In case you haven't heard, Brett Favre returns to Green Bay to face his former team this Sunday. He joins a long list of former players heading to the visitors' locker room at a stadium they once called home, but a short list of players who achieved icon status only to return dressed in enemy clothing.

Brett Favre's name was synonymous with the Green Bay Packers for 16 years. You couldn't help but think of one without the other during that time. He is a guaranteed first ballot Hall of Famer, and one of the most talked-about players of his era.

I came up with seven other examples on a par with Brett Favre--legendary local heroes returning to face their former teams. Some were cheered, some were booed. Some received both. But every return was anxiously awaited by the (formerly) home fans.

Here's a chronological rundown of the legends' returns:

Babe Ruth vs. the Boston Red Sox
April 19, 1920

To say that Babe Ruth was legendary is to state the obvious. But for the Red Sox through the end of the 1917 season, Ruth was mostly known for his pitching. In 1916 he led the league in ERA (1.75) and shutouts (9), and in 1917 he led the league with 35 complete games as he went 24-13 with a 2.01 ERA (a different game back then to be sure). The Red Sox won the 1915 and 1916 World Series, with Ruth getting just 6 at bats in the two series. But in 1918, the Red Sox used Ruth in the outfield for the first time. He would pitch in only 20 games in 1918 and 17 in 1919, and began to make his mark as a batter, leading the league with a then-record 11 home runs in 1918, and crushing 29 in 1919 (17 more than anyone else in baseball). But money troubles on the part of the Red Sox owner and the salary demands of the new star led to his sale to the New York Yankees in December 1919.

The Yankees played the Red Sox in a day-afternoon doubleheader on the Massachusetts state holiday (Patriots' Day) in 1920 and Babe Ruth made his first appearance in Boston in pinstripes. According to the book Red Sox Century, 10,000 fans cheered Ruth's return in game 1. Ruth went 2-for-4 but did not homer and the Red Sox won 6-0. 28,000 more fans piled into Fenway Park for game 2, and Ruth went just 1-for-4 (again without a home run) and the Red Sox won 8-3. Ruth received a huge ovation in each game before each at bat, but more cheers were heard for the Red Sox and their hot start against the Yankees.

Pete Rose vs. the Cincinnati Reds
June 1, 1979

Long before Pete Rose became known for the gambling scandal that led to his banishment from the game, he was known as "Charlie Hustle" and was a hitting machine for the Cincinnati Reds. Rose won three batting titles from 1963-1978, led the league in hits six times, won the Rookie of the Year Award in 1963 and the MVP in 1973. He and the "Big Red Machine" won back-to-back World Series titles in 1975 and 1976. In 1978 Rose had a 44-game hitting streak, the second-longest in Major League history, and the first real challenge to Joe DiMaggio's record 56-game streak set in 1941. His success made him a national superstar, and in the winter of 1978 Rose cashed in as a free agent, signing with the Philadelphia Phillies for a 4-year $3.2-million contract, which at the time made him the highest-paid player in team sports.

48,968 fans (the 5th-largest crowd of the season) packed Riverfront Stadium on the night of Rose's return. They cheered Rose prior to the game as he accepted the Reds' Most Valuable Player Award for 1978‚ an award voted on by the Cincinnati chapter of the Baseball Writers' Association of America. And prior to Rose's first at bat, the fans gave him a standing ovation. Rose went 0-for-4 as his Phillies lost to Cincinnati 4-2.

Reggie Jackson vs. the New York Yankees
April 27, 1982

Reggie Jackson was already a star before he arrived in the Bronx, winning two home run crowns and the 1973 American League MVP award, and playing on an Oakland A's team that won three straight World Series titles from 1972 through 1974. But he didn't become "Mr. October" until he signed with the Yankees. Throughout five sometimes tumultuous sometimes victorious seasons, Jackson hit 8 home runs in 15 World Series games, and the Yankees won back-to-back titles in 1977-78. His well-documented battles with owner George Steinbrenner led to his joining the California Angels in 1982 as a free agent.

Jackson started the season in a terrible slump but went 2-for-3 in his return to Yankee Stadium. He singled to lead off the 5th inning and scored the Angels' go-ahead run. He led off the top of the 7th inning against perennial All-Star Ron Guidry, and with the fans chanting the familiar "Reg-GIE!" "Reg-GIE!", he hit a home run. The fans then chanted "Steinbrenner sucks!", letting the owner know whose side they were on. The game ended after 7 innings due to rain.

Wayne Gretzky vs. the Edmonton Oilers
October 19, 1988

As captured so well in ESPN's recent 30 for 30 documentary (King's Ransom), Wayne Gretzky was a Canadian national treasure. He had won four Stanley Cups in five years and eight MVP awards during his 10 years as a member of the Edmonton Oilers. He owned or shared 49 NHL records by the end of the 1987-88 season. But negotiations for a new contract for Gretzky broke down and Oilers owner Peter Pocklington traded the "Great One" to the Los Angeles Kings. Gretzky held a tearful press conference as he headed off to Los Angeles, and Pocklington had his effigy burned in public for trading Gretzky.

