This column might not make me a lot of friends in this part of the country, but I’ve just got to get something off my chest.

Please, Brett Favre, just go away. Stay on your ranch and do Prilosec and Wrangler commercials for the rest of your life. Just stay away from football please.

There, I said it.

This is year three of the Brett Favre retirement saga, and I’m just sick to death of it.

For the last two years, Favre waited months to decide whether he wanted to come back for another season or retire, basicially hamstringing the Green Bay Packers, who kind of needed to know who their quarterback was going to be for free agent and drafting purposes.

The first year irritated me and the second year just about drove me crazy, especially with the nonstop media coverage (see ESPN) of Favre’s non-announcement.

After disliking Favre for years — I had been turned off to him ever since he laid down in front of Michael Strahan, allowing him to set the single-season sack record in the final game of the season a few years ago — I had started to come around on him last season.

He resurrected his career after a couple of sub-par seasons and got the Packers to within one game of a Super Bowl.

He also did one other thing that I was very happy with.

A few days after the Packers lost in the NFC Championship Game to the New York Giants, Favre surprised everyone by announcing his retirement.

ESPN and other sports networks covered the retirement like Favre had died, with day-long montages to the quarterback.

It reminded me of the coverage the news networks did when Princess Diana died.

But it turns out that apparently Favre’s Hamlet-like qualities have risen to the surface again.

The former Southern Miss quarterback wants to come back and play again, once again putting the Packers in a horrible position.

Green Bay wants to move forward with young quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

Rodgers was drafted about four years ago as the heir apparent to Favre, and has been jerked around more than any player I can remember with Favre’s indecision.

Understandibly, the Packers and general manager Ted Thompson have some common sense and would rather Favre just stay retired.

They seem to be saying “Brett, we’re bigger than you and aren’t going to let you jerk us around anymore.” Bravo to them. I wish they had said that two years ago.

It is now apparent that if Favre comes back, it will be for another team, perhaps the Minnesota Vikings or the Chicago Bears, both teams that could use a future Hall of Fame quarterback and both teams that happen to reside in the same division as the Packers.

In fact, the Vikings make the trip to Lambeau Field in the first Monday Night Football game of the year, and the night the Packers are supposed to retire Favre’s number.

Now, wouldn’t that be some delicious irony there. Favre coming out at halftime in a Vikings jersey for the ceremony to retire his No. 4 with the Packers.

I for one, am sick to death of it. Favre is a great quarterback, no doubt, but the to play or not to play indecision has gotten very old very quickly.

Come on Brett. Take a hint. The Packers don’t want you. They would love for you to just work on your ranch and throw the football with your kids.

I might be in the minority here, but that sounds like an excellent idea.

Jeff Edwards is the sports editor for The Natchez Democrat. He can be reached at 601-445-3632 or jeff.edwards@natchezdemocrat.com