"It's hard to say goodbye."

Legislature passes resolution honoring Favre

The multi-award winning "All Pro Sports Football Series" ... featuring Brett Favre, Jerry Rice, Ronnie Lott, Reggie White, Jack Del Rio, Brent Jones, Jim Lachey, Eric Allen, Rodney Hampton, Jeff Gossett and Jeff Jaeger and Coach Don Shula ... narrated by Emmy Award winning Roy Firestone ... is available at http://www.allprosportsfootball.com and 1 888 79 FOOTBALL ...

the most innovative football ... see http://www.allprosportsfootball.com ... , basketball and automobile racing series ever produced for home entertainment featuring: eleven of the greatest NFL football players and the most successful coach in NFL history; five of the greatest NBA basketball players and one of the most successful coaches in NBA history; and six internationally recognized automobile racing champions ... . sharing their life stories and demonstrating their skills in a very entertaining setting of upbeat music, three dimensional digital graphics and action footage.

Legislature passes resolution honoring Favre

Bill commends charity work, career
By TODD RICHMOND
The Associated Press March 12, 2008
MADISON — The state Legislature officially bid farewell to Brett Favre on Tuesday, passing a resolution honoring the former Green Bay Packers quarterback and the NFL's only three-time most valuable player.

The resolution honors Favre for leading the Packers to a victory in Super Bowl XXXI and breaking the league records for passing touchdowns, completions, attempts and quarterback victories.

"Brett Favre's legacy will live on beyond his many impressive records and statistics, as his leadership and love of football embody the heart of America's favorite game, earning him the respect and admiration of his fellow players, coaches and fans," the resolution said.

The resolution also commends Favre for his charity work through the Favre Fourward Foundation, which he set up in 1996 to help poor and disabled children in Wisconsin and Mississippi, Favre's home state. It also mentions the Deanna Favre Hope Foundation, which his wife created to help women fight breast cancer.

Both the state Assembly and Senate adopted the resolution on unanimous voice votes. Favre did not attend either proceeding.

Rep. Phil Montgomery, R-Ashwaubenon, was the resolution's chief sponsor in the Assembly. Montgomery praised Favre for getting the Packers in the playoffs repeatedly and providing an economic boom to the state. Some Republicans in the chamber applauded that remark.

Montgomery told the chamber he met Deanna Favre for the first time in 1998, when he was going door-to-door campaigning.

He came to the Favres' home, but no one answered the door. He left a brochure and was turning around to leave when he saw Deanna Favre come out to get the garbage cans.

He introduced himself as a candidate for the state Assembly, but she told him "'No, thank you. I vote in Mississippi,'" Montgomery said, imitating her southern drawl.

The lawmaker said he met Brett Favre during a push for a referendum for public money for Lambeau Field renovations. Favre would go to high school football games and hand out leaflets about the renovations and signed autographs on "everything" people gave him, he said.

"They (the Favres) will be tremendously missed, not only in my community but throughout the state," Montgomery said.

Favre: It was a perfect fit

Brett Favre Retirement Press Conference: March 6, 2008

Favre: It was a perfect fit

The multi-award winning "All Pro Sports Football Series" ... featuring Brett Favre, Jerry Rice, Ronnie Lott, Reggie White, Jack Del Rio, Brent Jones, Jim Lachey, Eric Allen, Rodney Hampton, Jeff Gossett and Jeff Jaeger and Coach Don Shula ... narrated by Emmy Award winning Roy Firestone ... is available at http://www.allprosportsfootball.com and 1 888 79 FOOTBALL ...

the most innovative football ... see http://www.allprosportsfootball.com ... , basketball and automobile racing series ever produced for home entertainment featuring: eleven of the greatest NFL football players and the most successful coach in NFL history; five of the greatest NBA basketball players and one of the most successful coaches in NBA history; and six internationally recognized automobile racing champions ... . sharing their life stories and demonstrating their skills in a very entertaining setting of upbeat music, three dimensional digital graphics and action footage.

