But we here in Packers Nation certainly won’t stand for the trash talkin’ Niners fans putting down the best team in the NFL and a team that is headed toward history.

That’s why Hamm and I have agreed to start sharing our thoughts about the possibility of a 49ers vs. Packers playoff and some of the things that will have to happen to bring that to fruition.

Today we start with a look at each team’s final four games. While cautious about how things will turn out for the Packers, I feel that Hamm is taking it a bit too far in claiming the 49ers will have the home field advantage. The Packers have ways to go yet, but they are WELL on their way to proving not only to 49ers fans, but the entie NFL that they will be the team to beat.

So, after the jump you will find my column followed by Hamm’s. Enjoy them both.

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After the 2007 season, the Packers went about their business, not knowing whether Favre would be back.  The combine came and the combine went.  Then, in early March, after the combine, Favre phones it in.  No doubt this affected the Packers draft strategy.  In 2007, the Packers just went with Favre and heir apparent Aaron Rodgers as their quarterbacks, until Rodgers tweaked a hamstring and the team re-signed Craig Nall.  If Favre had stayed, the Packers draft strategy would have undoubtedly change, as I don’t see Ted Thompson adding Brian Brohm and Matt Flynn into the mix with Rodgers and Favre.  If Favre had made his decision before the combine, Thompson could have definitely altered the offseason plans that involved drafting two quarterbacks, including one with the Packers second pick, to something that involved getting help where they needed it.

But the most memorable facts of the Favre fiasco center around the media blitz.  ESPN had a new story every 20 minutes on where he was going next.  Minnesota?  Tampa Bay?  New York?  Baltimore?  The 24/7 news cycle was unbelievable.  But now it’s back, with the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.  This new blitz provides a great look with some incredibly interesting articles.

The Packers blog reports that the Jets may have Favre’s answer in two days.

Bart Starr, Terry Bradshaw, Roger Staubach, Dan Marino, and Troy Aikman share how Favre can learn to hang it up and how he can cope with being retired.  Some great reporting by the Journal-Sentinel.

The Journal-Sentinel also draws parallels between Favre’s retirement and the ends of the careers of Johnny Unitas, John Elway, and Joe Montana.

Why this blitz now?  I don’t know.  But still interesting.

“It still does look weird,” Michaels said. “It’s Joe Montana in a Kansas City uniform. It’s Wayne Gretzky in a Los Angeles Kings uniform. It’s Michael Jordan in a Washington Wizards uniform. It’s that kind of a thing. It’s going to take a while to get used to, especially here in New York, seeing posters and a lot of stuff in the newspapers.”

Michaels actually sounds intelligent here.  Madden takes the easy, ESPN-like way out:

“Who would you rather have, Aaron Rodgers and Brett Favre as your quarterback or Aaron Rodgers and two rookies?” Madden said. “That to me would be easy. I mean I would (have) worked something out to keep him there.”

Fun stuff, kids.