I can’t believe the Green Bay Packers are about to play a game without Brett Favre as their starting quarterback.

So much has happened in my life since Favre came off the bench against the Bengals, it boggles my mind. I have gone to school, started a band, moved to New York, done a Broadway tour, met my wife, who has blessed me with three beautiful girls, and have worked any number of mind-numbing day jobs, which have somehow afforded me the time and opportunity to start a Packer website with a good friend. In all that time, Brett Favre has been the starting quarterback of the Green Bay Packers. It’s incredible how much I never realized what an important stabilizing touchstone that was in my life until just now, reading about tonight’s game being Aaron Rodgers’ first professional start. I mean, no matter what went wrong in my world, or the world in general, Brett was still there. I’ve had his presence as my small piece of Gibraltar since I was 19 years old. I’m 35 now. That is just unbelievable. Think about where you were in September of 1992. Now think about all that you’ve done in your life between then and now. And all that time, Favre was there on your television wearing Green and Gold. Every single week of the fall and winter, for 16 years.

But the one true constant, of course, is change. And tonight, the Packers begin a new era. No one knows how Aaron Rodgers will play once the lights come on and the ball is snapped. I suspect he will play quite well. There will be mistakes and growing pains no doubt. But he has a great cast around him and one of the best offensive minds in the game on the sidelines calling the plays. I have no doubt he can take the Packers where they, and all of Packer Nation, want the team to go.

The only question that remains is this: Is tonight the start of the Aaron Rodgers Era? Or the Post-Brett Favre Era? I will enjoy finding out over the course of the next few seasons. It all starts tonight.

Go Pack Go.

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• Think About This

… and all hell breaks loose.

First of all, big thanks to Corey for keeping up the blog in my absence. Great work, as always.

Secondly, here it is, August 30th, and Brett Favre is still speaking as if it’s July 30th. (The specter of Favre-as-the-ex-girlfriend-who-just-can’t-let-it-go rears its ugly head…) In two separate accounts, Favre recreates, almost word for word, conversations he’s had with various members of the national media for staff members of the NY Post and the New York Daily News. All while having never, not once, granted an interview with either the Green Bay Press Gazette or the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Make of that what you will.

Finally, I’ll have much to say about the final roster cuts that were announced moments ago. Needless to say, the fact that Mornecy is gone and Bush still has a job is a joke.

Welcome back indeed…

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• The Fate of the Packers

Ok, I know everyone is sick of talking about Brett Favre. I have been trying not to write this post for the last couple days, but my Wisconsin cousins keep sending me great stuff that I have to share.

The pic is from my cousin Dustin, I saw a similar one at Packer Palace today as well. Waupun, WI.

Then there is the nicely produced Brett Favre and the Jets (Benny and the Jets) parody song sent to me by my cousin Dennis. I haven’t found this version on the internet yet. When I have searched I keep finding this lame one with a guy who cannot sing and the lyrics aren’t as good. This version’s production values are amazing.

Brett Favre and the Jets Parody Song

And then there is my cousin Margo who wrote me a letter (remember those?) about the whole Favre fiasco and included a clipping from the Post-Crescent from Aug. 10th with a point/counterpoint entitled “Are Brett Favre fans Packer fans?” Margo states:

Bill & I took a ride up to Green Bay to watch their first practice, expected to see Favre but instead after his meeting with all the big wigs that day he drove off to the airport and left. You should have seen the tension of fans at the practice, thought for sure there would be a fight. There was a group chanting “Bring Favre Back” (mostly everyone in favor of Favre..hate signs for Thompson!) while someone else was yelling burn the #4 Favre jersey…Did you watch the first Packer game, right before it started it said…”Teams win Championships. Individuals don’t.”

And there it is. When people write to us and say “How can you have a blog in New York City about the Packers?” I can say…it’s in our blood. And I mean it. I love my family. Go Pack!

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• Why Can’t Packer Fans Enjoy This?

Mrs. PackerAaron surprised me yesterday when she presented me with two tickets (and a VIP Parking pass) for tonight’s Jets-Redskins game. Needless to say, I don’t know whether to laugh or cry. I will, of course, be cheering for Brett and cursing his name. As a result, I won’t be able to watch tonight’s Packers’ game live. I will, however, catch a repeat of it on NFL Network tomorrow afternoon, so I’ll have thoughts and analysis for you after that viewing.

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• The Beginning of ‘The Big Thaw’?

In honor of Thursday, and keeping it real, I’m not really going to say much of consequence about the Packers. Oh sure, I could opine on the fact that Josh Sitton seems to have retained his starting job at right guard, or that A.J. Hawk has a mysterious injury, or even that Johnny Jolly is picking fights with really respected veterans. But that would be easy. Besides, every Packer blog I’ve read today has covered these stories amply.

I think I’ll take the easy way out and highlight this hilarious bit buried in Greg Easterbrook’s latest Tuesday Morning Quarterback.

