Pack to the Future

Cheeseheads visit Glendale, sans Favre. That’s a good thing.

Comments (0) By Steve Jansen Thursday, Aug 27 2009

What NFL team should be feeling the best about its upcoming season? Maybe the defending-champion Pittsburgh Steelers, who won their sixth Super Bowl title last February? How about the Dallas Cowboys, who may be feeling a little less emotionally overwhelmed after giving star receiver Terrell Owens his walking papers? Or the hometown Arizona Cardinals, who retained most of their NFC Championship-winning nucleus?

More About

In our opinion, the distinction, hands-down, goes to the Green Bay Packers. Why? Because future Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre, who appears headed for his second unretirement (this time with the Minnesota Vikings), seems to have finally shut his whiny pie hole about his days with the Pack.

Rewind to about 14 months ago, when the media blitzed the small Wisconsin town to cover the is-he-or-isn’t-he-going-to-hang-it-up saga. Now, imagine how much of a distraction that must have been. And though Favre’s indecision wasn’t necessarily to blame for the team’s 6-10 finish last year, it certainly couldn’t have helped that the Packers’ attention was devoted to an unnecessary soap opera instead of mastering the playbook.

Kurt Warner and the Cards face off against Aaron Rodgers and the Pack in preseason action at University of Phoenix Stadium.

Fri., Aug. 28, 7 p.m., 2009