Favre situation offers plenty of taunting opportunities

Am I a mean person because I occasionally like to taunt people?
When word leaked Tuesday, Aug. 18, that Brett Favre was about to sign with the Minnesota Vikings, I immediately sent an e-mail to former co-workers of mine who are Green Bay Packers fanatics and former obsessed fans of Favre.
The e-mail simply stated: “It’s a lovely day seeing Brett sign with Minnesota. Vikings 42 Packers 17 (first game). Vikings 56 Packers 3 (second game).”
Personally, I hate the Vikings and I do like the Packers; however, I grew up on Brett Favre, and in my humble opinion, he got shafted by the organization last year when he wanted to return after basically being forced to retire by Packers general manager Ted Thompson and his staff.
At my former job, at another newspaper in central Wisconsin, I had to listen to Brett Favre and Packers talk all day. They made him out to be a god, and whenever I pointed out he had some flaws – only one championship, a prescription drug addiction, plenty of interceptions – they scolded me for blasphemy.
When I once suggested that Arnold Schwarzenegger would beat him in a fight, they argued Favre was more street smart and would destroy the Terminator. I couldn’t win when it came to criticizing the quarterback.
That didn’t stop me from trying. At every possible moment I taunted them when he lost a game, threw an interception or did something foolish. It wasn’t because I actually disliked him, but because I enjoyed getting them all fired up in rebutting my arguments.
But when Favre retired, and then wanted to unretire, their entire attitude changed. He was no longer a god, but rather an over-the-hill icon who should step aside and allow someone else to take the reins.
This sudden change in attitude surprised me, as it meant I could no longer taunt them like I continued to do even after changing jobs.
Unless, of course, I took a new approach, and that new approach is to taunt them by being pro-Favre and anti-Packer.
It’s tough being anti-Packer, but it’s quite fun being pro-Favre. It was great last year, until an injury ruined the final part of his season with the New York Jets, because I was able to send my former co-workers plenty of e-mails when the Jets were doing well and the Packers were playing like the team I was expecting them to be without Favre.
I expect more of the same this year, especially when Favre unhinges the Packers season when he blows them away Oct. 5. I’m already contemplating things I can do when this happens.
I could send them a cheesehead with a Minnesota-clad Favre doll staking a hole through it with a Viking spear.
I could write a letter on Favre’s behalf asking for all his memorabilia back, as he’ll be able to sell it for top dollar in Minnesota where the people there truly appreciate him.
I could write an obituary for the Green Bay Packers and say the organization is survived by Favre, a legend that brought life back to the organization after dying in the 1970s and 1980s and who could have kept it alive for at least two more seasons now.
There’s plenty I can do, and all will give me great pleasure. I just better hope Favre lives up to my expectations, or I’ll have to eat my own taunts.