The woman in the back of the theater stood to be heard, a surge of conflicting emotions sweeping through her body. She couldn't have been older than her late 20s, but she explained the importance of growing up a diehard Green Bay Packers fan during the Brett Favre era.
She spoke in front of a few hundred people, many of whom, like her, had arrived at the theater hoping to find a cathartic release of sorts. They were there on opening night of the Wisconsin Film Festival in Madison last month to watch "Last Day at Lambeau," a documentary chronicling the messy divorce between Favre and the Packers.
Maybe the melodramatic circus played out across a national landscape, but the fans in this theater — several wearing Packers jerseys — were among the ones left behind to suffer the most, having watched their quarterback hero unceremoniously dethroned in front of their very eyes. If it's cliché to say the tension in the room was palpable, then so be it, because that's exactly how it felt on this particular night.
Following the film, there was a short question-and-answer session with the director and a few of the interview participants. It seemed inevitable where the discussion was headed: Now that Favre was gone, when would he be back? When would his jersey be retired in a ceremony at Lambeau Field?
The woman stood to address this topic. She had spent 16 years of her life sharing in Favre's euphoric highs and dramatic lows. From the Super Bowl title to the interceptions that shelved another playoff run too soon, the man in the No. 4 jersey had become more than another player. He was her icon.
"He's all that I know," she said. "But I'm not ready for him to come home. He can stay in Mississippi."
They applauded loudly in the theater.
The response from Packers fans that night was overwhelming. Favre may have been Wisconsin's most iconic sports figure of the last two decades, but any reconciliation between him, the Packers and their fans is still many years away.
At least, that's what seems to make the most sense now with the wounds still too fresh to fully heal.
Apparently, Packers president Mark Murphy doesn't feel the same way. Last week, Murphy was asked about retiring Favre's jersey during a visit to a Wisconsin high school. His response was surprising considering all the turmoil of the last few years.
"Probably in a year or two," Murphy said. "We want to do it at a time that's meaningful to him."
If that is indeed the case, it will take more than a year or two for all parties to feel comfortable with allowing Favre back into the family circle.
Hell, it took Hall of Fame and Super Bowl-winning quarterback Terry Bradshaw 19 years to feel comfortable returning to Pittsburgh for another game after his playing days ended, and he never did anything as remotely controversial as Favre.
"I don't know if the healing process will take that long," said Lori Nickel, Packers beat reporter for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, referring to Bradshaw after the film. "It wouldn't surprise me if it did. I think it's too early to get to that."
The story of Favre's departure from Green Bay has been chronicled ad nauseum by now. After years of offseason waffling, Favre seemingly retired for good in 2008, his legacy in Green Bay fully intact. But when he expressed an interest in un-retiring a few months later, the Packers brass had already decided to name Aaron Rodgers the team's starting quarterback.
Rather than stay retired, Favre was traded to play quarterback for the New York Jets — a move most Packers fans had few issues with. What irked green and gold backers was Favre's insistence on playing for the NFC rival Minnesota Vikings with the primary intent of sticking it to Green Bay.
After one season in New York, Favre found himself under center in Minnesota, directly competing for a division title with Green Bay. Fans across Wisconsin took that decision to be a middle finger to the entire Cheesehead State.
While some Packers fans have softened their stance in the time since Favre left, others won't soon forget his decision to play for the hated rivals to the west.
"Speaking strictly from a fan's perspective, I think the wounds are still a little too fresh," said John O'Neill, the legendary Packers fan known as Saint Vincent, on stage following the movie showing. "I don't think the Packers could foresee any time soon that would be a proper time to retire his number, and I don't think Brett would feel very comfortable coming into Lambeau Field any time soon."
O'Neill noted that perhaps it would be wise to wait until at least Favre was inducted into the Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. Favre will be eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2016, a surefire first-ballot candidate.
But even then, will Favre be willing to return to Lambeau Field with Rodgers on the sideline, still at the height of his powers as Green Bay's quarterback? Given their icy relationship, it seems doubtful.
The most difficult aspect for Packers fans to absorb in this whole dilemma is that they love Favre for the same reasons they hate him.
Favre was the toughest son of a gun in a sport filled with tough S.O.B.s, and he'd do anything to win. But his fiercely competitive nature and diva-like qualities ultimately alienated the fanbase that loved him most when he decided to continue playing for a despised rival.
Fans don't seem to be ready to forgive him for his transgressions just yet, even if Murphy suggests the Packers are. It's hard to imagine Favre being ready to make nice, either, given his fiery personality.
The most reasonable expectation is that it will take far longer than one or two more years for Favre to come home again — and for Packers fans to be ready to embrace him as their own once more.
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