the four factor

Over the past 10 years I have lived in New York City, Green Bay, and the Twin Cities. It appears soon Brett Favre will be able to make the same claim.
While my stint as a news anchor in Northeast Wisconsin has probably been long forgotten, #4's legacy is a different story.
In Green Bay, Brett was a god, and nearly everyone who lived on the frozen tundra was his follower. I personally never met the man, but his wife was a memorably gracious guest on my NBC 26 morning show, gamely modeling fashions for charity at 5:30 A.M.
My time in Titletown came as Brett's golden touch was beginning to fade, but he was still a king. I remember sharing a meal with a lovely couple who regarded him as the son they never had.
It was bittersweet for me when he came here to NY to play for the Jets, a little bit of my beloved Wisconsin, just in a different shade of green.
While many fans were sad to see him go, few seemed truly embittered. I think many Wisconsinites could not begrudge him the chance to enjoy big city stardom while he still could.
For a time he appeared poised to be the new Joe Namath, a gift to New Yorkers from the heartland. Even though Brett was a Jet you could still see hundreds of #4 jerseys on little boys at Lambeau field.
This Vikings thing... is another story.
I lived in Minnesota for six years, and had a good life there, but the Land of 10,000 Lakes and the Dairy State have a bitter sibling rivalry.
In Minneapolis, sports radio hosts regard Packer fans as paint-thinner sniffing rubes.
But no one knows how to love a team like a cheesehead.
Through freezing winters and boiling summers Packer backers love their team like a parent loves a child. They may get mad or disappointed, but the bond is always there.
Now the cherished golden boy has left again, not for big city lights, but for the fancier folks just around the corner. It's a bitter pill to swallow.
But I suspect while many Packer fans may stomp and shout, in their hearts they wish Brett and his family well.
Favre may be wearing purple this fall but he'll always be Green Bay's favorite son.