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Fans tell Favre: Please come back
Minneapolis Star & Tribune
Favre fans put a sign in Hattiesburg, Miss., imploring him to return.
Last update: February 4, 2010 - 11:22 PM
hile Vikings players and management might be giving Brett Favre time and space to make a decision on whether to come back next season, a group of fans is taking time and space to make it clear that Favre in purple is all they want. And they have the billboard to prove it.
A Facebook group called "4 MILLION VIKINGS FANS WANT BRETT FAVRE BACK IN MINNESOTA FOR 2010" is responsible for an electronic billboard that went up earlier this week in Favre's offseason home of Hattiesburg, Miss.
The message on the billboard is distinctly Minnesotan: "Hey #4, do Minnesota fans love you and want you back next year? You Brettcha!"
The message is slated to appear through Tuesday, said Jay Tappe, the 34-year-old Minneapolis resident who got the ball rolling by starting the Facebook group. After that, he and others will reassess the message and decide what to do with an ad that costs $650 per week and is funded entirely by group member donations.
Of course, bearing that burden has become easier as the group has multiplied rapidly. Tappe said he was devastated by the NFC title game loss, but by the day after he decided he needed a 180-degree attitude switch. The Facebook group was the first order of business.
"I had to turn it into something positive because I was so crushed Sunday with how bad Favre was getting beat up," Tappe said. "All the sudden there were 10,000 members after a day. I was like, 'What in the hell is going on?'"
That pace has kept reasonably steady. As of Thursday afternoon, there were more than 90,000 members. The billboard -- which is visible from a major U.S. highway in Hattiesburg -- was the next step. The final piece? Continuing to raise money to not only sustain the billboard but also contribute to the Deanna Favre Hope Foundation.
If that isn't enough to convince Favre to come back, how about another billboard? KFAN has its own sign in the works. This one will be visible from both directions of the same highway and could be up as early as Friday. It will say: "DEAR BRETT, DEANNA & FAMILY, THANK YOU FOR COMING TO MINNESOTA. WE'D LOVE TO HAVE YOU BACK. VIKINGS FANS 4-EVER."
"The message is geared directly at the Favre family as a whole and not just Brett," said Tim Hyde, promotions director at KFAN, which broadcasts Vikings games. "After, all he needs the support of his family to make the decision to come back. We want to let him know he is also welcome here in Minnesota."
That's coming across in plain English.
MICHAEL RAND AND JUDD ZULGAD
Great to see support for a great player
Minneapolis Star & Tribune
Favre fans put a sign in Hattiesburg, Miss., imploring him to return.
Last update: February 4, 2010 - 11:22 PM
hile Vikings players and management might be giving Brett Favre time and space to make a decision on whether to come back next season, a group of fans is taking time and space to make it clear that Favre in purple is all they want. And they have the billboard to prove it.
A Facebook group called "4 MILLION VIKINGS FANS WANT BRETT FAVRE BACK IN MINNESOTA FOR 2010" is responsible for an electronic billboard that went up earlier this week in Favre's offseason home of Hattiesburg, Miss.
The message on the billboard is distinctly Minnesotan: "Hey #4, do Minnesota fans love you and want you back next year? You Brettcha!"
The message is slated to appear through Tuesday, said Jay Tappe, the 34-year-old Minneapolis resident who got the ball rolling by starting the Facebook group. After that, he and others will reassess the message and decide what to do with an ad that costs $650 per week and is funded entirely by group member donations.
Of course, bearing that burden has become easier as the group has multiplied rapidly. Tappe said he was devastated by the NFC title game loss, but by the day after he decided he needed a 180-degree attitude switch. The Facebook group was the first order of business.
"I had to turn it into something positive because I was so crushed Sunday with how bad Favre was getting beat up," Tappe said. "All the sudden there were 10,000 members after a day. I was like, 'What in the hell is going on?'"
That pace has kept reasonably steady. As of Thursday afternoon, there were more than 90,000 members. The billboard -- which is visible from a major U.S. highway in Hattiesburg -- was the next step. The final piece? Continuing to raise money to not only sustain the billboard but also contribute to the Deanna Favre Hope Foundation.
If that isn't enough to convince Favre to come back, how about another billboard? KFAN has its own sign in the works. This one will be visible from both directions of the same highway and could be up as early as Friday. It will say: "DEAR BRETT, DEANNA & FAMILY, THANK YOU FOR COMING TO MINNESOTA. WE'D LOVE TO HAVE YOU BACK. VIKINGS FANS 4-EVER."
"The message is geared directly at the Favre family as a whole and not just Brett," said Tim Hyde, promotions director at KFAN, which broadcasts Vikings games. "After, all he needs the support of his family to make the decision to come back. We want to let him know he is also welcome here in Minnesota."
That's coming across in plain English.
MICHAEL RAND AND JUDD ZULGAD
Great to see support for a great player
what the team will be like next year without him as they have BIG ???? at QB if he doesn't return.
As 
As much fun as this year was to watch, I am 
BTW...it would be the right move with a possible lockout in 2011 and they have nothing at this point at QB with Sage and needing to resign Tarvaris.
