1) Emotional closure: Let’s face it. It was still about Favre. Once the face of the franchise, who helped develop the team into a regular playoff contender after a quarter century of mediocrity, he has possibly tarnished his legacy in the eyes of this generation by his three years spent playing for other teams. However, Packer fans have wanted to see him suffer further justice (vendetta?) for his crimes of loving to play football and being hopelessly indecisive.
Their relationship to Favre has been unnecessarily complicated. For example, they’d love to revel in the glory of their Super Bowl XXXI championship, but it was led by . . . Favre. They’ve wanted to move on, and the best way (along with seeing him fail) was to be able to revel in a glory without him.
The outcomes of the 2010 season and Super Bowl XLV achieved that. Aaron Rodgers has always been an exceptional quarterback, and Packer fandom largely ran to him in his first days as a starter like a recently-dumped girl runs to a new crush. Even though his stats, Hall-of-Fame eligibility, and overall legacy aren’t at Favre’s level yet (but they will get there someday), Pack fans have already elevated him above Favre, and even compared his beard with Jesus’s. Commentators seem to be developing a bias for him, too. Maybe he will be the next Brett Favre. (Who will be the next John Madden?).
All this to say, since the new Packers beat Favre (even though he was 41 years old with a breaking down body, throwing to a transient receiver corps and playing for a team going through a rough transition) and won the Super Bowl (even though it was a weakened AFC in an overall injury-ridden season of general mediocrity), they can feel better about themselves, and that’s good!
Favre is completely gone. The Packers have established themselves without him. The historic Bears-Packers rivalry has been restored and renewed. All these years of drama-queen-style embitterment and insecurity are over! Better that it happen sooner than later. Packer fans are much easier to live and work around now.
2) Wisconsin’s economy: I might have to get a little selfish here, but the truth is that, though I am a Vikings fan, I am a resident of Wisconsin and their economic well-being affects my everyday life.
Wisconsin has the largest debt per capita in the nation, when you calculate the ratio between the total debt and the population. They collect more than $1 billion in excise tax (mostly from smokers) and actually still owe the state of Minnesota $59 million. Thus to say, there’s a lot of work to be done.
However, the Packers‘ success has created more spending all across the country on gear (it’s spending to which I personally wouldn’t contribute), and it has helped the economic health of my state of residence. I can’t object to that.
3) Reconciliation with friend Bear fans: I’ll have to be honest when I say that the 2008-9 seasons were a bit of a rough patch in my relationship with Bears fans (and growing up in Chicago area, I have plenty). I do remember meeting the soon-to-be fiancee of a very close friend at a coffeeshop, and I had to let her know of my fandom right away, for the sake of their relationship.
The Vikings‘ dominance over the Bears and Packers the last two seasons did make friendships and relationships difficult as I lived as a Vikings fan in Chicago, but after this year, we can reconcile under the belief of a common enemy. What of reconciliation with friend Packer fans, you ask? It’s not an issue. They never seek it.
So . . . how’d I do?
1 comment:
From your mom:
Hard to believe you were raised by a mom who's not much of a sports fan! Glad you're trying to look on the bright side.
An additional "up" side is that you're now living in a state full of happy people. Here in E Iowa, when the Hawkeyes win, everyone is full of cheer (though, sadly, they aren't winning much this year).
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