Cheers:

If Favre can retire then nonretire every year, why not every week? Below is a weekly agenda for the Jets’ season:Sunday immediately following game: Favre tells reporters he’s “considering” retirement. Says he will come back if all networks agree that cameras will show no player except him.

Monday morning: Favre’s agent says client feels “not appreciated” because New York City has not been renamed Brettopolis. Holds tearful farewell news conference, says “I would never go back on my word unless there was something in it for me.” Thanks teammates for not coming between him and cameras. Returns to Mississippi.

Monday evening: Hosts vigil in Hattiesburg tent. Tells Oak Grove High School players, “Always be a self-sacrificing team player.”

Tuesday morning: Invites hundreds of reporters and cameramen to his farm to see him happily working the land.

Tuesday lunchtime. Tires of working the land.

Wednesday morning. Calls ESPN, New York Times to plant comeback rumor.

Wednesday afternoon. Calls ESPN, New York Times to deny comeback rumor.

Thursday morning. Demands immediate reinstatement. Grants “exclusive” interviews to ESPN, ABC, CBS, NBC, NFLN, CNN, MSNBC, BBC, Fox College Sports/Pacific, CSPAN-2, Planet Green, Oxygen, Toon, Home Preview Channel, HBO Signature HD, SOAPNet, Canal Plus and the MHz4 Nigerian TV Authority.

Thursday evening. Demands New Jersey annex Delaware and give it to him, also demands USM change its sports nickname to the Golden Fours. United States Senate stages all-night emergency session to debate Favre return.

Friday morning. Congress offers $600 billion bailout if Favre returns. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid explains, “We don’t care who gets the bailout, we just like to give away borrowed money. Hey Nancy, they want more. OK, $800 billion.”

Friday afternoon. United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon flies to Hattiesburg in the space shuttle to accompany Favre on his return to New Jersey. Manhattan casting agency hires hundreds of extras to pretend to be adoring Favre fans at arrival.

Saturday morning. Favre attends walk-through, disabled children allowed to touch his garments.

Sunday morning. All other players’ names removed from program in order to print Brett Favre in 72-point type across every page. Governor of New Jersey washes Favre’s feet during player introductions.

Postgame: Favre hints game may have been his last.

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• The Inevitable Problem With the Hidden Audible

Shocking, I know.

Jeffri Chadiha has a surprising column up today over at ESPN.com. (It’s surprising only in that it is on ESPN’s site but complimentary of Thompson and the Packers, a rarity these days.) I’d like to highlight something that has been bugging me the last few weeks, ever since Favre gave his interview on FOX. Chadiha, who gets most of his facts straight, makes the same blunder almost every other journalist has made in covering this story. He writes:

If this past month should’ve told us anything about Favre, it’s that we now understand why Thompson and McCarthy got fed up with the guy in the first place. Favre simply couldn’t commit to their plan, either because he didn’t feel loved enough or because Thompson wasn’t willing to sign Randy Moss, hire Steve Mariucci and kiss Favre’s ring all in the same motion.

The problem with the bolded part is that it is 100 percent incorrect. Favre never demanded Thompson hire Mooch. He simply asked Thompson to interview him. It wouldn’t be so egregious, if, two paragraphs later, Chadiha didn’t write:

I’m not making this stuff up, folks. These are actual facts that can be checked simply by clicking on Google.

Maybe Chadiha trusts Google TOO much, because he’s obviously parroting everyone else’s mistake. Time and again I have seen it written, on both sports news sites and fan blogs, that Favre demanded Thompson hire Mariucci. But the fact is, Favre asked Thompson to interview an old friend, and Thompson indicated he would. To then read shortly afterwords that McCarthy had been hired and to learn from that old friend that no interview had taken place, after being told it would, well, I can understand Favre’s frustration. And it speaks to a patter between Thompson and Favre. I can understand Thompson not wanting Favre to run  the team. But then SAY SO to Favre’s face. Even now, after all the drama, after weeks of being told that miscommunication was at the heart of this whole fiasco, Thompson admitted in his press conference yesterday that he still hadn’t cleared the air with Favre in a face to face meeting. After all this? Really? That is absurd. The least the two should have done at some point is sit down, one on one, away from Favre’s camp and away from the Packers organization, and had at it, much like McCarthy and Favre did earlier this week.

Would Favre still be a Packer? Of course not, but both sides owed at least that much to each other. Not to mention it would have been the grown up thing to do. Unfortunately, Thompson seemed incapable, for whatever reason, of opening up and telling Favre exactly what he felt. And if I were Favre, a man who lays his feelings out for all to see, I would have been beyond exasperated, to say the least.

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• Gene Wojciechowski: Hack

I am watching the Jets press conference. Crazy. Brett holding up a Jets Favre jersey. What the hell.

I know- I said I was excited but now I am living in an Alternate reality.

And of course they have already sold 3,200 Favre jerseys setting a single-day sales record and single-day single-player jersey sales record. I hope you kick ass Brett.

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• My cousins are all die-hard Packer fans

Watch it live here.

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• What I Don’t Get…