanted to celebrate his 16 spectacular seasons revitalizing the Packers franchise.
“All I can say is wow. Wow,” Favre told the crowd as he addressed them inside the stadium, which was shown on NFL Network. “This is absolutely amazing. I don’t have the words to express the feeling coming out of that tunnel to this ovation. Thank you. Thank you so much.
“If there were any doubts before, there’s not any. I truly thank you.“
There’s no other place in professional sports like Green Bay, and that showed on Saturday. More than 67,000 tickets were sold for Lambeau Field’s lower bowl, and the team sold those in about an hour and a half. Green Bay’s poulation is about 105,000.
Favre, who got choked up a few times, seemed shocked by the whole scene.
“I knew there were a lot of tickets sold. I figured there would be a lot of people in the stands. But I wasn’t expecting this type of ovation,” Favre said.
“I have played elsewhere, and there is nothing like this place. There is absolutely nothing like it. Where else can you get this many people in a stadium when there’s not a game? Where else? Nowhere.”
Packers fans have a unique understanding of the game and their team’s history, and any of them over a certain age know that when Favre came to Green Bay it was one of the worst destinations in the NFL. Other coaches threatened lagging players that they’d send them to Green Bay if they didn’t shape up. From 1968 to 1991 the Packers won one playoff game, and that was in the odd strike-induced tournament in 1982. The Packers were terrible. Favre arrived in 1992. The Packers have had only two losing seasons in the the 23 seasons since Favre arrived.
The Favre-Packers story feels complete now, with Packers fans finally being able to express how much they appreciate what Favre did for the franchise. Whatever happened after Favre and the team separated following his first retirement, and the retirement waffling afterwards and the time with the New York Jets and Vikings, doesn’t matter. Packers fans let him know that on Saturday.
“I dreamed of playing football, I dreamed of playing in the Super Bowl, I never dreamed of standing here before you in a moment like this,” Favre said. “This is way beyond what I dreamed of, and I’m so honored.”
The fans wouldn’t let him continue the thought. Favre had to stop for another ovation.
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Frank Schwab is the editor of Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @YahooSchwab
