And then Favre took the podium for an extemporaneous speech that lasted for 36½ minutes – the longest of the night – and that was at turns amusing and bittersweet.
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Favre didn’t know until he was up on the Tom Benson Stadium stage that Deanna’s introductory video was going to include old news clips of Favre’s dad, Irvin, talking about Brett.
FOX6’s Ted Perry saw a lot of Christmas Card photos taken in a muggy wing of the Pro Football Hall of Fame this weekend.
When Favre spoke in front of the Packer-centric crowd, his references to the Vikings were few and far between, but were routinely accompanied with boos from the partisan crowd.
This year’s Hall of Fame has a distinct Packers-Colts feel to it – Favre being the headliner and Dungy and Marvin Harrison increasing the Indianapolis version of the Colts into the hallowed hall of legends.
Much of Favre’s speech focused on his bond with his father.
Favre’s father’s sudden death occurred the night before the Green Bay Packers were due to play the Raiders in Oakland. Favre’s speech included a reference to Andy Reid, whom he called a “buffer” between him and Mike Holmgren.
“I think the correct answer for us would be, ‘We love it, we’d like to play in it every year, ‘ ” Packers defensive back Micah Hyde said. “There’s no doubt whatsoever”, Favre said. “And I want you to know, Dad, I spent the rest of my career trying to redeem myself”. That was a contrast to Favre’s Hall of Fame classmate, Kevin Greene. Several current packers such as Aaron Rodgers and some former packers teammates such as Ahman Green.
Fans attend a pep rally for Brett Favre in Green, Ohio.
Favre, who holds the record for most regular season wins as a quarterback and owns or shares over 140 National Football League records, was enshrined in the same hall as other quarterbacking legends in Canton, Ohio, this past weekend with quite a number of cheeseheads in attendance at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium. Favre’s bust in now in Canton, where it belongs. This led to Favre getting emotional and crying. A few months later, he brought a clay mock-up to MS for a day-long posing session that is essential for the artist to capture the man. He had double-digit sack totals in 10 of his 15 seasons and was a member of the NFL’s All-Decade team of the 1990s.
“To have a victor like that they won the Super Bowl with Brett I was at every home game preseason postseason and even the return to title town”, said Packers fan Nick Brandl. “Even my teachers in school could not get that done”.
“She’s as lovely today as she was in December 1983 in my living room”, Favre said.
He said the Hall of Fame wasn’t a consideration in his mind until a revelation on the plane ride to MS for his father’s funeral following the Raiders game.
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“Don’t men and women always have disagreements?” And they told me 8 to 10 minutes (on the speech), and I’ve got every one of these guys clocking me right now. “I never, not one time, remembered my parents ever not being there at a sporting event, any school function, you name it”, Favre explained. (I no longer look lean, strong, or athletic.) And, being in the company of current-day professional and world class athletes, was made well-aware of my own age when asked repeatedly, “so, who did you play for?”
