Should Pack retire No. 80?
I read an interesting article by Bob Wolfley in Sunday’s Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Wolfley said “there’s no way” the Packers will retire wide receiver Donald Driver’s No. 80.
Why not? Well, only five Packers have had their numbers retired in the history of this storied franchise. Can you guess them (I’ll answer that at the end of this blog.)?
Meanwhile, some franchises “are ridiculously indiscriminate” about retiring numbers. For example, Wolfley noted that the Boston Celtics have retired 22 numbers, and he suggests this cheapens the honor.
OK, if only five Packers have ever had their numbers retired, maybe Wolfley has a point. But then he goes on to suggest that the Packers will retire Brett Favre’s No. 4. Does that make sense?
Driver, who is retiring this morning in a special ceremony at the Lambeau Field Atrium, has become one of the most beloved Packers of all time. His rags-to-riches story and winning smile and “Dancing with the Stars” effort go with sterling career reception numbers.
Favre was beloved, too, but his waffling about retirement caused the Packer brass to push him aside. He went to play for the New York Jets, but only so he could exact revenge, of sorts, by later signing with a key Packer rival, the Minnesota Vikings. An investigation also arose as to whether Favre—a married man—sent a sexually explicit photo of himself to a female Jets reporter.
So an endeared lifelong Packer such as Driver won’t have his number retired, but Favre eventually will. It might happen that way, but not if I had anything to say about it.
Oh, and the five Packers with their numbers retired? They’re Don Hutson, 14; Tony Canadeo, 3; Bart Starr, 15; Ray Nitschke, 66; and Reggie White, 92.
Greg Peck can be reached at (608) 755-8278 or gpeck@gazettextra.com. Or follow him on Twitter or Facebook
Feb 7, 2013 at 9:53 p.m.
Suggest removal
The greatest Packer to wear #80 was James Lofton. So no.
Um Reggie White was in GB for 65 SIX years won defensive MVP won a SB and was arguably one of the 5 best to play his position EVER. Stop talking football you look silly. DI he hate gays? Yes. That is no worse than all of you pulling for the womanizing adulteress redneck #4, talk about hypocrites!!
Keep it football please, the rest is just stupid human drama, don't you have enough of that in your own life?
Feb 7, 2013 at 12:46 p.m.
Suggest removal
Personally I would have no problem with the organization retiring Driver's number.
Feb 7, 2013 at 11:13 a.m.
Suggest removal
Dear readers: We'll reflect on the career of Donald Driver in our editorial in Friday's Gazette. If you're not a subscriber, I hope you pick up a copy at a newsstand. It should be a nice package.
Greg Peck
Feb 7, 2013 at 9:53 a.m.
Suggest removal
so anyone who has had a great career and at sometime played for the Packers should be in their HOF? how about John Hadl or Ted Hendricks or James Lofton?
Feb 7, 2013 at 9:40 a.m.
Suggest removal
For his achievements in football, for upholding the standards of what an athlete should be like,clean cut,honest,respectful,dedicated. Heck yeah, he deserves that honor !
Feb 7, 2013 at 9:09 a.m.
Suggest removal
undo #92 because he was only here for three years. a lot of others have done a lot more for longer periods of time than that gay bashing hypocrite. also if Sean Jones wasn't at the other end taking double teams away from Reggie we wouldn't even be talking about this. so let's retire #96 also.
Feb 6, 2013 at 5:30 p.m.
Suggest removal
Nobody from the Packers organization said #80 won't be retired. Because Bob W. said something doesn't make it so.
Feb 6, 2013 at 4:56 p.m.
Suggest removal
why undo #92?
Feb 6, 2013 at 4:54 p.m.
Suggest removal
Retire #80 and #4. Get #12 ready as well.
Feb 6, 2013 at 4:24 p.m.
Suggest removal
Number 4 and 80 yes and undo 92
Feb 6, 2013 at 2:08 p.m.
Suggest removal
I agree 100% with ChsMkr.If you think of all the great Packers from Lombardi's days, there would/could be many on this list. Again Driver is a classy man both on and off the field, but I just don't think so, that is my opinion.
Feb 6, 2013 at 1:16 p.m.
Suggest removal
Jersey No. 4 has a lot more justification for being retired than 80. DD is a great person but if you retired every fan favorite you'd soon be needing to add a 3rd digit to jerseys because so many one and two digit numbers would be off limits.
Feb 6, 2013 at 12:24 p.m.
Suggest removal
Retire #80? Absolutely!
Feb 6, 2013 at 11:43 a.m.
Suggest removal
I agree to retire #80 and #4 but also unretire #92.
Feb 6, 2013 at 11:24 a.m.
Suggest removal
i think that they should retire both number 80 and number 4. we all need to get past the part where bret could not decide if he wanted to retire or not. MOVE ON..IF he had retired his number would already be reitred.
so build a bridge and get over it.
Feb 6, 2013 at 11:08 a.m.
Suggest removal
Retire Driver's 80.....absolutely! #4....no.
Before you post a comment, consider this:
Note: GazetteXtra.com does not condone or review every comment. Read more in our User Policy AgreementPost Comment
Commenting requires registration.