Tarnished legends are never pretty, which is why Brett Favre, the great Green Bay Packers quarterback, is looking a little ugly these days.

Favre is talking about coming out of the retirement he announced in March, which would disrupt the long-range plans the Packers started this summer with Aaron Rodgers, who was Favre's backup for three seasons. Favre has not asked the league to reinstate him, which would be easy enough to do, but he has asked the Packers to grant him his unconditional release so he can play for another team.

If you don't think that has turned Wisconsin upside down, think of Mario Lemieux coming out of retirement in 2000 and announcing he wanted to play for another team.

In making such an announcement, Favre has ignited the worst kind of distraction an athletic team can face. It's a distraction that can pit teammate against teammate, fan against fan and, even, coach against coach.

Favre is a living legend in Wisconsin, a hero who might as well have been the product of folklore as real life. He's the quintessential tough-guy quarterback who led the Packers to the Super Bowl twice, winning once, and got them near others.

When Favre announced his retirement, he was under some pressure from the team. The Packers wanted to plan for 2008 and didn't want to wait until the summer to find out who would be their quarterback. Rodgers, their first-round draft choice in '05, was installed as the starter and coach Mike McCarthy's offense was tweaked to work best for him.

Meanwhile, Favre was home in Mississippi developing an itch. When that itch got strong enough he went public. This is not to suggest he doesn't have a right to come out of retirement. Of course, he does. His mistake was announcing his retirement when he wasn't really sure. If the Packers were pressuring him, too bad. He should have stood his ground. Now he has put himself in an awkward position of forcing out Rodgers, with whom he has a good relationship, or alienating millions of Packers fans by playing elsewhere.

When Favre announced his retirement he was hardly a washed-up quarterback. Even last season, at 38, he showed his greatness as the Packers advanced to the NFC title game. He still would be regarded as a better option in 2008 than Rodgers, who never started an NFL game and has completed 35 of 59 passes for one touchdown.

The Packers were ready to put Favre in the past and get on with the future. But now what do they do? With Favre hovering, the Packers are in disarray.

They can:

• Turn their back on a legitimate Wisconsin legend and risk offending a large portion of their fan base by sticking with Rodgers.

• Put their future on hold, and risk alienating Rodgers, by returning Favre to the starter's role.

• Trade Favre.

• Have Favre serve as a backup to Rodgers.

• Grant Favre, as he requested, his unconditional release.

They can't turn their back on Favre. That's bad PR and no team can afford to offend a legend. Favre must be handled with care.

The could put their future on hold and go with him, but that's bad strategy. The team is geared for Rodgers to be the quarterback. McCarthy is geared for the same. It would probably ruin Rodgers, at least as a Packer. Nor can it be forgotten that although the Packers were 13-3 last year, they were 8-8 in 2006 and 4-12 in '05 with Favre at quarterback.

Of course, they can't grant him his unconditional release -- teams don't give away great players.

What they can do is bring him to camp as Rodgers backup with the understanding they would begin the process of trading him. Not only would Favre be getting his work in so that trading partners won't be worried about getting a rusty product, but it would be a sign of respect by the Packers.

Favre has indicated he wants to play for the Minnesota Vikings, where his friend Darrell Bevell is the offensive coordinator. Bevell was the Packers quarterback coach from 2003-05. That won't happen. The Packers are not going to let Favre play for a team in their division.

The ideal situation would be to not only get him out of the division but also out of the conference. But what the Packers want most is to get as much as they can for Favre. If that's Tampa Bay or Baltimore or some other quarterback-needy franchise, the Packers have to make that move.

It might cost them in the short term but not in the long. It will also help with the fan base in Wisconsin and, most of all, allow Favre the departure from football his greatness deserves.