Nov. 2--GREEN BAY -- Somewhere, Ari Fleischer was smiling.

As Green Bay Packers fans greeted Brett Favre -- one of their greatest heroes for 16 seasons -- with round after round of boos during his return to Lambeau Field Sunday, it was obvious that Fleischer, the former political spin-doctor hired by the Packers when their divorce with Favre got messy in 2008, had helped to turn the fans against him.

It soon became clear, however, that Fleischer's campaign to pin the blame on Favre was the only portion of the Packers' exit strategy for their longtime quarterback that has worked.

First the Packers hoped Favre would go away quietly after he announced his retirement in the spring of 2008. Then, after he decided to unretire months later, they hoped he would just go away.

In typical Favre fashion, however, he isn't going anywhere. Just the opposite, in fact. Even at age 40, he keeps coming back to haunt the Packers.

Sunday, for the second time in a month, Favre was close to flawless as he led his new team, the Minnesota Vikings, to a win over the Packers. Because Minensota's 38-26 victory came in Favre's Lambeau homecoming in a game the Packers had to win, it had to be especially aggravating for the Packers.

"He got us," cornerback Charles Woodson said.

No, he got you again.

Packers fans may be divided on whether Favre is still a hero or has turned into a traitor for signing with the arch-rival Vikings in August, but most NFL people will tell you that general manager Ted Thompson and coach Mike McCarthy did the right thing by dealing Favre to the New York Jets and moving on to Aaron Rodgers prior to last season. Trading away an aging star when you have an understudy ready to take over has been a successful NFL strategy forever.

However, while getting rid of Favre and turning the team over to Rodgers might have been the best long-term move for the Packers, it is a move that keeps blowing up in their faces. Indeed, trading Favre couldn't have worked out any worse for the Packers because he just keeps intruding on their lives.

In Favre Bowl II, he all but dashed Green Bay's hopes for an NFC North Division title, throwing two of his four touchdown passes in the fourth quarter as the once-beaten Vikings held off the slow-starting Packers. Their 4-3 record was one reason the Packers were upset afterward. Their failure to satisfy their fully engaged fans, who booed Favre until they booed their own team off the field at halftime, was the other.

"I watched a special this morning with a lot of the Packer greats, the legends, talking about the whole deal, and I think it was disappointing for a lot of people," Woodson said. "First of all, it's a loss. But there's a lot of people that really wanted this game. So we let a lot of people down today."

At least they made an old man happy.

"Am I glad the way these two games have turned out? Absolutely," Favre said. "But I knew I could play and I knew this was a good football team. I know the Packers are a good football team. It had nothing to do with trying to prove myself to anyone. I still have passion for it. It's a little bit tougher to get up and bounce back, but my arm feels great and my mind's in a good place.

"This team has welcomed me in and, really, all the other stuff doesn't matter. I know it makes for a good story. I'm glad it's over, I'm glad we won both, but I'm not going to sit here and throw any daggers. The way we played is about as good as we can play."

Against his old team anyway, Favre is playing about as well as he's ever played. In two games against the Packers, he has completed 69.5 percent of his passes for 515 yards, seven touchdowns and no interceptions.

Because Rodgers has also played very well for large portions of both games, it is clear the difference between the Packers and Vikings isn't at quarterback. Any fans still angry at Thompson and McCarthy for trading away Favre should instead rip them for their atrocious handling of the offensive tackle position, the biggest reason Rodgers was sacked 14 times in the two games.

About all this outcome really proved is that the Vikings are a better team than the Packers. But would they be if they had Tarvaris Jackson at quarterback instead of Favre? Probably not.

And not even Fleischer could spin that one into a positive.

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