Heatherthepackgirl
Cheesehead
By JENNIFER L.W. FINK
Posted: May 1, 2008
My favorite shirt soon will be out of style.
The Green Bay Packers are retiring Brett Favre's jersey, and just like that, my No. 4 green-and-gold jersey is no longer up-to-the-minute. In a few short months, my beloved jersey will be retro, and I, who spent much of my youth listening to my father recall the Lombardi era, will be living in the Glory Years.
Favre, the recently retired Packers quarterback, returned football glory to Wisconsin. He helped win us a Super Bowl and reignited our passion for the pigskin. He played with a strange combination of precision and wild abandon, leading us to victory more often than not. And Favre, he of Wrangler jeans and fleece shirts, profoundly influenced Wisconsin fashion.
Look no farther than church on Sundays: During football season, especially, it's not uncommon to see at least one person - if not entire families - bearing No. 4 on their backs.
To some, the Favre jersey has become the unofficial Wisconsin uniform. Granted, Wisconsin isn't the most fashionable state in the union, but I'm willing to bet that far more Wisconsinites own a Favre jersey than this season's must-have - the classic trench. And trench coats even make sense in Wisconsin, a state of ever-changeable weather.
But then, fashion isn't really about sense. Fashion is about expressing your personality, projecting an image. Fashion sends a message to the world. Fashion is the outward reflection of your soul.
So in a (ahem) fashion, the ubiquity of the Favre jersey makes perfect sense. Favre, an extraordinary quarterback and an extraordinary man, changed Wisconsin. He brought hope to a state that had long suffered a so-so football team. He re-energized the Packers and introduced a new generation to the excitement of pro football.
In 16 seasons with Green Bay, Favre wove himself into the fabric of our lives.
One of our first family pictures, taken the day after we arrived home with our newborn son, features me in my Favre jersey, one of the few pieces of my regular wardrobe that still fit. A few weeks later, our son wore a Packers sleeper as he watched Favre play in his second Super Bowl. Favre was even present - via a poster hung in the room - when I learned that I'd never have a daughter; an ultrasound had just revealed that my last child, still in utero, was indeed a boy.
That child, now 2, can point and say, "Favre." My oldest, the baby who watched that Super Bowl from my husband's arms, left the room in tears when Favre announced his retirement in March.
My family is no different than many across Wisconsin. Favre is a part of our lives; our affection for him is no great secret. Wisconsin may be a state of buttoned-up emotions, but in the case of Favre, we happily wear our affection on our backs. Our green-and-gold jerseys are not just another shirt, pulled on with little thought. Our Favre jerseys are a silent tribute to a man we honor and respect.
So what will happen when the Packers retire No. 4? Will Wisconsinites cast aside their Favre jerseys and run out to buy new ones? Aaron Rodgers' maybe? Who knows? Favre's retirement and the subsequent retirement of his jersey could do more to stimulate the economy than our government stimulus checks.
I hope not, though. His number may be retired soon, but Favre will never go out of style.
Posted: May 1, 2008
My favorite shirt soon will be out of style.
The Green Bay Packers are retiring Brett Favre's jersey, and just like that, my No. 4 green-and-gold jersey is no longer up-to-the-minute. In a few short months, my beloved jersey will be retro, and I, who spent much of my youth listening to my father recall the Lombardi era, will be living in the Glory Years.
Favre, the recently retired Packers quarterback, returned football glory to Wisconsin. He helped win us a Super Bowl and reignited our passion for the pigskin. He played with a strange combination of precision and wild abandon, leading us to victory more often than not. And Favre, he of Wrangler jeans and fleece shirts, profoundly influenced Wisconsin fashion.
Look no farther than church on Sundays: During football season, especially, it's not uncommon to see at least one person - if not entire families - bearing No. 4 on their backs.
To some, the Favre jersey has become the unofficial Wisconsin uniform. Granted, Wisconsin isn't the most fashionable state in the union, but I'm willing to bet that far more Wisconsinites own a Favre jersey than this season's must-have - the classic trench. And trench coats even make sense in Wisconsin, a state of ever-changeable weather.
But then, fashion isn't really about sense. Fashion is about expressing your personality, projecting an image. Fashion sends a message to the world. Fashion is the outward reflection of your soul.
So in a (ahem) fashion, the ubiquity of the Favre jersey makes perfect sense. Favre, an extraordinary quarterback and an extraordinary man, changed Wisconsin. He brought hope to a state that had long suffered a so-so football team. He re-energized the Packers and introduced a new generation to the excitement of pro football.
In 16 seasons with Green Bay, Favre wove himself into the fabric of our lives.
One of our first family pictures, taken the day after we arrived home with our newborn son, features me in my Favre jersey, one of the few pieces of my regular wardrobe that still fit. A few weeks later, our son wore a Packers sleeper as he watched Favre play in his second Super Bowl. Favre was even present - via a poster hung in the room - when I learned that I'd never have a daughter; an ultrasound had just revealed that my last child, still in utero, was indeed a boy.
That child, now 2, can point and say, "Favre." My oldest, the baby who watched that Super Bowl from my husband's arms, left the room in tears when Favre announced his retirement in March.
My family is no different than many across Wisconsin. Favre is a part of our lives; our affection for him is no great secret. Wisconsin may be a state of buttoned-up emotions, but in the case of Favre, we happily wear our affection on our backs. Our green-and-gold jerseys are not just another shirt, pulled on with little thought. Our Favre jerseys are a silent tribute to a man we honor and respect.
So what will happen when the Packers retire No. 4? Will Wisconsinites cast aside their Favre jerseys and run out to buy new ones? Aaron Rodgers' maybe? Who knows? Favre's retirement and the subsequent retirement of his jersey could do more to stimulate the economy than our government stimulus checks.
I hope not, though. His number may be retired soon, but Favre will never go out of style.
But Ed is right I may take it out of hiding once the season starts. 
