Afternoon State Sports Briefs: Packers will eventually retire Favre's number

• Green Bay Packers

Green Bay Packers

Talk about it

GREEN BAY - Green Bay Packers’ president Mark Murphy says the team will eventually retire Brett Favre’s Number-Four. But they want to make sure he’s really retired, and doesn’t pop up anyplace else.

The 41-year-old Favre said this week he has no intention of coming out of retirement after struggling in his second-and-final season at Minnesota. But as we know, a few teams always seem to need a quarterback midway through the season – and nothing would prevent Favre from un-retiring for a third time and donning some other team’s uniform. Murphy told fans in Ashland on the Packers’ Tailgate bus tour that it will be a few years before the Packers consider a number-retirement ceremony. But Murphy said Favre deserves the honor for the 16 years he spent in Green Bay, taking the Packers to two Super Bowls and winning one. Murphy said he wants to honor Favre at a time when it’s meaningful for both him and the team. They were going to do it at the Packers’ first home game in 2008, before he went off to the New York Jets.

____________________________________________________________________

As always, Wisconsin players made their marks on the U.S. men’s hockey team that was eliminated from the World Championships yesterday. The Americans were shut out by the Czech Republic 4-0 in a quarter-final game in Slovakia. Former Badger Derek Stepan was Team USA’s points leader, with two goals and five assists for a total of seven points in seven games. Current Badger Craig Smith had the most goals for the squad with three. He had six points in all.

_____________________________________________________________________

The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers will host Cedar Rapids tonight in the Midwest League. The Rattlers are coming off a 9-7 victory over the Kernels last evening. Milwaukee Brewers’ reliever Zach Braddock will make a rehab appearance for the Timber Rattlers. He’s been on the disabled list with a sleep disorder. Wisconsin is a Brewers’ affiliate in the low Class-“A” category. The Rattlers are 15-and-15 this season, in fifth place among the eight teams in the Western Division. The Beloit Snappers will play at Kane County tonight, after losing to the Cougars 8-2 on Wednesday. Beloit remains third in the West at 17-14, six-and-a-half games in back of first-place Burlington. One game started late this morning in the Midwest League. Great Lakes went out in front of East division leader Lansing 2-to-nothing in the third inning. All other action is under the lights. Clinton is at Quad Cities. Burlington plays at Peoria. West Michigan hosts South Bend. Lake County plays at Dayton. And Fort Wayne entertains Bowling Green.

Tags: wisconsin sports, sports, proam