Quarterback revitalized team; united fans, Green Bay, state
By Tony Walter
twalter@greenbaypressgazette.com March 9, 2008
The reaction to Brett Favre's retirement this week was final proof that the union of a Midwestern community and a southern Mississippi athlete had become more than a marriage of convenience.

It was a sports phenomenon.When a Green Bay Packers quarterback announces that he will end his playing career after 16 seasons with the team and many of his devotees respond with tears, it is obvious that new ground has been broken in a region that has made professional football part of its identity, and Favre part of its family.

"Green Bay became cool again because of him," said Kevin Quinn, St. Norbert College associate professor of economics.

But it was more than that.

Winning was a major ingredient to Favre's popularity, particularly when his arrival and eventual success ended the two-decade Packers existence in the NFL wilderness. So was his support of charities, one of the ways he gave back to a community that provided his riches.

But it was still more than that.

Other quarterbacks have been winners, and other football players have done community service. But none seemed to capture such national attention when he retired, and it's hard to find a player who resonated with a community of fans as well as Favre did.

Favre's success led to economic success for many.

"When you consider that Brett's play translated to victories and more playoff games, that put money in the coffers," said former Green Bay Mayor Paul Jadin, now president of the Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce. "He was a significant part of the economy here."

Bruce Hawley turned Tanner's Grill & Bar in Kimberly into a sports bar in 1992, the same year Favre was traded to the Packers.

"The fact that he was here definitely helped our business," Hawley said. "We rode that wave up."

Without Favre, there might not have been any Super Bowls for the Packers in the '90s, and that would have had an impact on the Brown County referendum seeking a sales-tax hike to renovate Lambeau Field in 2000.

But voters agreed to fund the renovation and Lambeau Field became The House That Favre Built. The team's following swelled too, with the waiting list for season tickets increasing from 12,000 in 1992 to about 78,000 today.

The team's exposure exploded on the national scene, with Favre's No. 4 jersey becoming the top-selling NFL jersey of all-time, according to NFL Properties. The Packers were chosen for more nationally televised games as Favre's fame grew.

The Wisconsin Department of Tourism benefited.

"Brett Favre and the legendary Green Bay Packers are a part of what Wisconsin is all about," said Sarah Klavas, director of integrated communications and marketing for the department. "He helped put Wisconsin on the national tourism map and gave us many reasons to roll out the green and gold carpet for fans from other states."

But the Favre phenomenon was even more than that, and it was Favre who put his finger on it at the news conference to announce his retirement on Thursday.

When asked to explain his unique relationship with fans, he said: "If I had to guess, I would say, and I hear this from time to time, he's like one of us. Well, I am. I just play professional football. …

"When I laughed and when my family laughed, they (fans) laughed. When I cried, they cried. When I cheered, they cheered … it was a perfect fit for me."

It was a fit that didn't go unnoticed here.

"From Brett's perspective, rural Mississippi was like rural Wisconsin, except for the crops, the accents and the poisonous snakes," said Kelly Wolff, vice president of Georgia-Pacific Corp. in Green Bay. "He was treated as if he lived in the same community. That's why it's like we've lost our community high school's athletic star."

Favre's personality played well here — the playfulness and the resistance to stardom's trappings.

"You can find gifted athletes in a lot of different sports," said Susan Finco, who runs a Green Bay public relations firm and is a member of the board of directors of the Green Bay Packers.

"But it's hard for them to relate and be one of the regular Joes. They (fans) feel Favre is one of them and say 'come over and sit in the backyard and look at the lawn mower I bought.' He's a star but he has never lived or acted in a way people usually attribute to stars. People have grown up with him."

That growth included speed bumps both on the field and off. There were interceptions that had many grinding their teeth, and there was the addiction to a painkiller that reminded everyone of Favre's vulnerability.

Quinn said Favre's fame reminded him of golfer Arnold Palmer, who was known for his skills but also for his charisma that included taking chances, and sometimes failing.

"Everyone in the country has some sense of ownership with him because of that," Quinn said.

