Many Vikings fans happy about Favre
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Today saw another chapter written in the saga of quarterback Brett Favre. Just three weeks after announcing he would stay retired this season, signed on with the Minnesota Vikings. Many Vikings fans say they're happy with Favre's decision.
Just as he did when he was considering joining the team, and just as he did when he announced three weeks ago that he wouldn't join the team, and then today, after he'd changed his mind again, Brett Favre became the talk of the town.
Dave and Nancy Tate drove in from New Richmond, Wis. this morning to go to the Como Zoo in St. Paul. When they heard the news about Favre, they changed plans and headed to Gabe's Roadhouse -- which happens to be a well-known Packers bar. But the Tates are Vikings fans.
"It's a great place to be today," said Dave Tate.
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So there they sat, glued to TV coverage on ESPN -- which was showing minute-by-minute live video of Brett Favre's plane arriving, Favre getting in a car and driving away, then arriving at training camp.
"I think they improve their chances to go deeper in the playoffs. How far that is, I don't know," said Dave Tate.
After years as the NFL's premier quarterback, Favre the Packer retired in March 2008, but changed his mind a few months later. He was then traded to the New York Jets and played one season before retiring again in January of this year.
But Favre the Jet is way different than Favre the Viking. The Packers-Vikings rivalry is one of those classic ones -- the teams are division rivals from neighboring states. Favre wore the Packer green and gold for 16 years, And now he's becoming a Viking?
It ranks up there with Roger Clemens becoming a Yankee after all those years in Boston.
Retired sports columnist Jim Klobuchar, who also is the father of U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, spent the day sizing up fans' reactions on various Web sites.
"You're getting a full measure of both delight and anger, and resentment that everybody's emotions were trampled with all of this for a period of three to four months," said Klobuchar. "But all of that -- the reaction to that -- is going to be old news when he puts on a uniform."
That's something the three-time MVP did today at Vikings camp - wearing a Vikings practice jersey with his familiar No. 4.
Favre has suggested in the past the Vikings could be a good move for him, because they run an offense he could operate in his sleep.
His move means the team's other two quarterbacks, Tarvaris Jackson and Sage Rosenfels, are probably done competing for the starting job.
And the most popular ticket is sure to be the one for Sunday, Nov. 1, at high noon in Green Bay -- the day the Vikings visit the Packers, and the day Brett Favre will run out onto Lambeau Field NOT wearing a Packers jersey.