As I was wrapping up work on my first book a year ago, “Bodyguard to the Packers,” with former Green Bay Packers security director Jerry Parins, we were searching for a photo that would help the book jump off the shelves. Jerry owned a great photo of Brett Favre giving him a hug after a game in which both men wore grins of pure joy and affection for each other.
It was a great photo, and we decided that with Brett’s unprecedented popularity (he had just “retired” from the Packers), it would help sales more than any marketing campaign ever could. We had a whole chapter in the book dedicated to Jerry’s relationship with Brett and his family, and Brett even helped us with a comment for the book jacket.
Everything was coming together for a successful first foray into the book business – or so we thought.
My, how things can change…
By the time the book came out in late August 2008, Brett had unretired, gone through a bitter divorce with the Packers and become a member of the New York Jets. There were mixed feelings in Packer Nation about Favre, which have only deepened with his recent dance with the hated Minnesota Vikings, and our “blessing” of having Brett on the cover had turned into a full-blown curse.
“Bodyguard to the Packers” remains a great book for fans of the Green Bay Packers, law enforcement and cancer survivors, but that cover photo long ago ceased doing us any favors.
Oh well.
Posted by Mike on May 12, 2009 at 6:56 AM under