Brett Favre fans bleed green all over Pro Football Hall of Fame weekend

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Updated at 10:44 a.m. ET

CANTON, Ohio The Canton Brewing Company is a few miles away from the Pro Football Hall of Fame. It was overrun by noon Saturday.

They came for the beer and for Brett Favre. Brian Sterwald was one of those patrons, wearing a Dri-Fit Packers T-shirt while helping his wife Kate corral their two-year-old son Thomas. The Milwaukee native remembers sitting behind home plate at Milwaukee County Stadium when Favre made a mad dash to the pylon for the winning touchdownin the final minute against the Falcons on Dec. 18, 1994.

MORE: Classic photos of Brett Favre through the years

Someday, Brian will have to explain the Favre phenomenon that time the mostdevout fanbase in the NFL met the mostexciting quarterback to ever play the game to his son with the right words.

I guess the best way to go about it would be to say he worked hard, Sterwald said. But he did it for fun.

But as with all relationships,there were complications.

The Sterwalds. (Bill Bender/SN)

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The first step toward understanding the phenomenon is knowing the details. Thats an unmistakable trademark of die-hard Packer fans.

Jeff Braun sat across the restaurant from the Sterwalds with his wife Wanda and son Chris. For identification purposes, Jeff wore the white Favre jersey, Wanda had the pink one and Chris wore the green. They made the drive from Thiensville, Wis., where they met their friends Tim and CindiBrophey, from Bentonville, Ark.

Jeff has the same story as everybody else about Favres memorable debut against the Bengals. Just listen to the way he tells it:

I was at that Cincinnati game when (Packers quarterback Don) Majkowski got hurt, Braun says. I was sitting in the north end zone when (Favre)threw that pass to Kitrick Taylor in the corner of the end zone there for the touchdown, and from then on it was just nuts after that.

MORE: 11 insane things I did because of Brett Favre

Thats the MO. Every Packers fan knows where they were every time Brett Favre did something Favrian. They make the connections whenever possible. When the Bropheys moved to Arkansas, they were house-hunting on a street that shared the same name as their son David. They looked at the street number.

It simply said 4. Sold.

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The Favre jerseys hoveredaround the Hall of Fame early Saturday morning, hours before the museum opened up.

Rick and Angi Galaszewski made the eight-hour trip from Pewaukee, Wis., with their son Nathan and daughter Abby. Pewaukee is the home town to Texans standout J.J. Watt, too, but Rick idolizes Favre first. His jersey is the lighter-green hue that typified the 90s Packers look. They were in line before the Hall of Fame opened.

Rick tried to explain the breakup the way Green Bay and Favre parted ways, which led to stints with the Jets and Vikings and thats when he exchanged a conversation with his wife.

We were happy that he came back, Rick said before being cut off.

Did he come back? his wife asked.

MORE: The best Favre stories you"ve never heard

Rick mentions the ceremony at last seasons Thanksgiving night game against the Bears when Favres jersey was retired, and that settles the argument.

But thats when Angi kicks up the other part.

Technically, (Aaron) Rodgers is a better quarterback, she said. But was Favre more fun to watch.

Thats something most Packersfans would say right now.

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The Favre-Rodgers dynamic appears to be settled for the most part, even if some fans havent let all of that go.

Jeff Braun did not like it when Packers fans swore off Favre when he left the Jets.

The bandwagon jumpers tick me off a little bit, Braun said. He didnt leave;the Packers let him go.

The Brauns and Bropheys. (Bill Bender/SN)

Braun even attended the Vikings-Cowboys divisional playoff game in the 2009-10 NFC Divisional playoffs in a Packers Favre jersey with his son and two friends.

We were treated as equals, Chris said.

For Braun, theres still that divide between rooting for Favre and rooting for Rodgers. For a 10-year-old like Nathan Galaszewski, thats not a problem. Asked who is better, he simply shrugged his shoulders.

MORE: The story of Favre"s career, as told by his backups

Sterwald doesnt have that issue either. He said Favre leaving was a non-issue. Thats probably softened by the fact Rodgers led the Packers to a win in Super Bowl XLV in his third year as a starter. Kate turned from helping Thomas with his lunch before saying it best.

