FROM THE SUBLIME TO THE RIDICULOUS, PART TROIS

THE SUBLIME:



Brett Favre About to be Introduced to Lambeau Field

I spent July 18 at the Shrine (which is what I call Lambeau Field) attending the number retiring ceremony and Packer Hall of Fame Induction of a certain Mr. Brett Lorenzo Favre and on many levels it was a perfect day.

I loved Brett Favre during his 16 years as the face of the Packers. He brought us back from the Wilderness Years and gave us something to be proud of almost every Sunday, Monday, Thursday, and Saturday of those 16 years.

He was the target of the mean barbs by Chicago Bears fans at the drop of the hat at the bar I watch the games at and I would defend him, not that it was hard to do since the Bears suck most of the time and had at one count 22 quarterbacks during Favre's record starting streak.

I am also a realist and would cringe when the Packers would play the Cowboys or the Lions on Thanksgiving since Favre had a habit of not seeing linebackers in the mid-zone and get picked off at times.

You took the good and the bad with Favre and while he had at the time the record for touchdown passes - since supplanted by a pretender named Peyton Manning and if look in the archives I explain why I call him that - and still holds the record for interceptions. Ironically, his first pass as a Packer was to himself for a loss and his last was an interception in overtime to the Giants. An ignominious start and finish to be sure. In between he was about as good as it gets and I consider me lucky to have lived during his time.
I also was in Favre's corner when he retired and unretired and was sent to New York for that one disastrous season. I thought at the time Thompson - who is personality challenged - was in the wrong. To force a man, who almost single handedly made the Packers relevant again, out in the manner he did was WRONG.

Favre deserved better and more than having his locker - which deserved to be placed in the Hall of Fame if it was to pulled out by the roots - sent to him in Mississippi . Evidently, that never happened since it seemed Brett Goode inherited his locker in the Packer main locker room and still has it today. But I also remember something about Favre having a private locker room in his later years and maybe that locker was the one sent to Mississippi before he unretired and came to training camp before being traded to the Jets. I remember a story at the time saying he put in the middle of field. I could be wrong.

Like I said I agreed with Favre until he wouldn't shut up and made it his mission to beat the Packers (going to the Vikings) and bad mouthing them at every turn and telling Julius Peppers (of all people) to make sure the Bears beat the Packers the next week. Favre lost me and I didn't forgive him until July 18th.

Going to Lambeau is always a joy. Brett did not want to return to Green Bay without Bart Starr in tow and avoided every overture until Mark Murphy made it his mission to get Brett back in the fold. Once Brett realized Bart may never get well enough to return then "The Return" became a reality.

I heard it was his idea to open Lambeau to the fans and for him to come out between ceremonies in the Atrium and address his fans. I also understand it was his idea to charge only $4 a ticket and $4 for parking. As it turned out July 18 was the hottest day of the year in Wisconsin and I think it was fitting for a Mississippi boy, who said - while he played well in cold weather - he hated playing in cold weather.

Favre always worried that the fans might boo him, but I didn't hear a single boo when he finally walked out of the shute onto his former home away from home. He got a five minute standing ovation and this reception brought a tear to his eye. It was wonderful to finally have our boy back home again. I hope he returns regularly and takes his place as one of the most loved Packers of all time.
 Brett Favre Addresses Fans at Lambeau
 NOW TO THE RIDICULOUS:



Author with Saint Vince at Lambeau

I'm from Illinois, Southern Illinois, so I guess I never got the memo about the parking being $4. We parked in one of the outer lots (where the motel and gas station used to be) and paid $10. I would have loved to have known we could park in the famous tailgating lot for less.

Author's Lambeau Brick

Then it seemed the Packers weren't on their game for this event. The other memo we didn't get was that only one gate was open to the public. My brother and I stood in a line for a half an hour before we found out it was the handicapped line. It would have been nice to know where we were supposed to go than to just wander around like a couple of idiots until we got into the right line.

Author at the new Lambeau Leap Attraction

Those are my only two complaints about the event. Otherwise it was beautiful. It would be nice to be there on Thanksgiving to witness the unveiling of his retired number on the Ring of Honor, but those tickets are out of my pay grade.

OVERTIME:



Aaron Rodgers on Jeopardy

It seems Aaron Rodgers is having one great off-season. He appeared on Celebrity Jeopardy on May 12 and beat Shark Tank's Kevin O'Leary and astronaut Mark Kelly to win $50,000 for charity. No dumb jock there.
 Aaron Rodgers Jeopardy Bio
 MAYBE THIS IS RIDICULOUS:

Have you seen the clips of Rodger's girlfriend Olivia Munn working out. Besides seeming like a lot of fun to be with she evidently is lethal. Take a look: