The Badgers play top-ranked Ohio State on Saturday, after being accused of running up the score (41-23) against Minnesota last week. The Packers are struggling to field a full roster against Miami on Sunday. College basketball practice gets under way this weekend, and the Major League Baseball playoffs are starting to get interesting.
But all anyone wants to talk about is Brett Favre.
That's not surprising, given how football fans, particularly in Packerland, have dissected every dramatic twist and turn in the Hall of Fame quarterback's career, from his earliest days in a Green Bay uniform to the game-ending interception he threw in last year's NFC championship game.
What's most interesting is how little schadenfreude has been exhibited by Packers fans this week, even as allegations about his unwanted advances toward female New York Jets staffers surfaced while the ol' gunslinger appeared to be breaking down physically on Monday Night Football. Tendonitis in his elbow could hinder Favre this season more than any scandal.
The diehard Packers fans I've spoken with express no glee at this display of pathos from Number Four. Instead, they cringe or shake their heads at the news. Some are disbelieving, assuming the voice mails and penis photos circulating on the Internet are part of an elaborate practical joke. Others express sympathy for Favre's wife and daughters.
It's just the latest indication of how unique the relationship between players and fans is in Green Bay, stemming from the role the publicly owned team occupies in the NFL's smallest market.