Favre also went through family tragedies and illnesses that gave him an "everyman" quality, showing that he was hardly exempt from life's problems just because he could throw a football. The death of his father and brother-in-law as well as his wife's battle against breast cancer gave the Packers community reasons to wrap its arms around Favre.

Favre's commitment to his job and his toughness earned him the respect of everyone in this blue-collar community — from management to laborers. People here believe in a strong work ethic and like to be associated with a quarterback who starts 253 consecutive regular-season games and gave each play his all.

"I never took a play off," he said Thursday.

Carol Denil, a former Green Bay resident now living in Boulder City, Nev., said Favre will forever be connected to Green Bay and Lambeau Field.

"His name is synonymous with Green Bay," she wrote in an e-mail. "No matter where we've been with our Packer hats, jackets, T-shirts or sweatshirts, we are greeted with 'Hey, go Green Bay and Brett Favre.'"

Favre rules out return to football

Favre rules out return to football

The multi-award winning "All Pro Sports Football Series" ... featuring Brett Favre, Jerry Rice, Ronnie Lott, Reggie White, Jack Del Rio, Brent Jones, Jim Lachey, Eric Allen, Rodney Hampton, Jeff Gossett and Jeff Jaeger and Coach Don Shula ... narrated by Emmy Award winning Roy Firestone ... is available at http://www.allprosportsfootball.com and 1 888 79 FOOTBALL ...

the most innovative football ... see http://www.allprosportsfootball.com ... , basketball and automobile racing series ever produced for home entertainment featuring: eleven of the greatest NFL football players and the most successful coach in NFL history; five of the greatest NBA basketball players and one of the most successful coaches in NBA history; and six internationally recognized automobile racing champions ... . sharing their life stories and demonstrating their skills in a very entertaining setting of upbeat music, three dimensional digital graphics and action footage.

http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-favre7mar07,0,5235848.story
From the Los Angeles Times

Favre rules out return to football

From the Associated Press

11:19 AM PST, March 6, 2008

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Brett Favre made it clear today that he's finished with football.

"I know I can play but I don't think I want to," a teary Favre said in a news conference at Lambeau Field two days after he announced his retirement. "It's been a great career for me, but it's over."

"As they say, all good things must come to an end. I look forward to whatever the future may hold for me."

With that, Favre walked away from a 17-year NFL career, taking with him a Super Bowl victory, virtually every quarterback record worth having and the widespread admiration of his peers and fans.

The 38-year-old Favre also leaves with graying hair and a deliberate gait -- signs that the years were quietly taking a toll on the man who was celebrated for playing a serious and precise game with the carefree joy of a little boy.

He cried this morning as he discussed his decision.

"I promised I wouldn't get emotional," he said. But as the tears flowed, he added, "I've watched hundreds of players retire and you wonder what that would be like. You think you're prepared ..."

Favre thanked the Green Bay Packers for letting him play.

"I hope that with every penny they've spent on me, they know it was money well spent," he said. "It wasn't about the money or fame or records. I hear people talk about your accomplishments and things. It was never my accomplishments, it was our accomplishments."

Favre is the NFL's only three-time MVP, and leads the league with 442 touchdown passes, 61,655 yards passing and 160 career victories. He started 253 consecutive regular-season games, more than any other quarterback in history.

Favre also holds the more dubious mark of 288 interceptions -- an indication of the wild streak that only made him more human to the fans who adored him.

The same was true of Favre's highly publicized struggles with an addiction to prescription painkillers, his support of his wife, Deanna, through a battle with breast cancer, and a memorable Monday night game against Oakland after he lost his father.

Favre's exit comes after a remarkable 2007 season, but his final pass was one to forget: An interception in overtime of the NFC championship game, a mistake that set up the New York Giants' field goal that sent the Packers home instead of to the Super Bowl.

Most folks figured Favre couldn't exit the stage that way, especially when he had at least one more good year left in him.

But barring a change of heart in the upcoming weeks, months or years, the final chapter in his storied football career began Monday night.

Favre called Packers coach Mike McCarthy and told him he planned to retire, then finalized his decision in a conversation with Packers general manager Ted Thompson on Tuesday morning.