Its like striking gold twice, she said.

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If there wasany doubt how Packers fans feel now, take alook at the line by Favres locker inside the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The line stretched to the entranceway, and most of the fans in the Packers Favre jersey strategically covered up theVikings Favre jersey before posing for a picture.

The line outside Favre"s locker. (Bill Bender/SN)

The Canton Brewing Company likely wasnt alone. Favre remains the Packersfan version of Elvis, the savior who took a bottom-feeder classic franchise and turned them into a Super Bowl contender. The eight- to 10-hour drive made it that easy.

Those are details Favre noticed. Favre explained at length all those Lambeau Field memories. He knows the details, too. He also knew the feeling when he ran out of the tunnel wearing a Vikings helmet. Strangely, he said, thats when he found out just how special a place Green Bay was.

Thats why the Canton Brewing Company was overrun with green by noonand why the Pro Football Hall of Fame became a Packers playground on Saturday.

MORE: Top 10 players in Packers history

They came to see Favre, the every-man, the savior and the prodigal son. Every relationship is complicated, but this one ended where it started. Thats why the Galaszewskis made that eight-hour drive. This is one more (last?) chance to see Favre, and a chance to bring all those memories back.

Its a chance of a lifetime, Rick Galaszewski said.

Who could argue with that?

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The Galaszewskis, Sterwalds, Brauns and Bropheys all got their wish in the early evening at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium. ESPNs Chris Berman continually egged the crowd on to chant Go Pack Go! before the guest of honor finally arrived.

Thats when the cheers unleashed. This was the perhaps the final time to see Favre in a setting of this magnitude. The gray beard. The gold jacket. Favre thanks his family with a poignant tribute to his father Irvin before running through his coaches and teammates. Favre would get booed every time at the mere mention of Minnesota, but he finally worked to that moment.

The fans, the fans, he said to the largest cheer of the evening.

I tell you Packers fans are pretty special, Favre said. I often wondered what it was like when Mike (Holmgren) and Matt Hasselbeck came back to play when they were with Seattle, and then I found out. It aint easy. It aint easy. But I thank you so much from Atlanta to Minnesota, 20 years.

There was a brief moment of apprehension before Favre erased that doubt once and for all those who came to see the legend their legend one more time.

Make no mistake about it, Favre said before the only one that will ever matter. Ill be remembered as a Packer.

Source: http://www.sportingnews.com/nfl/news/brett-favre-pro-football-hall-of-fame-weekend-packers-fans-green-bay/huehmnanbvn51o0wc4yp4hx2a

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LOOK: Emotional Brett Favre has to stop Hall of Fame speech and ask for water

Gruden"s QB Camp - Brett Favre

Not only did Brett Favre give the longest speech in the history of the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday night, but he also gave one of the most emotional ones ever.

During his 33-minute-and-20-second speech, Favre thanked everyone from his wife to his mom to his mother-in-law! As most people know, once you start thanking your mother-in-law, that pretty much means you"re going to thank everyone you"ve ever met.

For Favre, the hardest part of his speech to get through was the two moments where he thanked his family. In one instance, things got so emotional that Favre had to completely stop his speech so he could ask fellow inductee Kevin Greene for a bottle of water.

Brett Favre got pretty choked up on Saturday night. NFL Network screengrab

"Kevin, give me some water. You got some water?" Favre asked.

After a quick drink, the quarterback regained his composure, "Sorry about that," Favre said.

Things got even more emotional for Favre later in his speech when he started talking about his dad. The story that Favre shared with everyone in Canton was a private one that he had never told before.

"This is something I"ve never told anyone, not even Deanna," Favre said. "My dad was my high school football coach. I never had a car growing up, I always rode to and from school with my father in his truck, and so he was always the last to leave the building because he had to turn the lights off, lock up, and then we made our way home."

Favre then recounted what the ride home was like in the days before he played his final high school game.

