Now would be a good time for the Packers to change their colors, their uniforms, their logo, etc. Just go with a completely different look, because when Brett Favre retires, he takes the identity of the Packers with him.

If you're under 35, for most of your life, Brett Favre has been the Packers. If you thought of the Packers, you thought of Favre. There was no separation. Whether it was in his younger days, when he was the dangerous, reckless, fearless competitor who could beat anyone at anytime, or more recent years, when he was saddled with a bad team and forced throws as he tried to win games on his own, or last year, in the midst of his brilliant and unlikely resurgence, Brett Favre was the franchise.

If you talked about another player on the Packers roster, you couldn't do it without mentioning how their presence affected Favre, too. 

The Packers signed Reggie White? Hey, if Favre gets a defense, watch out. Sterling Sharpe has to retire because of a neck injury? Oh, that's terrible ... who's Favre going to throw to now? Mike Holmgren's leaving? Well, they better hire a head coach who gets along with Brett Favre.

And now what? The Packers are like The Pips, and their Gladys Knight is gone. I'm not saying the Packers can't ever be good again, of course; in fact, the talent's in place to continue to be a good team right away. 

But whatever they do, it's going to feel completely different. You can't tell me that you see that Geico commercial with The Pips and think it's just like the days when they were making gold records with Gladys.

• Favre retires after 17 years / Yahoo! Sports