But until today's news conference, Favre hadn't explained his decision to his fans. His only public comment was a short voicemail to an ESPN reporter in which he cited fatigue as the main reason for his retirement. Sure, he said, he could come back. But anything less than a Super Bowl victory would be considered a failure.

Favre said today there was nothing left to prove.

"I'm going out on top," he said. "Believe me, I could care less what other people think. It's what I think, and I'm going out on top."

Favre's retirement came as a surprise to Packers executives, coaches and teammates, virtually all of whom expected him to return. And it was a shock to fans who sat patiently, year after year, while Favre flirted openly with retirement -- because, of course, he never really meant it.

To a generation of fans who watched Favre start every game since taking over as the Packers' starting quarterback during the 1992 season, it didn't make sense. He wouldn't just decide he was too tired to play and walk away.

Would he?

Recent comments by Favre's agent, Bus Cook, stirred suspicions about the "real" reason Favre was retiring.

Had the Packers' front office not done enough to talk him into coming back?

Was Favre's retirement a knee-jerk reaction to the fact that wide receiver Randy Moss, a player Favre lobbied the Packers to sign a year ago, had re-signed with the New England Patriots without an apparent effort from the Packers?

Favre's comments today indicated the decision was much simpler.

"I did it, but it got hard," he said. "I don't think it would get easier next year or the following year. It hasn't up until this point. It's only gotten tougher and something told me 'You know it's gotten too hard for you.' I could probably come back and do it. Suck it up. But what kind of a toll would that take on me, my family or my teammates? At some point it would affect one of those if not all of them. Maybe it has already. I don't know."

Some who know Favre have doubts that he will be able to spend Sundays on the couch when he still has the ability to play.

"As the season gets closer, I wouldn't be surprised at all if he changes his mind," Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman said.

A bearded Favre said today he had no definite plans for the future and did not know whether he would be involved in football or with the Packers.

"I don't even want to think about next year," he said. "Will I watch games? I'm sure I will. Will I be involved? I always made the joke I'd be here for an honorary coin toss. Well, that time may come, so I may be back for something like that. But as far as giving advice, I don't think that will happen."

Packers chairman emeritus Bob Harlan said it would be a shame to see Favre try a halfhearted comeback, as late Packers defensive end Reggie White did with Carolina in 2000.

"I've always felt badly that Reggie came back and played that year at Carolina because he wasn't the same Reggie White," Harlan said. "And I think it'd be very sad to see that this wasn't the same Brett Favre. He has been so magnificent. He went out on top: great season, great team record. It's a great way for him to exit and add to his legacy."

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Tired' Brett Favre Ends Dazzling Career

Tired' Brett Favre Ends Dazzling Career

The multi-award winning "All Pro Sports Football Series" ... featuring Brett Favre, Jerry Rice, Ronnie Lott, Reggie White, Jack Del Rio, Brent Jones, Jim Lachey, Eric Allen, Rodney Hampton, Jeff Gossett and Jeff Jaeger and Coach Don Shula ... narrated by Emmy Award winning Roy Firestone ... is available at http://www.allprosportsfootball.com and 1 888 79 FOOTBALL ...

the most innovative football ... see http://www.allprosportsfootball.com ... , basketball and automobile racing series ever produced for home entertainment featuring: eleven of the greatest NFL football players and the most successful coach in NFL history; five of the greatest NBA basketball players and one of the most successful coaches in NBA history; and six internationally recognized automobile racing champions ... . sharing their life stories and demonstrating their skills in a very entertaining setting of upbeat music, three dimensional digital graphics and action footage.

Tired' Brett Favre Ends Dazzling Career

By CHRIS JENKINS
AP Sports Writer

1:34 AM PST, March 5, 2008

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Another Super Bowl, another record, another roar from the crowd -- none of it was enough. Brett Favre couldn't stomach the thought of forcing his battered body and mind through another year of tedious practices and merciless hits, only to have another chance at a championship yanked away in an instant. So the 38-year-old icon turned his back on a promising young team Tuesday, telling the Green Bay Packers he finally is tired enough to retire.

