Let the Tournaments begin! It’s the first day for a whole new season, and you better be wearing your Wisconsin Red today! (Do I need to tell you..) The Badgers play Michigan at 11:00 this morning, and productivity in the workplace takes a hit. This is such a great time of the year. Just wait until the first four days of the NCAA Tourney…

So I guess you could say it took me about 35 hours to get to this point: where I could publicly talk about the retirement of Brett Favre. When I heard it on the radio, I really didn’t know what to do with the news. I was certainly disappointed, but more so I was just really sad. We all knew the day would come “one of these years.”

But why now? Why not two years ago, when he was coming back to a really crappy team? Why now when the team is so good and we are so close to the Super Bowl?

I’m not calling it a man-crush. I’m calling it fully-devoted appreciation of the blessing Brett Favre has been to Packer fans for 16 years.

Katie got a little annoyed this season when I insisted on watching every game. I told her then and I reminded her now that my reason was simple – I knew this day was coming, and that when it did, we’d no longer be entertained by the hero and the legend that is #4.

So last night I was able to look up some videos and pics from Brett’s career. They’re so rich with meaning and stories. My favorite is probably this, Favre Soundbites (ESPN).

But I found some good pics too that I can share now. I’ll post some more material later.

(below) Diving for the game winning touchdown in the last game at County Stadium.

I was driving home earlier today when a guy in a minivan pulled out in front of me. I wasn’t too annoyed as I switched lanes, but I didn’t have enough time to get ahead of him before I needed to turn right, so I had to slow down (he had sped up) to get behind him to make my turn. My slight annoyance was calmed when I looked at his windows. He was displaying a marine flag in the side window, and on the back he had a marine sticker and an Ultimate Fighting Championships sticker. Remember: he’s driving a (teal) minivan. So I had conflicting emotions. I’m annoyed he pulled out in front of me and then sped up so I couldn’t pass. But I’m a little intimidated b/c this guy could whoop me. But he’s driving a minivan – so maybe I’d have a chance…

It really begs the question – how many minivans are representing the Ultimate Fighting Championships?

You know it’s cold when Madison schools are closed. Not the surrounding areas – they’re much more likely to have a delay or close. But when the Madison schools close for the day, it’s cold. I was all set up to work today, and the Verona website announced “School Closed.” It used to be the local news that we relied on for that info – now we go directly to the school’s website.

It’s hard not to notice how excited Katie and I are to be cross-country skiing this season. I’ve found two components to making the skiing experience the best it can be: good trails and good gear.

Katie and I moved to the Monroe Street neighborhood and the location couldn’t be better for us. We are under one mile from the UW Arboretum – which has miles of groomed cross-country ski trails. The numerous routes take you in and out of prairies and woods, over bridges and even under a tunnel. And the snow today was the best we’ve ever been on. It was very fresh from the three inches or so that we got last night and even a little this morning. It was soft and slick, so today’s event was exceptionally enjoyable.

And I just have to admit- I’m a Gear Guy. I subscribe to two magazines, Men’s Journal and National Geographic Adventure. When an issue comes in the mail, I’m tearing through to the gear review and features. Knowing this, my brother-in-law (Peter) and father-in-law (Steve) got me some cool gear for Christmas. I’m really becoming a fan of the Under Armour, which you can see as a base layer shirt and beanie on my head. And Mountain Hardwear has been a top brand of performance gear for a few years. Peter got me their Canyon Pant which is perfect for cross-country skiing and hiking. Thanks for the gifts, guys. I’m doing my best to put them to good use.

This has been the best winter I can remember. When I was a kid, I have fond memories of going to Matt Keefe’s house and building forts in the monstrous snow piles. The school playground seemed to always be covered with snow for exciting recess football games. I grew up learning that winter would be filled with months of beautiful snow.

But that hasn’t been the case over the last 10-12 years. I might be in the minority, but I want a little snow by Thanksgiving – just get us ready for December. And if we don’t have any snow by the middle of December, how is it possible to get into the Season? I guess I can understand why people get a little depressed at this time of year when it’s sometimes bitterly cold and there’s no snow. But this year has been such a wonderful surprise! Even Katie has noted how beautiful the outdoors look (and feel) when there’s so much snow on the ground. It makes us happier. It’s a romantic scene to look at snow-covered roofs, shoveled walkways, and people walking around with bundles of warm-weather coats.

Just how much snow have we been blessed with? We’re sitting at 53.0″ this season! Have you been enjoying it? Katie and I have had a blast on our new cross-country skis, and we’ll be out there again today after a couple weeks off due to very low temperatures.

When DVDs started getting popular, the thing I liked about them was the special features. I’ve been known to watch a movie twice in a row – the second time while listening to the director’s commentary. It’s the behind the scenes material that I can’t get enough of.

In the sports world, they put a mic on a player and catch him in a behind the scenes moment on the field. For me, it’s a glimpse into the reality of the sport – a sense of how normal (and humorous) these players are. And Brett Favre is probably one of the best. One of my favorites is this clip from ESPN.

While I’m at it, you should watch this video that will get an annoying country song stuck in your head. This is a little cheesy, but you’ll miss Brett when he’s gone, so watch this video and appreciate what we’ve got.

And lastly, the ultimate behind the scenes moment comes here, with a home video of Brett Favre, Don Beebe, and Frank Winters going trick or treating to Coach Holmgren’s house.

All week I have had memories of 1996-97 when the Packers were making their great Super Bowl runs. I wasn’t listening to sports radio like I do now, but I was into SportsCenter much more than I watch now. Sports Illustrated was on my desk every week. There was a buzz about all the cold-weather conditions, Lambeau Field, and the storied Green Bay Packers. The Packers were the center of attention, and after a ten-year span of mediocrity we are back to the center of attention.

The pictures of their green and gold popping out from a snowed-out landscape doesn’t get old for me. Green Bay gets all the glory, but Foxborough will be not much warmer:: The weather forecast for Green Bay on Sunday: a high of 11 degrees. For Foxborough: a high of 16.

But weather has always played a part in memorable football games. Check out this ESPN Zoom Gallery and don’t miss pictures 2,3, and 12.

For more information including stats, video, and photos of cold-weather football, check out the sidebar titled “More on Frigid Football”.

I can put cPT behind my name.  Last Tuesday I passed my exam for a certified personal trainer.  I studied through ACSM (American College of Sports Medicine) widely regarded as one of if not the best certifications.