National Football League

Favre saga: Winners and losers

Published Jul. 29, 2009 5:21 p.m. ET

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So for the third time in the last 16 months, quarterback Brett Favre — who should own his own addendum to the NFL record book — is saying goodbye.

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As opposed to his other two retirements, the latest may not be "official" with all the cameras and microphones that come with it, but it may be the most believable. For Favre to walk away from what appeared to be his perfect and long-desired fit in Minnesota makes this go-'round seem like the final chapter of his storied career.

NOTE: Yes, Favre very well could simply decide to wait out training camp to see which quarterbacks get injured during training camp ... And he will surely keep his cell phone charged in case a desperate team calls during the season ... And don't count out the chance he will feel refreshed next offseason, a full year removed from shoulder surgery and weekly beatings ... Just go with us on this.

But as with Favre's other abbreviated timeouts, he has left plenty of people teased and confused. In the wreckage of what many hope will be his final walk-away, here are the winners and losers:

Winners

Packer fans: How loud is the laughter emanating out of the state of Wisconsin? For the loyal Packers faithful who remained disgusted with this offseason's Favre flirtation with their most hated rivals in Minnesota, July 28, 2009 could be marked on Cheesehead calendars forever — the Day Brett Favre Jilted the Vikings.

The only thing more noticeable than the giggles is the collective sigh of relief in the area. Green Bay fans everywhere had spent the previous few months mentally preparing, numbing and bracing themselves for the nightmare, DEFCON 1 scenario — good ol' No. 4 bouncing out of the tunnel at Lambeau Field ... in enemy purple.

While the fannies have been able to detach themselves from Favre a bit after last year's Summer of Favre drama, every Hattiesburg update was painfully peeling back each layer of scar tissue from Packers fans' emotional wounds. It's one thing to come back, but to the Vikings, of all teams? And you could just see the ultimate doomsday scenario developing: Favre actually stays healthy in Minnesota behind a mammoth offensive line, handing off to the amazing Adrian Peterson 20-25 times per game and tossing play-action bombs to speedsters Bernard Berrian and Percy Harvin ... all the way to the Super Bowl, right?

Knowing the Green Bay area, there are a few cold ones being poured right now and local businesses may not open up for the rest of the week.

Favre's Packers legacy: Arguably the most accomplished passer in NFL history, Favre was the Packers — almost a sports messiah sent to Green Bay in 1992 after decades of doldrums. After winning a Super Bowl and three MVP awards and putting Green Bay back on the football map, Favre had reached Teflon status in the pigskin-loving community.

That is, until his annual retirement song-and-dance began as early as 2005, when the yearly offseason question would cloud the team's future and stunt winter plans and acquisitions. Then last summer, the first real signs of his minions turning on him appeared around Lambeau as fans began voicing their displeasure around town while at first cautiously rallying around new franchise passer Aaron Rodgers.

The very real acrimony between Favre and the current Packers front office duo of general manager Ted Thompson and head coach Mike McCarthy deflated Favre's one-time untouchable status in the state. Plenty of Packer fans exhaled in a big way as a banged-up Favre faded down the stretch with the Jets in '08.

But all those ugly feelings can be brushed aside in time. His Hall of Fame-worthy career should be remembered for his 16 seasons in Green Bay, not his last year with the Jets (or his first with the Falcons, for that matter).