Here are a couple of things to always keep in mind as you progress through life: my friend Eric who lives in the States is always right, and American sports stars never stay retired.

Just three weeks ago, I was having a good chat with the aforementioned Eric, who lives in Florida but has been a lifelong fan of the Packers. Discussing the speculation surrounding the return of Brett Favre, I foolishly suggested that the media were simply fishing for a story during a relatively quiet news period in the NFL.

‘Brett isn’t going to come back, just accept it,’ I confidently told my pal. ‘He’s got nothing left to play for, he said so himself during his RETIREMENT press conference in March.’

‘Have you not studied American sports stars and the definition of the word retirement? Most top players have to retire at least twice for it to be official,’ he said in a tone that dismissed me as a bumbling fool, ‘Favre will be playing in the NFL in 2008. I don’t know where, but he’ll be playing.’

After the conversation, I sat down in front of the TV with a smile on my face. (‘Eric doesn’t know what he is talking about, I write for the BBC!’ I thought.) I decided to watch the March 6th Favre retirement announcement again in order to reaffirm my beliefs. From what I remembered, he seemed sure about giving the game up. Sitting there in front of my television I found myself finding his words quite emotional.

‘I’ve given everything I possibly can give to this organization, to the game of football, and I don’t think I’ve got anything left to give, and that’s it,’ Favre said with tears in his eyes. ‘I’m much more aware of how hard it is to win in this league and to play at a high level. I’m not up to the challenge anymore. I can play, but I’m not up to the challenge.’

I was convinced. For once, I was going to trump Eric and his football knowledge. I was looking forward to the season kicking off in September and with it the beautifully smug phone call I would be able to have with my unassuming friend. ‘Oh he’s coming back is he, then where is he Eric, where is he?!?!’, I would have said, and hung up the phone laughing like a deranged wilder beast.

However, I will never be able to have that phone call now, and even if Brett Favre does not get released by the Packers and plays no part in the 2008 NFL season I will have been wrong on principle.

Favre has put both Packers fans through these ‘will he won’t he’ shenanigans for the last few years, but in the 2008 edition the three time MVP actually held a press conference to announce his retirement. He spoke passionately about the sport and organisation that had provided him with so much joy for so many years. It really did appear as though this was it for the legendary Brett Favre. Looking back, I now feel very short-sighted.

Indeed, it has emerged that Favre immediately regretted his decision to retire from the game. In a hastily prepared statement released on Saturday, the Packers announced that they had ‘welcomed Brett back on more than one occasion,’ but that ‘The finality of his decision to retire was accepted by the organization. At that point, the Green Bay Packers made the commitment to move forward with our football team.’

Had Favre not got cold feet about coming back at the end of March when he initially suggested to head honcho Ted Thompson that he wanted to then perhaps Brett would not be in this mess.

Unfortunately, the implication for us as football fans is that we have a transfer saga of Cristiano Ronaldo proportions on our hands. Will the Packers take back Favre in anything but a backup position? Will the franchise release the player? Will Favre sign for Real Madrid? Only time will tell, but Thompson has said that 'it's a little gut-wrenching as an organization to go through it, and certainly for (coach) Mike McCarthy and myself.' These do not sound like the words of a man who will be welcoming back his former employee with open arms.

Packers fans seem split on whether they want Favre to play for Green Bay again. Some quarters are suggesting that the organisation has already moved on from the 17 year veteran, whilst others are saying that after all Favre has done for the franchise, if he wants to come back he should be allowed to.

I feel for Favre. He has realised that he is not ready to retire, and appears to be desperate to play in the NFL this year. However, the fact is he has created this mess himself. I have much more sympathy for Aaron Rodgers, who has had to deal with living in Favre's shadow ever since being drafted in 2005.

He will have lingering doubts over whether or not he will be starting the 2008 season as the QB for the Packers or if he will enter another year as Favre’s cheerful understudy. Perhaps the Packers would be naive to bring a 38 year old veteran who has used up one of his 'American sports stars retirements' when the organisation has a very promising and hungry QB waiting in the wings.

Of course, Eric famously (well, amongst my friendship group anyway) told me at the start of the 2007 season that the Giants would win the Super Bowl because of Michael Strahan committing to one more year with the team.

This is why Eric is always correct. As a journalist, I wish I were as intuitive as he is.