MILWAUKEE -- Love him or hate him, everyone has an opinion about Brett Favre's retirement -- whether it's this year, next year, or even the following year.

I am a Chicago Bears fan who moved to Milwaukee in 1998. And quite honestly, I never gave the man much thought -- unless it was a negative one. Use of the word "Favre" was not allowed around my father unless the word "fumble" was attached to it.

In the past few years, Favre has almost single-handedly ruined what could have been some of my favorite moments in (recent) Bears footfall.

The worst were the Monday night games in Champaign, Ill. (October 2002), and the opening night of the renovated Soldier Field (October 2003). The Packers quarterback made mincemeat of my team and shut the crowd down within minutes. That Monday night Halloween game in 1994 is also on my list of reasons to hate Favre. I can't say that the New Year's Eve game of 2006 made me too happy either.

Luckily, for me, the 2004, 2005 and 2007 seasons weren't as good for Favre when it came to the Bears.

So now, as the Hall-of Famer ponders his retirement, I have to question, when did I start to admire the quarterback?

Was it the incredible game he played after his father died? The way he handled his wife's breast cancer? Or maybe how he jumped in to help with Hurricane Katrina victims, which included his own family. Maybe. Those events certainly made him appear more human.

In January 2004, I found myself furious that before the playoffs, the Philadelphia media was attacking Favre and the Packers for things that had nothing to do with upcoming football game and even wrote about it (whole story). I don't think I ever admitted that to my dad. I was appalled to discover that maybe, just maybe, I didn't hate Brett Favre.

The Bears and Packers certainly have a long and storied rivalry, but I think there's a quiet admiration among fans. And whether Bears fans like Favre on Sundays or not, I for one, am happy that I've seen the superstar play in person several times and admire him on and off the field.

Do I want him to retire? As a Chicago fan -- absolutely. As a football fan -- maybe not.