I'm not a football fan and I've never been one. Even as a kid, we played baseball, we went to baseball games and we watched baseball on TV. We collected baseball cards and we idolized baseball players. But I don't question, of course, that football fans are passionate about their game and their players, especially ones named Brett Favre.
I sorta liked the Dolphins because of the logo and then the Bills for the same reason, and I guess I'd have said I rooted for the Jets, but only because they played at Shea Stadium, home to my beloved Mets (I grew up in New York).
But I'd be hard pressed to name you a Jets player or any football player from my childhood beyond Larry Csonka and I'm not even sure who he played for, much less what his position was or why, for that matter, I remember his name. I've attended exactly one professional football game and that was a year ago. The highlight for me was the $4 Heineken.
So, you won't be surprised to hear me admit that Brett Favre has had very little impact on my life, even though I met him once briefly. But I live in Wisconsin and so I know he's exerted a great influence on many around me. I know that his retirement will send many of us into mourning.
As a co-worker said this morning, it's like when someone dies, you still have the memories ... except he's not dead. Right, so let's hear some of those memories. Tell me and OnMilwaukee.com readers what Brett Favre meant to you and why you'll miss him.
Use the talkback feature below to share your thoughts on Favre, his career and his retirement. In the meantime, I send my deepest condolences.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