"It was the last high school football game of my career. .. And what I remember is sitting outside the coach"s office on a Wednesday waiting for my father to come out so we could leave," Favre said. "I overheard my father talking to the three other coaches, and he said, "I can assure you one thing about my son, he will play better, he will redeem myself, I know my son, he has it in him." And I never let him know I heard that. And I thought to myself, that"s a pretty good compliment."

Favre wasn"t sure if he had struggled on the field in the weeks before his dad made the comment, but he took it as a compliment because he knew his dad had faith that he would make himself better.

"I never told anyone [the story], but I never forgot that statement and that comment he made to the other coaches, and I want you to know, Dad, I spent the rest of my career trying to redeem myself," Favre said.

After he finished telling the story, Favre couldn"t control his emotions. The quarterback definitely redeemed himself though. Less than 20 years after his dad made those comments, Favre was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Unfortunately, Favre"s dad wasn"t in attendance on Saturday. Irvin Favre died in 2003 at the age of 58.

You can see Favre share the entire story below.

Source: http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/look-emotional-brett-favre-has-to-stop-hall-of-fame-speech-and-ask-for-water/

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Fans welcome Brett Favre back home

Green Bay The day that some worried never would come finally did Saturday.

Brett Favre, Green Bay"s thrilling quarterback for 16 years, was inducted into the Packers Hall of Fame and had his No. 4 retired in a ceremony at Lambeau Field.

The momentous homecoming turned emotional for Favre at times, and it wasn"t just because he was reunited with some of the greatest names in franchise history coaches and players and former general manager Ron Wolf.

It was moving ... because of the fans.

Favre allowed himself to be showered with a several minutes-long ovation as he entered Lambeau Field to address the fans, thanking them often and gazing up at the crowd that rose to its feet for the entire presentation.

It was proof enough, he said, beyond a doubt, that he had their support whether they never wavered in their loyalty, or they simply came to accept the strange twist of his final three years in the NFL, the last two with the rival Minnesota Vikings.

In the heat of a scorching summer day, people already were parking in neighboring lawns of people"s houses and tailgating along Oneida Street and surrounding roads at 2 p.m. By 5:30 p.m., an hour before Favre was scheduled to address the sold-out Lambeau Field crowd, fans were streaming into the stadium just to hear Favre talk for 20 minutes before he went inside for the induction banquet.

The energy was like no other, a reception only this town could give to only this quarterback after a 16-year partnership. While the 45-year-old is now a grandfather, and well into retirement, to fans Favre"s legacy as a Packer is much like that cannon of an arm: immutable.

For this reason, Kelly McPartlin ordered special "Thanks Brett Favre" T-shirts for herself and her family, Katie Rusch with son Alex and parents Sue and Larry McPartlin of Eagle River.

"I gave up attending the games once Brett was gone," said Kelly McPartlin. "When he went to the Jets, I stopped going to Packers games. I just felt a little tension between everything that happened between him and the Packers organization. A lot OK, a lot.

"And I would only come here if Brett was here. I will come again at Thanksgiving and I probably won"t come to another Packers game forever and ever.

"You just had a picture of him in Packer Plus the famous picture with him and his family. I thought that was so appropriate that he"s come from that to this, today. It"s full circle. He"s getting in to the Hall of Fame, his number retired it"s finally happened."

"We love you and appreciate every down," said Larry, beaming.

Fans on Favre

Joe Stewart, Jayson Wissmueller and Matt Bannach got Brett Favre"s autograph Saturday morning, but they"ve been wearing his signature since 2007. The three friends paid $50 each to get his signature tattooed on their arms (Wissmueller and Bannach) and heart (Stewart) right before they deployed to Iraq with a Milwaukee-based Marine Reserves unit.

They showed Favre a photo of themselves taken by a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel photographer at Twentynine Palms, Calif.

"He said, "When was this picture taken?" And we said "2007." He said, "You"ve grayed a little,"" Wissmueller joked at a tailgate party at Brett Favre"s Steakhouse shortly before Favre"s induction ceremony.

After the three were featured in another Journal Sentinel story in March, they were contacted by NFL Films, which sent a film crew to follow them around when they arrived in Green Bay on Saturday morning.

