The Packers’ turnaround actually began in 1989 with Bob Harlan, who took over from Judge Parins as President and CEO of the Packers. The Packers organization needed a lot of pruning and fixing up at that point. Harlan hired Ron Wolf, a very highly regarded personnel guy, who had turned down the GM job in 1987 because the Packers were still too screwed up. So what changed? Harlan’s work from 1989-1991 changed the reality enough for Wolf to take the job on the second offer. A wonderful set of events to illustrate that the Packers organization had made significant changes even BEFORE the Second Coming came in the form of an NFL QB.

Ron Wolf hired the “girl with the curl” in Mike Holmgren. Without the caliber of Wolf do the Packers even THINK about getting Holmgren? I doubt it. A few years earlier the Packers were jilted by PERLES for crying out loud, getting Holmgren was a bit of a coup. So yet ANOTHER sign that things were already pointing upward BEFORE Mr. Best Thing Since Sliced Bread was acquired. THEN Wolf traded a first rounder to Atlanta for Favre, something, that without the change in management structure – Wolf guaranteed a free hand, that would not likely have happened.

And THEN the Packers started grabbing those Lombardis, right? Sure, ONE, after 2.5 years of poor play by Her Majesty, a 78.2 QB rating, 46 TD’s and 44 INT’s IN A WEST COAST OFFENSE! And there was Mark Brunell, on the roster, drafted in 1993. I remember Brunell tossing pretty passes in pre-seasons, and I wanted the Favre of mid-94 benched in favor of Brunell. I remember discussing it with a buddy of mine who said I was nuts. As it turned out, the offensive coaching staff had voted to do just that. And Mark Brunell? After being traded to the expansion Jaguars in 1995, and starting after six games, went a respectable 3-7 to finish 1995. From there the Jags, from 1996-1999, went 45-19, went to two AFCCG’s and Brunell went to two pro-bowls. I THINK he just MIGHT have done something just a good as far as map coordination for casual NFL fans as Favre did from 1994-1998, given the Packers’ second best team EVER in 1996. Subtract Favre from the 1996 and add in a two time Pro-bowler taking a relatively new team to two championship games? Yes, I think he would have done just as well, if not better.

So there were A LOT of people to credit with the Packers’ cartographic upswing, and others who could have accomplished helping out. As far as Favre’s sustain, Brunell might not have been the iron man Favre was, but the Packers then would have had Hasselbeck to take over. People seem to forget that the Packers were pretty much a QB and Head Coaching farm system for the rest of the NFL in the 90′s and early 00′s. If Favre had been benched and sent down to Jacksonville to wilt under the tender loving care of Tom Coughlin, I have very little doubt that the Packers would have been just fine, IF NOT BETTER.

The issue, people, is actually looking at the road not taken in a fair light. People have made an industry promoting Favre with the “Packers were horrible in the 70′s and 80′s and Favre changed all that” mantra. The facts are that the franchise was already on a fine path by the end of ’91 in the front office, Favre was a building block from ’91 to ’94 to be sure, but the brain trust was so good that Favre was NOT the only option. And that brain trust was decent enough to actually split into two (the Packers and the Seahawks) and kept both teams doing well, until Thompson came back to GB and Seattle faded and the Packers rebouneded from the Sherman/Favre mid 2000′s fade. And now the Packers are back in stride. And Favre hasn’t been around for a thousand days.

Does anybody else see that of the brain trust/talent pool of -Wolf, Thompson, Holmgren, Favre, Hasselbeck, Rodgers – Thompson, Holmgren, Hasselbeck and Rodgers have all been in Super Bowls, Thompson and Rodgers winning one, while King Favre hasn’t? And the two opportunities he had HE blew with his hands being the last to touch the rock for his team? It seems that those in the Packer history book have done more without Favre than Favre has done without them.

So who did what as far as placing the NFL finger on “the map”? Personally, I thank Bob Harlan the most.

The multiple retirements.

Staying out of training camp while others worked for their team.

His childish attempts to stick it to the Packers.

The numerous instances of being a lousy husband to his wife with side line reporters and massage therapists.

If he had just quietly gone away and acted like a decent human 3 years he wouldn’t be the butt of so many jokes.

What happened to all the Rodgers bashers who said he sucked since he never won a playoff game?

Getting rid of the drama queen was the best thing the Packers have done in a long time.

pathetic

Whoa! I didn’t realize an apology had been made when posting my last comment. I now gratefully retract my vindictive as well.

What a nice-ending to this whole deal for all involved, including us fans!

I realize everyone seems to think this, as I hear it all the time. But just so we’re clear, Favre did not put the Packers “on the map.” Reggie White did. Favre helped to keep the Packers there, but Reggie was the heart and soul of that team up to and through the Super Bowl win.

Of course, Favre then better make sure that for the rest of his life he never ever ignores or walks past me or any other fan he’s signed things for in the past, especially if we are undergoing treatment for some threatening disease. If he does, then his rehabbed image will be tarnished all over again in the press, or at least by certain blog writers who will feel justified in doing so no matter what contextual facts are presented to them.
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That’s very well said.

Thankfully, the blogger in question was decent enough to apologize for what he did. Respect to him for that.

