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Initially, I was shocked mostly by the reaction of the media and football fans to Brett Favre's desire to return to the NFL. But the Packers' ridiculous response has blown it away.

What in the world is Green Bay thinking?

If Favre wants to play one more season and give the Packers another shot at a Super Bowl, how can management not want that to happen?

We know now that Packers general manager Ted Thompson and head coach Mike McCarthy have been lukewarm about Favre coming back to the Pack. On Saturday, the Associated Press reported that Thompson and McCarthy said Favre would have to serve as a backup to Aaron Rodgers if he returns.

Are you kidding me?

This is how you treat the one player who has made "Titletown" relevant in the last 40 years? This is how you treat 253 consecutive regular season starts at the game's critical position?

If Favre's salary was going to crush the Packers' payroll, I would understand it. But the team is more than $30 million under the salary cap. It's crazy.

A week ago it was primarily the media that had me shaking my head.

AP

Brett Favre's career totals include 61,655 passing yards, 442 touchdowns and a quarterback rating of 85.7.

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Whether it was on talk radio, in print or some of my more vociferous ESPN brethren, the outrage that Favre might be considering a return to the NFL was ridiculous.

"He can't live without the spotlight. He's putting his ego ahead of the team. He's the ultimate diva."

Those were just some of the things that I heard or read about the guy who, for me, has been the ultimate quarterback for the last 15 years.

Never had the Jerry Rice that helped make Joe Montana and Steve Young what they became.

Never had the offensive support that guided Troy Aikman to the Hall of Fame.

Never had the lockdown defense that made life easy for Terry Bradshaw in Pittsburgh.

Didn't even have Dan Marino's Miami weather.

Still, Favre became the all-time leader in just about every meaningful passing category. He played on one Super Bowl winner and one loser and was the league's first player to earn three straight MVP awards.

When he cried at his news conference in March, it reminded me of Aikman's farewell. The key difference was that concussions forced Aikman out of the game early. Favre was coming off one of his best seasons, one in which he had his best passer rating this century and got the Packers to the NFC championship.

Even when Favre made his announcement, there seemed to be doubt in some minds. Including Aikman's.

"As the season gets closer, I wouldn't be surprised at all if he changed his mind," Aikman said at the time.

That's because Favre could do what Aikman couldn't.

And then I saw an ESPN poll in which 61 percent of the 42,000 respondents preferred that Favre stay retired. That's in spite of the fact that, on the same page, 71 percent believed he would perform better in 2008 than Aaron Rodgers.

So why the rush to begin the Rodgers era and end Favre's?

The man wants to return, and it's not because he can't stand being out of the media spotlight. It's not because he's a diva, for goodness' sakes.

It's because ... well, forget me trying to explain it. NASCAR driver Mark Martin, who turns 50 next year and has decided to return to a full-time schedule, explained it last week at Daytona Beach when he was asked about guys like himself and Favre who can't stay away.

"I don't know much about football," Martin said. "But I saw something likening his situation to mine, and all I know is that [Wisconsin's] Matt Kenseth thinks [Favre] is the greatest thing since sliced bread. Evidently, he's still good at what he does.

"When you're pretty good at something and it's been the driving force of your life for 35 years and you're still pretty good at it, you probably don't want to quit."

And that's Favre's crime in all of this. He's unsure about quitting the one thing that has made him Brett Favre when he knows he can still perform.

It's hard to envision Favre settling comfortably into a television role as Aikman has done so well. It's hard to see Favre staying in the NFL as a coach.

(How do you possibly coach what he does?)

Favre wants to play at least one more year. Why any fan of the game wouldn't want to see that baffles me.

How the Packers are handling his return is just plain stupid.