"I know I can still play, but it's like I told my wife, I'm just tired mentally," Favre told ESPN. "I'm just tired."

With that, Favre walked away from a wild 17-year ride marked by fist-pumping highs and head-shaking lows owning every quarterback record worth having.

But he's leaving on a sour note: His interception in overtime of the NFC Championship game, a mistake that set up the New York Giants' field goal that sent the Packers home instead of to the Super Bowl.

And he leaves most folks feeling he had at least another good year left in him.

"I think he could have played again at the level that he just played this past season," Packers coach Mike McCarthy said. "The film reflects that. The statistics reflect that. I thought he played at a very high level this year and definitely had a lot left in his tank."

This certainly isn't Favre's first flirtation with retirement. He's made speculation about his football future an annual rite of winter in Wisconsin for several years running.

So is Favre just crying wolf, only to get the itch to return this summer?

"He seemed to be pretty good, at peace with his decision," Packers general manager Ted Thompson said. "But as I've also said, it's a very complicated decision process that he has go to through on this. I guess you never say never, but I wouldn't anticipate that."

Favre talked to McCarthy by telephone twice Monday night, indicating he intended to retire, then spoke to Thompson to finalize his decision Tuesday morning. Word then leaked out via a Fox Sports report, leading to widespread speculation about the reason for Favre's decision.

Thompson and McCarthy insisted it was clear the team wanted Favre back.

However, Favre's agent, Bus Cook, said: "Nobody pushed Brett Favre out the door, but then nobody encouraged him not to go out that door, either." He spoke to the AP by phone from his Hattiesburg, Miss., office.

The Packers also said their lack of interest in wide receiver Randy Moss -- a player Favre publicly lobbied the Packers to sign last offseason but who re-signed with the New England Patriots -- wasn't a factor.

Thompson and McCarthy spoke at a news conference Tuesday afternoon, but the team has not said when Favre will address reporters.

Favre accompanied his youngest daughter on a field trip to Jackson, Miss., according to a woman who identified herself as someone who works for Favre. She spoke to an Associated Press reporter through a security intercom.

"I know the fans are absolutely devastated today," Thompson said. "The Packers will move forward, but certainly we have all been blessed to see this man play this game the way he played it."

The three-time MVP walks away with most of the NFL's significant passing records -- most career touchdown passes, most career yards passing and most career victories by a starting quarterback -- and a victory in the 1997 Super Bowl.

Favre retires with 5,377 career completions in 8,758 attempts, with 61,655 yards and 442 touchdowns. He 160 career victories.

He also holds the more dubious mark of 288 interceptions.

"Brett's career accomplishments will be measured among the greats of the game for the balance of time," said Seattle Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren, Favre's former coach in Green Bay. "He truly was as gifted a player as I have ever seen, and as proud and amazed as I am of what Brett has accomplished on the playing field. The thing that impresses me the most is what kind of a man and leader he has become off the field since I have known him."

But perhaps Favre's most telling legacy will be his quarterback-record streak of 253 consecutive regular-season starts -- illustrating his trademark toughness. Add in the playoffs, and Favre's streak stands at 275.

"Of all the records he holds, and he holds some magnificent records, the one that impresses me the most is he was there every single Sunday to play," Packers chairman emeritus Bob Harlan said. "I think that's huge."

And it made his departure all the more surprising.

"I was surprised when I heard it this morning," former Packers general manager Ron Wolf said. "He played with such a great passion. He must have figured he no longer had that passion, and it was time to get out."

Even Favre's teammates didn't see it coming.

"He played at such a high level this year, I think everybody to a man thought he was coming back," McCarthy said.

Former Packers coach Mike Sherman, now the head coach at Texas A&M, said he always figured Favre would go out with more fanfare.

"I always envisioned his teammates carrying him off the field, Sherman said, "and his arm falling off as he left."

___

Associated Press Writer Ron Harrist in Jackson, Miss. and sports writers Arnie Stapleton in Denver, John Wawrow in Buffalo, N.Y., and Brett Martel in Hattiesburg, Miss., contributed to this report.


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