You have to know the musical West Side Story to recognize those words, but for Packers fans across the country they mean only one thing – the new uniform which is now worn by quarterback Brett Favre. I’m not Dr. Football, of course, so I’m no source of perceptive insight about this bewildering turn of events. . . but my friend Trevor points out quite rightly that part of this whole mess was caused by Brett himself announcing his retirement back in March – way too early in Trevor’s opinion – which made it all the more likely that he might come to a change of heart and throw the Packers into a bit of disarray. But surely the Packers could have handled this better, somehow, although it’s not likely that we’ll ever know for certain exactly who said what when and just how all of this came apart so miserably.
As distasteful as it was to watch that press conference from NYC (and Kathy and I were a little bit bugged that Milwaukee’s channel four actually pre-empted the NBC Nightly News in order to carry this. I mean, this was big – but it’s not like the Milwaukee Florentine was announcing a change in their season’s repertoire.) it was gratifying to see Brett Favre being Brett Favre – bright, honest, appreciative, and articulate. (How many pro football players use words like “scenario” with such ease?) I don’t mean to imply that your average pro football players sticks to one-syllable words whenever possible, but Brett Favre really does stand head and shoulders above the typical NFL star when it comes to expressing himself. . . and way above the norm when it comes to simple humanity and heart. That’s why he has started for 53, 237 straight games – and that’s why most of his fellow players, included those who play for the Packers’ fiercest rivals, would want him as a next door neighbor, son-in-law, congressman, and friend.
And that’s pretty much still true, even if he has decided to play for the blankety-blank-blanking New York Jets.