First of all…support the PACK.  Buy a Judas Shirt, Black Sunday Shirt, Revenge Shirt, or an armband.   We are the only anti-Favre shirt this side of China that is giving 10% of the proceeds to fight childhood cancer.  Why you ask… maybe the article below will help…

Now on to a comparsion that is oddly, eerie, yet marvelously and magnificantly similar.  That my Packer friends (and freaks) is the strikingly parallel career paths of Hulk Hogan and Brett Favre.  Before you slander me of accusing me to say that the NFL is somehow staged like the WWF, this is not what we are saying.  However, what we acknowledge (and some Packer fans, some NFL players, and some coaches forget) is that this football is entertainment for the fans.   So, the comparision is fair. Hulk Hogan and Brett Favre are real people, with real feelings, real problems, but they have choosen to be entertainers for their professsion.   We will only show their career path, not their personal choices.  Although that’s similar too, one beatufuly wife during their glory years (yes that is amazing), harsh loyalty to their family, admitted drug abuse (Favre pain meds, Hogan steriods), and of course their interesting facial hair (gruff look, and the foo man choo)…anyways, career only.

This blog will show the mirror images of these two American icons.  To make it simple to read, we will parallel their career time lines and interject our take on it as we lay it out to you the Packer masses.

THE BEGINNING

Terry Bollea, or as we will call him Hulk Hogan, was born the son of a construction worker in Tampa Bay.   Favre’s dad, Irvin, was a coach in Mississippi.  Both humble, blue collar begginings.  Hulkster was a South Florida dropout and started his career as the Boulder with Brutus “the Barber” Beefcake… the dude had to work his way up.  Favre started at Southern Mississippi under scholarship (the only offer he recieved).    No silver spoon in their mouths. 

THE OPPORTUNITY SEIZED

After purchasing the World Wrestling Federation from his father in 1982, Vincent K. McMahon had plans to expand the territory into a nationwide promotion, and he handpicked Hulk Hogan to be the company’s showpiece attraction due to his charisma and name recognition (Wikipedia).  

Favre of course, was handpicked by Ron Wolf to lead the Packers back to their glory years for a 2nd round pick.   Two legendary men saw something in these two regular guys and made them legends on the field and in the ring.

THE GOOD YEARS

Hulkamania… sourced out (fancy term for copy and paste courtesy of Wikipedia) Sidebar: Wikipedia rules for this sort of stuff, if we had Wikipedia for research in college, we might of NEVER sobered up.

On January 7, 1984 edition of Championship Wrestling, Hogan saved Bob Backlund from a three-way assault.^[17] Hogan’s turn was explained simply by Backlund: “He’s changed his ways. He’s a great man. He’s told me he’s not gonna have Blassie around”. The storyline shortcut was necessary because less than three weeks later on January 23, Hogan won his first WWF Championship, pinning The Iron Sheik (who had Blassie in his corner) in Madison Square Garden.The storyline accompanying the victory was that Hogan was a “last minute” replacement for the Sheik’s original opponent Bob Backlund,and became the champion by way of being the first man to escape the camel clutch (the Iron Sheik’s signature move).

Immediately after the title win, commentator Gorilla Monsoon officially proclaimed “Hulkamania is here!” Hogan frequently referred to his fans as “Hulkamaniacs” in his interviews and introduced his three “demandments”: training, saying prayers, and eating vitamins. Eventually, a fourth demandment (believing in oneself) was added during his feud with Earthquake in the 1990s. Hogan’s ring gear developed a characteristic yellow-and-red color scheme; his ring entrances involved him ritualistically ripping his shirt off his body, flexing, and listening for audience cheers in an exaggerated manner. The majority of Hogan’s matches during this time involved him wrestling heels who had been booked as unstoppable monsters, using a format which became near-routine: Hogan would deliver steady offense, but eventually lose momentum, seemingly nearing defeat. He would then experience a sudden second wind, fighting back while “feeding” off the energy of the audience, becoming impervious to attack—a process described as “hulking up”. His signature maneuvers, pointing at the opponent, shaking his finger to scold him, three punches, an Irish Whip, the big boot and Atomic Leg Drop, would follow and ensure him a victory. 

