Bart Starr Determined To Honor Favre In Person

Ian O'Connor writes about the Packers legend in the latest issue of ESPN the Magazine.

Seriously, every Packers fan should read Ian O'Connor's latest for ESPN the Magazine. In it, he illuminates the determination Bart Starr has to be in attendance at Lambeau Field on Thanksgiving night for Brett Favre's number retirement ceremony. 

More than that, however, O'Connor gives us an intimate look at the Packers legend in what could be one final winning drive. 

From O'Connor's piece: 

Not that the Starrs are desperately trying to make it back to Green Bay for the Starrs, for one last standing O. The family knows Bart would just want to honor Favre and Rodgers and everything it means to be the quarterback for that team in that city.

"When he first saw Favre play," Bart Jr. says, "Dad himself said, 'That's the best quarterback I've seen play for the Packers.' He would say Favre and Rodgers are the two best ever. ... He would never feel the slightest bit threatened to say that Favre and Rodgers can do things on the field he could never do."

Starr wants to stand with these great quarterbacks one more time at Lambeau. "Now, we can't sit back and say, 'Dad, we're going to try to get you there,'" Bart Jr. says. "Every comment from us has to be along the lines of, 'Dad, we know you will make it there on Thanksgiving. We are certain of it.'"

Read the whole thing. It is well worth your time. 

 

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Comments (13)

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Evan's picture

September 01, 2015 at 10:40 am

A seriously great piece.

Good lord, I'm going to be crying like a baby on Thanksgiving.

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Allan Murphy's picture

September 01, 2015 at 10:04 pm

millions will be

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ottscay's picture

September 01, 2015 at 10:45 am

Just read the whole thing - that was a tear jerker six ways from Sunday.

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WKUPackFan's picture

September 01, 2015 at 01:07 pm

Still have my tattered 1980 college flag football jersey with the faded 15 on the back. Bless you Starrs.

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D.D.Driver's picture

September 01, 2015 at 01:12 pm

"Dad himself said, 'That's the best quarterback I've seen play for the Packers.' He would say Favre and Rodgers are the two best ever. ... "

With all due respect: Bart Starr is wrong. It's admirable that he is as humble as he is...but he is wrong. If Rodgers wins a couple more championship we can have an honest debate. As it stands now, Starr is the greatest Packer QB of all time. It's not particularly close.

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Evan's picture

September 01, 2015 at 01:34 pm

Championships are team achievements.

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D.D.Driver's picture

September 01, 2015 at 02:33 pm

But teams are led by their field generals. Starr is arguably the greatest ever in that department. The man was 9-1 in the playoffs with the highest post-season QB rating in history (in an era that was much less passer friendly).

Career stats are nice, but they are padded with monster games against chump teams. When the shit hit the fan, and his team needed him most, Starr was as close to perfect as any NFL QB has been. THAT is greatness.

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Evan's picture

September 01, 2015 at 02:43 pm

Not saying Starr isn't great or even the greatest Packers QB ever. He very well may be. But wins (even championship wins) are a whole team achievement.

Yea, he was 9-1 in the post-season while playing on some of the greatest teams of all-time. How many Lombardi era Packers are in the Hall of Fame? Of course he's one of them and played a big role on those teams. But he didn't do it alone. That's all I'm saying. Wins/Championship wins is a Skip Bayless stat.

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D.D.Driver's picture

September 01, 2015 at 04:08 pm

That's a strawman. What matters is that Starr played his greatest when the pressure was highest and when it mattered most. Contrast that with Favre who played his worst games (or at least his worst snaps) when it mattered most.

Rodgers can play his way into the discussion. Favre's legacy is what it is.

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Evan's picture

September 01, 2015 at 05:09 pm

What's a straw man?

And everything you said is 100% true. But that wasn't your original argument. Starr could have played his best when the pressure was highest and he could still have lost if his teammates didn't also rise to the occasion.

EDIT: But, ultimately, this is an argument about semantics. Starr is all-time great. I don't want to be seen as arguing against his greatness, so I'm just gonna drop it. Ha

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ray nichkee's picture

September 01, 2015 at 02:09 pm

Starr played in a different era, there is no comparison. Never once do you hear these old farts say if i played today... that is the definition of humble. A 16 game schedule and all the new rules favoring offence, we cannot compare stats, only heart.

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4thand1's picture

September 01, 2015 at 06:46 pm

The true greatness is Lombardi. He found a way to get the best out of every player on the team. He was and still is the greatest teacher of the game.

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Ibleedgreenmore's picture

September 01, 2015 at 04:42 pm

God I loved him when I saw him play in the 50s and 60s and I think it means even more to me now. He is a Starr and proves he is what a Packer truly is.

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