I remember it well.

The yes's and the no's. The he said-she said. The where is he now; has anyone seen him? High school wide receivers. The will he or won't he? Ed Werder. Jay Glazer. ESPN and SI.com. Bus Cook. Frenzy. Mayor Michael Bloomberg and the key to the city.

Holy cow, it was exciting. Everybody knew something and nobody knew anything.

It was all Brett Favre, all the time. There was no place you could go to escape the fervor.

And here it comes again. Last week, it started with a report he was going to retire, followed by a report that he wasn't followed by a report that he had sent racy text messages to a good looking sideline reporter for the New York Jets. (Can anyone say Tiger Favre?)

You could feel the heat building, again.

But a funny thing happened on the way to the battleground.

I discovered that I don't care any more.

I read a couple of things online and watched a TV report or two. But other than that, I didn't care very much if Favre had made a decision and what that decision was.

Now, you've got to understand how different this was for me. In each of the previous off-season dramas, I was a fervent Brett boy. I wanted him to play. I thought he was still the best quarterback in the game. I thought the Packers were crazy for getting rid of him.

I was frantic in my disgust for those who hated Brett and thought they were all idiots.

This time, however, I don't care.

You want to play, Brett? Fine. You want to call it quits for real? That's OK with me.

I still think he's in the top echelon of quarterbacks. I still love watching him play. I love the drama he brings to the game and the skill that makes him an all-timer. I love his humor and his flair.

But, I've changed.

I'm a Packers fan. I want them to win and go to the Super Bowl. When they play the Vikings I want the Packers to win, no matter who's playing quarterback.

I think what has happened here is that this has become a like the little boy who cried wolf. Before too long, nobody paid attention anymore. Nobody cared if the wolf was at the door.

I love Brett Favre. He's one of my all-time favorite athletes to watch. But he's got to knock this whole thing off.

When you give a 6-year-old a choice between ice cream and a Pop-Tart, it is cute watching them agonize before making a decision. Well Favre, isn't 6 years old. He's a grown man.

I don't know why he does this. He's never been a hog for publicity, in fact there is plenty of evidence that he doesn't much like talking to reporters. There's no evidence that he is playing around hoping for more money.

I think the big thing is that he is behaving like a child and there's nobody around to tell him to grow up and behave like an adult.

So here it is. Grow up, Brett. Stop behaving like a baby. We'll love you no matter what you decide. Just decide, for God's sake.