Over the next yer, Hulk Hogan became the face of pro wrestling as McMahon pushed the WWF into a pop culture enterprise with the The Rock ‘n’ Wrestling Connection on MTV, drawing record houses, pay-per-view buyrates, and television ratings in the process. The centerpiece attraction for the first WrestleMania on March 31, 1985, Hogan teamed with real-life friend Mr. T to defeat his archrival “Rowdy” Roddy Piper and Paul Orndorff.^[2][20] On the first-ever edition of Saturday Night’s Main Event, Hogan successfully defended the WWF title against Cowboy Bob Orton in a match which Hogan won by disqualification.^[21]

Hogan was named the most requested celebrity of the 1980s for the Make-a-Wish Foundation children’s charity. He was featured on the covers of Sports Illustrated, TV Guide, and People magazines, while also appearing on The Tonight Show and having his own CBS Saturday morning cartoon titled Hulk Hogan’s Rock ‘n’ Wrestling.

Favre’s legend grew as well.  As he Reggie White (Randy Savage if you will) turned the Packers back into America’s team.  Favre was on Saturday night live and won a championship in 1996, kind of the same way Hulk would win matches.  Just like Hulk, The majority of Favre’s matches,er games, during this time involved him wrestling heels who had been booked as unstoppable monsters (Barry Sanders Lions, John Randle’s Vikings, and the ridiculous Bears) using a format which became near-routine: Hogan, I mean Favre,  would deliver steady offense, but eventually lose momentum (league leader of all time in interceptions), seemingly nearing defeat. He would then experience a sudden second wind, (fourth quarter comeback)  fighting back while “feeding” off the energy of the audience (we mean crowd), becoming impervious to attack—a process described as “hulking up” (Favre being Favre).  

The entertainment and legend of both continued to grow and they were both considered the premier “good” of their sport for about 15 years each.   You could scarcely whisper a harsh word of either without being mocked or scorned across the nation. 

NEW WORLD ORDER

(source Wikipedia) Main article: New World Order (nWo)

At Bash at the Beach in 1996, during a six man tag team match pitting The Outsiders (Kevin Nash and Scott Hall) against WCW loyalists, Hogan interfered on behalf of Nash and Hall, attacking Randy Savage HIS BEST FREAKIN’ FRIEND, thereby turning heel for the first time in over ten years.  After the match, Hogan delivered a promo, accosting the fans and WCW for underappreciating his talent and drawing power, and announcing the formation of the New World Order (nWo).  The new stable gained prominence in the following weeks and months.  Hogan grew a beard alongside his famous mustache and dyed it black, traded his red and yellow garb in for black and white clothing, often detailed with lightning bolts, and renamed himself Hollywood Hogan. Hogan returned to WCW programming eight days after his heel turn.

Hogan then developed a rivalry with former friend Randy Savage, who had just cost Hogan the title match at SuperBrawl by hitting him with a spray can.  The heat culminated in a steel cage match at Uncensored, which ended in a no contest.

Brett Favre got in a heated, public, and ugly divorce with the Packers that accumulated in his retirement, unretirement and then was tradee to the Jets.   Favre started out hot then cooled and cost many believe a playoff berth for the Jets and lost Mangini his coaching job.  He then retired. 

He then stayed retired, then unretired and became a heel (wrestling term) and joined the Vikings.  He traded in his green and gold for purple and yellow.  He is now pretty much clean shaven and playing conservatively  so far (yet to throw a Favre signature bomb or laser dart throw into traffic in two games).

THE CAGE MATCH IS NOVEMBER 1ST AT LAMBEAU FIELD.  The warmup is soon approaching at Minn-e-soat October 5th. 

Get your popcorn ready and your shirt. 

THE END?

Hogan retired a good guy, and Favre probably (likely) will too.  But they were both heels at the end of their careers.  Hogan has been on two reality shows (his and his daughters)… Favre probably will too.  Only speculation.

THE WEIRD

Both have a thing with headwear.  Hogan the signature bandana, Favre the crappy baseball hat.  Both have reporters that have man crushes on them.  Mean Gene Okerlund and Chris Mortenson.  Both have weird southern agents.  Jimmy “The Mouth of the South” Hart and Bus Cook.  Both like chili.  Ok, I made the chili part up.