HEMPSTEAD, NY - In two months, the world’s attention will focus on Hofstra when the university hosts the third presidential debate. Judging by yesterday’s crowd on the north campus, Barack Obama and John McCain will be hard pressed to earn as much praise as Brett Favre.

Nearly 10,500 fans inundated the Hempstead-based school to watch Favre participate in his first practice with the Jets since the blockbuster trade with Green Bay was consummated last week.

Shortly before 1:30 p.m., Favre received his first standing ovation for simply walking from Weeb Ewbank Hall to the field wearing a protective red jersey and his famous No. 4. He waved to the fans before commencing his stretching exercises, acknowledging a fan base that experienced a febrile reaction to the trade news by purchasing replica Favre uniforms in record numbers.

But Favre said he came to New York to help the franchise rebound from a 4-12 season and did not end his retirement simply to stuff the coffers of the Modell’s or act as the Jets’ new pitchman for personal seat licenses. After looking both stellar on certain pass plays and rusty on other timing routes in the almost two-hour practice, the 18-year veteran assessed his performance.

“I was probably overly excited as I started practice,” Favre said. I’m going to pay for it tomorrow. I feel rough. They’re kind of throwing everything at me right now. I’m trying to digest it but it can be a little overwhelming if you let it [be].”

Favre is a lock for the Hall of Fame but would not follow in the steps of the Jets only other legendary quarterback. When asked to make a Joe Namath-esque guarantee, the NFL’s all-time leader in touchdown passes, passing yards, attempts and completions would not make any promises.

“I hope at the end of the season that I feel like I made the right decision,” Favre said. “I hope the Jets fans and the people throughout the NFL world feel like I made the right decision. At this point, I think it was the right decision. I’d love to win the Super Bowl, I would have loved to have gone and won it last year. I could say that for a lot of years.

“As I said yesterday and the day before, my intentions are to help this team win. I can’t make any guarantees; I’m not going to make any guarantees. All I can say is I’ll do my best and hopefully that’s enough.”

By simply stepping on the field and working in a group that includes backup Kellen Clemens, Favre officially put an end to an offseason of turmoil that included his retirement announcement in March and an ugly war of words with the Packers coaches and management when Favre decided to return. The disharmony facilitated a slew of speculation before the Jets convinced Favre to accept a trade that sent a conditional draft choice to Green Bay.

Multiple fans wearing Cheese-heads hats and Green Bay jerseys were in attendance, joining a crowd that started near the University Club and snaked all the way around to the barricade by the east endzone. Some vantage points by the fence ran five-people deep and the team’s Jets Fest received almost a weekends worth of visitors shortly after opening. Outside of five pass attempts as a rookie for the Falcons, Favre played every snap of his illustrious career for the Packers from 1992-2007. His last game for the organization was also the last time Favre played competitive football, when he struggled in the NFC Championship at Lambeau Field in a loss to the Giants.

Following the tenebrous negations with the Packers and whirlwind two days that included an introductory press conference in Cleveland and a trip to City Hall yesterday, Favre said it was good to get back to football matters. He also tempered expectations by insisting the learning process will take time.

“I’m two weeks behind as far as practices and I’m also 38 years old so I’m a little bit behind there too,” Favre said with a grin. “My arm feels fine. It will be tired tomorrow and sore. It’s the first time I put the pads on since the Giants game. It was warm. I didn’t want to look too bad so I tried to put as much into it as I could, and I’ll pay for it tomorrow, but I’ll be okay.”

Before practice, coach Eric Mangini confirmed Favre as the starting for Saturday’s preseason contest against Washington. Despite Favre’s limited repetitions with his new teammates, Mangini said the three-time MVP will follow a playing schedule similar to other starting quarterbacks around the league. That would leave only two exhibition contests to work on his timing, since starting players typically see extremely limited time in the final preseason game.

“It’ll be consistent with the philosophies we’ve had in the preseason,” Mangini said about Favre’s playing-time schedule. “The key is getting him reps with the first group. We’re going to work as hard as we can to get him up to speed.”

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