After Wissmueller got his picture taken with Favre signing a photo, Favre changed his Twitter feed photo to that of Wissmueller, who gave him an honor coin from Fox Co., his Marine Reserve unit.

"Brett told us, "I"m going to talk to Deanna and ask if I can get your three signatures tattooed on me,"" said Wissmueller.

Bannach and Stewart had Favre sign Packers books for them.

"Kind of the highlight of the day is done," Stewart said before the induction ceremony. "We got Brett"s signature and got a chance to talk to him."

The three were in Iraq when Favre announced his retirement from the Packers. They stayed fans even when he played for the New York Jets and Minnesota Vikings.

"When I gave him the Fox Co. coin I told him how much he meant to us when we were in Iraq," said Wissmueller. "It"s funny how 10 minutes (to get the tattoo) eight years ago right before we went to Iraq has meant we now got a chance to meet Brett and get his autograph."

Katie Doyle Richenberger is such a big Favre fan she named her 4-year-old son, born in 2010, Brett.

Which makes total sense. Because her brother is named after Bart Starr.

"My dad said he needed a grandson named Brett," said Katie.

Her husband Steve Richenberger? He loves his wife so much that he drove up from their home in Chicago, and he wore a Favre jersey Saturday along with his father, Mike. And since they"re all from Chicago, this was especially a sacrifice, because Steven"s...a Bears fan.

"This will allow me to golf, all of August, and have a fantasy football draft," said Steve. "She would leave me without a doubt for him."

Katie knows she has a supportive family to "support my Brett Favre addiction."

"It was a must to come to this," said Katie, 34. "I think I"m brainwashed from my dad. He was a huge Bart Starr Green Bay Packers fan. From Day 1 that Favre came, I"ve been in love with him.

"His love for the game makes me such a fan. That"s what football is all about. You can feel it from him when he talks, when he plays that"s what makes football fun."

Shirley Krenz of Merrill and her friend Kim Schurter of Edgar drove from their homes to tailgate at Lambeau Field and see their hero get inducted into the Packers Hall of Fame. But unlike tens of thousands of other Packers fans, they were not wearing green and gold.

Krenz and Schurter are Minnesota Vikings fans. So at great risk to their personal well-being OK, maybe it was only a few snarky comments they wore purple Vikings jerseys and sat in Vikings lawn chairs in the parking lot.

"When I went to the restroom somebody said, "Go home,"" said Schurter.

Krenz, clad in purple and gold beads around her neck including a purple No. 4 necklace, said they were honoring Favre for his entire career, even when he no longer played for the Packers.

"I love Brett Favre and when he jumped ship to the Vikings, so did I. I"m very happy he"s being inducted into the Hall of Fame," said Krenz, noting that Favre most likely will not be inducted into the Vikings Hall of Fame.

Donna Bocox of Des Moines, Iowa, drove to Green Bay just to see Favre one more time, wearing her specially made Favre jersey.

She actually took three No. 4 jerseys Green Bay, Minnesota and Jets tore them apart and made them into one to represent Favre"s 19 years with the Packers, Vikings and Jets. A lifelong Packers fan her father is from Green Bay this was a can"t-miss moment.

"I have a big shrine at home, all Favre stuff," said Bocox. "I"ve been a fan forever. When I lived in California, I cheered for him with my cheesehead on when they played the "Whiners."

"I didn"t like it when he left but it"s like when your kids screw up. You don"t stop liking them. I"ve loved him all along and you just don"t quit and stop when they screw up a little. You just continue to be a fan."

Karen Goddeyne, Cherie Lochman and Laurie Newman dressed as Packers cheerleaders from the 1950s, complete with green felt poodle skirts sporting the Packers logo and yellow Packers blouses.

They posed for photos with Bruce Roehsner clad in a leather helmet and Acme football uniform from the 1920s.

"I cried through the whole d**n thing," Newman, of Hartland, said of Favre"s appearance inside Lambeau Field.

"He seemed truly appreciative of the fans," said Goddeyne, of Crystal Lake, Ill. "Brett came home today."

