Favre popular? Fans say yes; poll says no

Favre popular? Fans say yes; poll says no

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http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080805/PKR01/80805217/1058/PKR01

August 5, 2008

Favre popular? Fans say yes; poll says no

By Tony Walter and Sarah Kloepping
twalter@greenbaypressgazette.com, skloepping@greenbaypressgazette.com
Packers fans’ feelings about the drawn-out negotiations between the team and quarterback Brett Favre change quickly.
Green Bay fans who gathered Tuesday at Lambeau Field hoped to see and cheer Favre, but participants in a poll taken Sunday and Monday indicated the veteran quarterback’s approval rating has taken a significant plunge.

The poll conducted by the Wisconsin Policy Research Institute of Thiensville revealed that Favre’s favorable rating in the state, as high as 73 percent last December, is now just 47 percent. The telephone poll of 600 Wisconsin residents has a margin of error of 4 percent.

“The numbers shocked me,” institute president Jim Miller said.

Favre’s desire to continue to play football and the Packers’ decision to neither release him nor give him his starting job back has been a major topic locally, nationally and statewide. Two questions about Favre were part of a longer poll on the presidential candidates; the group has not released those results.

Many fans who roamed the Lambeau Field parking lot or watched the Packers’ practice Tuesday afternoon were in Favre’s corner.

Layna Alex, 23, and Jessica Schneider, 24, said they drove from Milwaukee to see training camp because they couldn’t wait for an announcement about Favre’s future. The girls brought “Welcome Back” balloons and a sign that said “Let Brett Start.”

“We came to support Brett,” Alex said. “We really want the Packers to know that the fans really want to see him as our quarterback.”

Jesse Pfaff, 17, of Green Bay saw Favre at Lambeau Field on Tuesday, but not the way he wanted — suited up and playing.

“I saw him leave,” he said. “I was pretty mad. Favre has done so much and coming back from one of the best seasons, why wouldn’t you want to go with him?”

Laura Fritz of Iola was among a group of fans who showed up early Tuesday morning in hopes of seeing Favre.

Brett Favre is “why I got out here so early,” she said. “I hope he’s coming back.”

But the Wisconsin Policy Research Institute poll showed considerable support for Packers management.

One poll question asked about Favre’s rating. The lowest favorable rating came from the Green Bay area — 31 percent favorable, 43 percent unfavorable. The most favorable rating for Favre came from Waukesha County, where 56 percent said favorable and 31 percent said unfavorable.

The second Favre-related question asked who was most concerned about the long-term future of the Packers, Favre and his supporters, or General Manager Ted Thompson and coach Mike McCarthy.

Statewide, only 16 percent gave the nod to Favre, while 60 percent named Thompson and McCarthy. In the Green Bay area, 71 percent sided with Thompson and McCarthy and 15 percent backed Favre.

“Clearly Brett Favre’s popularity in Wisconsin has taken an enormous hit over the last several weeks,” Miller said. Those polled seemed to indicate that the team is more important than one individual, he said.

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