Gretzky returned to Edmonton with the Kings and received a four-minute standing ovation from the 17,503 fans (the largest crowd at the time to see an Oilers' game). The game was nationally televised in Canada, and Gretzky had two assists but did not score a goal in an 8-6 loss to the Oilers.

Patrick Roy vs. the Montreal Canadians
March 5, 1997

In 11 seasons with the Montreal Canadians, goaltender Patrick Roy won two Stanley Cups and three Vezina Trophies (top goalie in the NHL). He allowed the fewest goals against four times. At the start of the 1995-96 season, Roy was 12-8-1 with a 2.59 goals against average (which was better than his average in two of his previous three seasons). But Roy had a strained relationship with head coach Mario Tremblay, who had taken over for the fired Jacques Demers just five games into the season. On December 2, 1995, in a home game against the Detriot Red Wings, Roy allowed 5 goals in the 1st period. The crowd turned on Roy, and when Tremblay finally removed him from the game halfway through the 2nd period, Roy had allowed a career-high 9 goals. Roy--accusing Tremblay of attempting to embarrass him--told team president Ronald Corey that he would not play another game for the Canadians. Four days later he was traded to the Colorado Avalanche, with whom Roy won the Stanley Cup later that season.

Roy's return to Montreal came late in the next season, with the Avalanche cruising toward another playoff appearance while the Canadians were fighting for the 8th and final playoff spot. Roy received a standing ovation as he skated out to the ice, but was alternately cheered and booed throughout the game. But Montreal goalie Jocelyn Thibault, who was part of the trade for Roy, felt the brunt of the Montreal fans' displeasure, as they booed him after each of the six goals he allowed. And in an ironic twist, he was pulled by Tremblay in the 2nd period. Roy finished with 30 saves in the 7-3 Colorado win.

Roger Clemens vs. the Boston Red Sox
July 12, 1997

Long before the steroid accusations and the bat-throwing incident and his days as a Yankee and an Astro, Roger Clemens was the star of the Boston Red Sox. Clemens struck out 20 batters in a game twice (once in 1986 and once in 1996), won three Cy Young Awards, one MVP, and led the Red Sox to the playoffs four times. But by the time 1996 rolled around, many in Boston--including general manager Dan Duquette--felt Clemens was in the "twilight of his career." After a lackluster 10-13 season in 1996 (in which he had that second 20-strikeout game and led the league in strikeouts), Duquette and the Red Sox decided to let Clemens walk via free agency.

Clemens signed with the Toronto Blue Jays and looked like a different pitcher on opening day. He lost weight, put on muscle, and turned his career around. He entered his first showdown with the Red Sox 13-3 with a 1.69 ERA, 4 complete games, and 140 strikeouts in 138 innings pitched. Clemens received a mix of cheers and boos to start the game, and was universally booed when he hit former teammate Mo Vaughn with a pitch in the 1st inning. But after surviving early wildness, Clemens settled in and won the crowd over as the game progressed. He pitched 8 innings, allowing just 4 hits and striking out 16 in the Blue Jays' 3-1 win. After he struck out the side in the 8th inning, Clemens walked off the field to a standing ovation and glared up at GM Dan Duquette's skybox.

Michael Jordan vs. the Chicago Bulls
January 19, 2002

Michael Jordan retired from the NBA in 1998 after winning his sixth title with the Chicago Bulls and was universally hailed as the greatest player in NBA history. In 2000 he became part owner and President of Basketball Operations for the Washington Wizards, and in 2001 he returned to the court as a player for the Wizards.

He came into his first game as a visitor in Chicago averaging 17 points a game, but was just 7 games removed from having scored 51 and 45 points in back-to-back games. The Chicago crowd gave Jordan a three-minute standing ovation, bringing the legend to tears. He had 16 points but had a horrible game, missing 14 shots and turning the ball over a career-high nine times. But the Bulls (8-30 coming into the game) were worse, shooting just 25% from the field and Jordan's Wizards won 77-69.

Brett Favre vs. the Green Bay Packers
November 1, 2009

Brett Favre joins the list on Sunday. The next chapter is about to be written...


NFL Week 8 Picks

BUFFALO (+3½) over Houston
NY JETS (-3½) over Miami
INDIANAPOLIS (-12½) over San Francisco
DETROIT (-4) over St. Louis
Seattle (+9½) over DALLAS
CHICAGO (-13½) over Cleveland
Denver (+3½) over BALTIMORE
PHILADELPHIA (E) over NY Giants
SAN DIEGO (-16½) over Oakland
Jacksonville (+3) over TENNESSEE
ARIZONA (-10) over Carolina
Minnesota (+3) over GREEN BAY
NEW ORLEANS (-10) over Atlanta

Last week: 8-4-1

Season: 57-45-1