Ricardo Salazar and Ricardo Salazar Jr., father and son from Sheboygan, have all four of Favre"s pro jerseys: Atlanta, Green Bay, New York Jets and Minnesota, but Salazar Jr. was nervous to wear the Vikings jersey to this event.

"I told him this is Brett Favre"s day," said Ricardo Salazar, who wore the special limited edition Lambeau No. 4 jersey, with a patch commemorating the 50-year anniversary of Lambeau from 1957-2007.

Football, the Packers and Favre gave father and son another reason to hang out together on Sundays.

"We"re the type of people that get up and scream at the TV and hope that the players can hear us," the older Salazar said. "We are very into our football."

"And then as I got older, he became my favorite player," said Salazar Jr.

"As much as I hated to see him in a purple jersey, Brett Favre is Brett Favre," said dad. "We followed him even when he was playing with the Vikings. It was kind of hard sometimes, but you"ve got to follow Brett Favre."

Joe Navarro of Madison owns 10 cheesehead hats because, well, why not?

He selected one of his cheddar chapeaus to wear to Saturday"s ceremony, taking time to decorate it with a small figurine of Favre on top holding a tiny "I"m Home!" sign. On the sides of his cheesehead he affixed buttons that said: "Always a Packer to Me," "There"s Something About Brett," "Favre Fan 4 Life" and "Welcome Back, Brett."

When Favre still played for the Packers, Navarro would decorate his cheesehead hats for each game. But since Favre left town, Navarro hasn"t returned to Lambeau. On Saturday, it was finally time, he said.

"I"m glad to be back," said Navarro.

Heidi Martin tailgated with Favre in the Lambeau Field parking lot, bringing a life-size cardboard sign of the former Packers quarterback dressed in his uniform, which she leaned against a pickup truck as she and her friends ate and drank in his honor.

She bought the Favre sign years ago and keeps it in her bedroom.

Martin said she"s from Chaska, Minn., "but I bleed green."

Jill Gerth, Karen Campbell, Laura Parman and Amy Terpening are four friends from Madison who have known each other since grade school and high school. When the Packers announced this evening would be available to Favre fans, they rushed to get tickets.

"I sent out an email to my friends and said, "Ladies, this is the weekend that we cannot miss and honor him my honey,"" said Gerth. "This day is overdue. I"m so glad it"s here.

"I just hope that he rode around today and caught a little bit of this the love, because it"s out there. It"s all good. We love him. He put us back on the map. We would not be where we are without him. He is a Packer for life."

"It"s all good memories," said Campbell.

"He was so much fun," said Terpening.

"When he left, I bought a Jets jersey," said Gerth. "But I couldn"t bring myself to buy a Vikings one. I just couldn"t. Brett didn"t look good in purple. He"s good in green. He was so fun to watch. He loved the game and the game loved him."

"It just made you want to watch more," said Parman.

After video highlights inside Lambeau Field fans shouted, "Thank you, Brett!" Among them was Doug Radomski of Neenah, who raised his hat as Favre walked off the field.

"I thought it was amazing. My favorite part of it was when he acknowledged coming out of the other tunnel," said Radomski. "I wasn"t sure if he was going to talk about leaving and coming back as a rival. He made a joke of it, which was nice."

Radomski attended some of the Vikings games at Lambeau when Favre was wearing the hated purple and gold jersey.

Still, he wouldn"t have missed Favre"s Packers Hall of Fame induction ceremony.

"They"re inducting one of the greatest quarterbacks in the NFL in the greatest stadium in the world and tickets are only 4 bucks. It doesn"t get any better," Radomski said. "Even if tickets cost $100, I still would"ve come."

Jeff Victorovich drove to Lambeau Field from Iron River, Mich., with six other Packers fans. He"s loved the team since he began watching games as a kid with Favre behind center. He was not surprised to see Favre get so emotional at Saturday"s ceremony.

"He"s always had great interaction with his fans. You can see his love for the game," said Victorovich.

Source: http://www.jsonline.com/sports/packers/fans-welcome-brett-favre-back-home-b99539145z1-317149051.html

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