Steve from Ramsgate, England
Do you think Favre's record of consecutive starts will ever be broken?
No. He is from the era of endurance. He's from the era of playing hurt. We're heading into a completely different era and mindset.
Scotty from Chicago, IL
Vic, Brett was so much fun to watch. What other players for you have been as much fun to watch?
Lynn Swann and Fred Taylor are the most explosive offensive players I've covered. Defensively, there are too many players to name.
Jerry from Wausau, WI
Vic, Brett Favre was a multi-dimensional QB with an awesome array of talent, as we all know. Which trait of Brett's do you feel made him the incredible, first-ballot Hall of Fame player he was for so many years?
His instincts for the game and the position he played. He displayed a feel for each you find in great players.
Michael from Twin Falls, ID
I agree with you and always thought Brett Favre should have been the MVP of Super Bowl XXXI.
The quarterback position so dominates the MVP awards that we unfairly penalize some quarterbacks by intentionally looking for a player at another position to name MVP, just to avoid giving it to a quarterback again. I think Favre was a victim of that thinking in XXXI and Ben Roethlisberger was a victim of it in XLIII.
Gregg from Durham, NC
Vic, when did you first realize Brett was an elite QB?
My exposure to Favre's career was very limited. I covered his first start, but didn't cover another one of his games until three years later, when I was covering the expansion Jaguars. By my count, I've only covered four games in which he's played. The best of those games was in 2001, when he rallied the Packers to beat the Jaguars on a Monday night in December. I knew by then he was elite, but that night was first-hand proof of it. I got the sense everybody in that stadium that night knew the Jaguars couldn't get a lead big enough to be safe. There was no doubt in my mind Favre would rally the Packers; you could feel it in the air. That's when you know a guy is elite.
Bart from Sanibel, FL
Thinking of Favre and Wolf, the following thought dawned on me. Sometimes, history is kind and the right group of people come together at the right time to make something special happen. If Bob Harlan, Ron Wolf, Mike Holmgren, Brett Favre and Reggie White had simply been a group of average football guys looking to win some games, imagine how differently things would have gone for the Packers over the last 25 years. In the latter instance, the Super Bowl wins, the beautiful stadium renovations and the perennial playoff appearances, among other things, would all likely not exist.
History was repeating itself. The same thing had saved the Packers franchise three decades previously.
Greg from Hamilton, Ontario
Vic, I'm a big fan of the fullback. Who's the best lead blocker you have ever seen?
Lorenzo Neal.
Kenn from Burghaus, WI
Vic, do you ever stop and look out over the Atrium area and marvel at all the people that visit Lambeau? I noticed on my tour that many are not Packers fans but football fans.
I saw a mother and father videoing their children coming down an escalator in the Atrium yesterday. An escalator? As we near the start of training camp, the crowds grow. I see fans just sitting and smiling, as though they've found some kind of inner peace. It's a phenomenon, and I'm not going to pretend to understand it. Simply put, for these people, Lambeau Field is the place to be.
Adam from Hillsboro, KS
Where would the Packers franchise be today if Ron Wolf had not made the trade with Atlanta?
Milwaukee? Imagine the Packers not playing in Lambeau Field. Imagine them playing in a dome.
Todd from Carson City, NV
To those who discount the Packers' early championships, are you saying it was easier to win a championship at a time when the nation's best football talent was divided among only 8-12 teams, versus now, when the talent is divided among 32 teams?
Every era has to be examined and appreciated separately. The 1940's was a decade that saw a lot of players serve in World War II. It was an achievement just to keep the league going. Football talent was scarce; teams were merged. The '60's gave us the NFL-AFL wars, and player costs shot up so dramatically it was an achievement for a lot of franchises just to pay the bills. All championships count, but I don't think they can be fully appreciated without knowing the circumstances that went with each.
Marc from Aachen, Germany
Usually, I get your sarcasm and I really enjoy it, but this time I've actually been searching for some validation regarding your story about Larry McCarren's finger. I couldn't find anything on whether you were telling the truth or just being sarcastic, as usual. I couldn't tell what was right this time.
It was just a joke. I've heard it runs in the family.
Kabir from Asheville, NC
What does the term "gunslinger" mean to you and is the era of gunslinger quarterbacks over?
To me, it means a quarterback who shoots from the hip. Is that era over? Yes, unless you can find another Brett Favre. There will always be a place in the game for another Favre.
Terri from Newport News, VA
When Favre was traded to the Jets, I believe the Packers got a fourth-round draft pick. Who was the pick and how did he turn out for the Packers?
The Packers ended up receiving a third-round pick from the Jets for Favre, and that pick was packaged with other picks to move up and pick Clay Matthews in the 2009 draft.
Ryan from Roselle, IL
What is Brett Favre's place in NFL history?
He saved the Packers franchise. That's how he'll be remembered. With that, folks, I will add this: The big day has arrived. If you're one of those fans who were wounded in 2008, and your wounds still haven't healed, I command you: "Heal! Heal!" If this doesn't do it, you need to see a shrink.
