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The best and worst parts of Brett Favre's number retirement ceremony

In his emotional return to gameday at Lambeau Field, Brett Favre was honored with his number retirement ceremony at halftime of the Green Bay Packers’ Thanksgiving game against the Chicago Bears. Here are the best, worst and oddest moments.

The Best

Bart Starr

About one year ago, the Packers quarterback great suffered two strokes, a heart attack and several seizures. The 81-year-old, who was under center for the first two Super Bowls, has since battled other health issues stemming from those and can barely stand or feed himself. But on this freezing, rainy night in Lambeau, Bart Starr looked like a man half his age, riding out to midfield to congratulate Favre with a touching embrace that brought a tear to the eye.

The mere fact that Starr wanted to be there says more about Favre than any ceremony could. Starr’s wife has said it is likely Bart’s “last time” at Lambeau. Let’s hope it’s not.

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Favre’s speech

Though it included the word “fun” as you knew it would (but not “like a little kid,” which was disappointing), Favre, not exactly known as a great orator, gave a classy speech thanking fans, management and, most of all, his teammates that helped him get that No. 4 on the facade along with Starr and others.

The Weird

Aaron Rodgers ran down Favre to hug him

As Favre was making his way off the field and the Packers were returning, hoping to retake a lead on the Bears who went to halftime up 14-13, Aaron Rodgers saw Favre and chased him down for a hug. It was Rodgers, of course, who forced Favre out of Green Bay in a move that worked great for the Packers and okay for Favre for at least one season and a few cell phone bills.

Though it’s not the best video (NBC didn’t show it when they came back from commercial, which was odd) it looked like a nice moment. Notice also the Bears player who went up to Favre. Hey, when history is nearby, you go pay your respects.

Favre looking like a pensive Hulk

I get that there are probably a lot of green lights around Lambeau, it was just odd to have them all pointed directly at Favre while he was being introduced.

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NBC’s weird Favre logo

Take a look at this thing:

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I mean, that’s weird, right? Someone came up with the concept and then someone else spent a reasonable amount of time creating it. But the bizarre part is that NBC used it for like 10 seconds. That’s it. Notice that in most of the other pictures, it’s just the regular old peacock logo. Why? For what?

Jim McMahon greeting Favre in a Packers uniform.

The only quarterback in Bears history to win a Super Bowl donned his Packers jersey for the ceremony. McMahon started 61 games in Chicago, 12 in Philadelphia, 12 in Minnesota, 11 in San Diego, one in Arizona and … none in Green Bay.

The Worst

That hat

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Come on, bro. You’re a 46-year-old who lives in Mississippi and enjoys mowing his lawn. You are not a member of One Direction, even though it’d be amazing if you replaced Zayn.

Ron Wolf’s comparison

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The former Packers GM compared Favre to Babe Ruth (a little dicey, but both did look like a little kid out there) but then dropped this bombshell: Wolf said that in the same way Yankee Stadium was the house that Ruth built, Lambeau Field was the house that Favre built. Favre joined the Packers in 1992. Lambeau Field was built in 1957.

A lack of technology

I mean, if Favre built Lambeau, the least he could have done is include a robotic banner raiser so low-level employees don’t have to stand out in the rain and awkwardly pull up a green tarp to reveal what everyone knew was already there.

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Rodgers found the perfect way to honor Favre

The best part of the night was when Rodgers truly paid homage to the man he succeeded as an MVP and Super Bowl champion quarterback in Green Bay. Late in the fourth, Rodgers looked like he was going to drive his team down the field for a game-winning touchdown with the Bears leading 17-3. Then he threw a horrible interception instead. Green Bay then got another chance to win, but Rodgers gunned a ball that should have been thrown softly an Chicago got the upset. Pure Favre. But, hey, at least Rodgers looked like he was having fun out there.

(USA TODAY Sports Images)

(USA TODAY Sports Images)

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