He says that, then he’ll see me at Canton for his induction speech, as I had always planned on doing before his image-shattering…”What? Just because I un-retired 3 times in the same offseason I should be expected to hold a clipboard for Rodgers initially and compete to win back the starting position over time?!”….interview on Greta Van Susternen.

Of course, Favre then better make sure that for the rest of his life he never ever ignores or walks past me or any other fan he’s signed things for in the past, especially if we are undergoing treatment for some threatening disease. If he does, then his rehabbed image will be tarnished all over again in the press, or at least by certain blog writers who will feel justified in doing so no matter what contextual facts are presented to them.

This guy gets it.

As much as I want the Packers to win the Superbowl, my overriding reason is to see the look on Favre’s face when it happens. Just like watching Jerry Jones on the sidelines when his Cowgirls lose a playoff game, the facial expressions are priceless.

Trust me, Favre will get what he deserves, nothing more, nothing less.

The problem came when he became a viking. I highly doubt he did it for any reason other than hoping he’d school the pack twice each year and show them what’s what. It’s that bitterness that I believe had to be behind the move to the vikings that makes me dislike him. I could be misjudging his motives, but I can’t imagine playing for a team I’ve been rivals with for a decade+ unless it was to get back at my previous team.

I see you are getting very,very nervous about my prediction of the Bears winning by a Rodgers fumble for a defensive td. You should be. I am all knowing.Yoda squared. Some call me Favradamus.I will share with you a couple of my minor predictions in the NFL for 2011. 1-Brady will get a hair cut. 2- Terrell Suggs will get a glamor makeover. 3-Josh Freeman and Danny Woodhead are starring in a new Miami Vice movie as Crockett and Tubbs. Most importantly, Vikings win the 2012 Super Bowl!!

He also wants his jersey number next to Starr, Nitzchke and company. His best years were with that club.

Count on him returning to Green Bay in a role of that type, regardless of what both myself and other Packer fans think of it or him.

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I’d say it’s 100% certain that the “ambassador” offer is NOT on the table any longer. Favre no longer has the image or marketability that he had before his Packers divorce. He is no longer seen the same way. And it’s not just packers fans. Safe to say the majority of the NFL fanbase wants nothing to do with that guy anymore.

And i’d also say that i’ve got a better chance of being on the sideline for the SB if the Packers get there than Favre does. They do not want the circus and distraction that his presence would bring.

You’re running out of time to get back to batting .085 Perv.
First, your guaranteed Vikings Super Bowl Championship fell thru.
Second, YOUR pervert grandad at QB was going to carve up the league….need I say more.
Third, when the metaphoric roof caved in at season’s end…you went about bashing the Pack, the Bears, whoever the Vikes were losing to that week.
Fourth, when the real roof caved in and Green Bay started putting it together….you basically guaranteed that Green Bay’s season was over. You’ve been wrong for literally 5 straight weeks. My dog could pick games better than you.

Please, Perv, please…..do NOT change your stance for this weekend’s game, because whatever you’re doing, it’s coming up roses for us Packer fans…and at the same time slapping you right in the back of the head with your own pink jersey and pretty ponies.

3 years after the HOF QB retires and they are back in the NFCCG.

I don’t think the Colts or Patriots are going to have that kind of luck.

The Dolphins, Broncos, and Bills are still waiting.

You “revolutionize a game” by what you do on a field that changes the way the game has ever been played before, not by showing up week after week.

And what Brett Favre did, week after week, was throw more INT’s than any other quarterback in history.
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Yeah he did throw more INTs than anyone in history. He also threw for more TDs, yards, completions, etc….

It’s funny how the haters try and take one statistic and try to make the guy look bad. How about looking at his entire career? I 100% guarantee you his positive statistics far outweigh his negatives.

For the psople that say it wasn’t Favre that won the Packer the superbowl. I will agree. It was the team. But do you honestly believe that if Favre wasn’t their QB they would have been there. How many season MVPs did Favre win? Oh yeah, I bet you forgot about that, huh?

1) Favre retired from Green Bay. Then he changed his mind and was welcomed back only to have him retire again…in the same season

3) The Packers already had their next cartridge in the camber and risked losing him to free agency before he even became a starter leaving Green Bay with no quarterback.

4) Favre selfishness comes to the surface. No training camp, no concerns for the franchises future. Just me, me, me.

5) Favre expected the Packers to allow him to play for Minneasota after they moved on without him. When TT wouldn’t allow that, he went on a smear campaign that did considerable collateral damage to the entire Packer organization and fans. It’s not TT job to help the Vikings and you never, never allow talent to stay in the division. Period

6) Favre’s hatered and revenge motives severely wrecked his image in Green bay.

7) After the Bears beat the Vikings he was quoted telling a Bears player to beat Green Bay next week. Obviously he is still obsessed with the Packers.

8) He is making nice now is too little, too late. He’s in this for himself like he always has. This is Favre’s next game: rehab the image. I feel he will throw a few picks but in the end, he will be brought back with much of his luster lost to his pettiness.

POST NOTE: Favre did not win the Packers a Super Bowl. Bob Harlan, Ron Wolf, Reggie White and others player a key role. Heck, Desmond Howard was even the Super Bowl MVP. Brett did his part but cannot take the bulk of the credit.

A little image rehab is always a good way for a celebrity to begin retirement.