MADISON, Wis. -- Love him or hate him, Brett Favre'd-out or not, there's a new look at the spat between Favre and Packers brass.

For many, sports can be a metaphor for life, and experts said Favre's personal struggles can parallel the life-experiences of all of us.

Yes, he's just a quarterback. But relationship experts said no matter the magnitude or type of loss, people are bound to feel it.

"The person is going to leave, and you don't think they're going leave, you're kind of in denial about it," said Geraldo VilaCruz, a counselor who teaches relationship courses at Madison Area Technical College, "And then you get a little upset that you can't believe this is happening."

VilaCruz said the best way to cope with the end of any relationship is to be happy the relationship even took place.

"When you're in a relationship, you've had all those years together. There have been some good times there. So cherish them and enjoy them - - remember those," said VilaCruz, "But sometimes we just have things that we don't have control over, so we have to focus on where our control lies."

"There comes a tough time in lots of organizations lifetimes where you got to make a tough decision," said Edgewood College business professor Ken Macur, who said the Favre fiasco can teach a lesson in workplace relations, "[The Packers and Brett Favre had] two different conversations. They're not even on the same topic. That issue is totally consistent with a lot of management-employee disputes."

Macur said communication is key.

"When it comes time to deal with an employee issue, they have to deal with them upfront, honestly, and that means for them to have clear intentions too." said Macur, "What do they want?

But sometimes, the ultimate lesson is learning to let go.

"At some point, we're going to move forward," said VilaCruz, "And it's the last stage, when you're looking at loss."