Read here from Greg Bedard at jsonline for the full transcript. Interesting. I’m still pretty comfortable with my last post – I think a deal is essentially done and some details are just being ironed out. Bedard appears to have picked up on a Favre slip during the interview. Read here (Bedard’s boldface):
“Well, once again, it is like the terminology with the offense, it makes a lot of sense because the pieces are in place. They do have a great running back. They have a great running game. If I go there, I mean there’s no guarantees. We all know that. I went through that last year with New York. I would like to think that, I think every player should think that he is a difference maker. I think you have to believe that. But in that situation, knowing what is expected of you, knowing your team, knowing as long as we can run the ball, and complete passes when needed, we should be pretty good.”
I’d say this use of “we” coupled with his rather detailed rationale for playing for the Vikes (because of their offense), gives away the fact that the depth of discussions has gone well beyond the very limited discussion Favre describes when he says: “have talked with the Vikings. Nothing other than, ‘Are you interested?’ Vice versa”. I don’t believe Favre here. I think he’s talked in depth with Childress and more so with Darrell Bevell and in the process, they easily persuaded him to join the Vikes. I also wouldn’t be surprised if we eventually learn that Ryan Longwell has been a factor, a quieter factor, but still a factor.
The fact that Favre went ahead with the surgery seemed to strike me more after reading this interview than after I learned he had the surgery a few weeks ago. I know this is quite an obvious point and I know many others said the same thing once news broke that he had the surgery. But reading his words from this interview made me realize for some reason that for a guy who would prefer to simply show up game day and not do anything else (train in the offseason, participate in OTAs, have surgeries, rehab himself), it’s not a small decision to have surgery at almost 40 years old to prolong an NFL career. In Favre’s case in particular, this simply HAS to mean that the guy had decided to commit himself to return to the game PRIOR to having the surgery – or else he wouldn’t have gone ahead with the surgery. Period. And, I’d even go so far as saying the Vikes/Favre aren’t going to be picky if Favre’s arm is only 80% of what it was. I still think the real reason for any delay is due to the Vikes running into the other facet of the Brett Favre Experience that gives everyone a headache: Bus Cook.
packergeeks 
June 16, 2009 at 6:44 am |
AT this point, it doesn’t really matter who he plays for. It doesn’t even matter if he has a good year or bad year. His lies and bad choices will be what fans will remember most about him.
June 16, 2009 at 9:30 am |
I think Favre is right when he says time heals lots of things. He brought up Lombardi as one example. How about Mike Holmgren? Packer fans are mostly over his departure ten years later. Jim Taylor and the Saints. Forrest Gregg and the Cowboys. Reggie White and the Panthers. Arnie Herber unretired to play for the Giants. Heck, even Curly Lambeau coached other teams yet they still named the stadium after him.
Don Hutson retired four times, Forrest Gregg five times, and Reggie White three times. Favre’s indecision about retiring isn’t so unusual. Like those other Packer legends, history tells us that his legacy will ultimately be defined by his time with the team, not the manner in which he departed.
June 16, 2009 at 10:02 am |
But none of those guys threw a hissy fit on their way out of town. Speaking for myself, the issue is not that he wants to keep playing but rather that at least part (and likely a significant part) of wanting to play is to screw the Packers. Last year had Favre said ‘I screwed up. I made my decision to soon and I regret it. I want to play and if playing for the Packers won’t work out, let’s find something that will. Here’s a list of teams I would be willing to be traded to’ then I would have wished him well and rooted for him as long as it didn’t hurt the Packers. But he played his games of denial, demanded his release to play for a division rival, and aired his grievances in the media (and let’s not forget the phone call to the Lions). That’s crossing the line in my opinion.
June 16, 2009 at 10:26 am |
There is one side of this that could really be interesting. I can’t find it right now but I read somewhere that Favre’s contract with Minn. would/could be performance based. Small guarantee with lots of incentives.I feel fairly confident that a lot of that negotiation is taking place right now and is probably one of the hold ups in actually signing. Personally I think the Vikes would sign Favre if his arm were only 50% just to sell some tickets–if they got him at the right price. It will be interesting to see how much he will give up for a chance to “play the game he loves” which can be interpreted as sticking to the Pack.
June 16, 2009 at 10:41 am |
Of course, none of those other guys were offered a $20 million bribe not to work elsewhere, either.
The Packers did not exactly handle the situation with grace, so I think it’s perfectly understandable that Favre would be frustrated with his former team.
Give it time and all will be forgiven and forgotten. In the meantime, just let the man play football.
June 16, 2009 at 11:30 am |
First of all, I think the Packers basically handled it as well as they could. they put their version of events out there and then kept their mouth shuts. They have never bad mouthed Favre or his family. And they still want to honor his performance in Green Bay despite his actions. That’s pretty classy to me.
And beyond that, Favre needs to stop thinking solely about himself. If he wanted to play he could have stayed with the Jets. Instead he’s doing something that is guaranteed to hurt and piss off Packer fans. And he’s doing it at least in part to screw Ted Thompson. That’s selfish and immature. And he’s destroying his legacy in the process. Because that is different from the other guys – they wanted to play, not screw the Packers. Packers fans don’t forgive that type of thing. I can understand wanting to play (not neccessarily un-retiring twice since you should learn from the first mistake). But there are ways to play that don’t involve screwing the Packers – and you should try those first. Favre didn’t.
June 16, 2009 at 12:46 pm |
I agree with Ja. Time will heal all of this. He was a good Packer, then a great Packer, then a mediocre Packer, then a great Packer again at the very end and now he is playing for other teams, but he will always be remembered as a Packer.
And, in no way do I agree with anyone that says he is ruining his legacy. That legacy is firmly established by 3 MVPs and a Super Bowl ring…now he is just hanging on too long like so many others before him, but I don think that ruins his whole previous body of work.
If he goes on to win another Super Bowl with the Vikings (throw up in my mouth) then he will further establish himself as one of the all time greatest to ever play. If he has a bad year, so what…he’s old. It is win-win for Farve.
*Side note: shouldn’t the Jets be pissed about him coming back to play for another team? Didn’t he have a two year contract and asked to be released so he could retire?
Am I wrong here? or maybe they’re glad to be rid of him….To paraphrase New Yorker George Constanza, The Jerk Store called, they’re running out of Favre.
June 16, 2009 at 1:13 pm |
Part of his legacy was that he was a good guy. He was someone who played for love of the game. Coming back to screw his former team isn’t playing for love of the game. Part of his legacy was that he was a guy who had loyalty towards his team. Coming back to screw his former team negates that.
Yes, his on-field accomplishments speak for themselves. All of the touchdowns, all of the interceptions, all of the wins, those don’t change. But how he is perceived, especially by Packer fans, can change. And has. And if he shows up at Lambeau – the place where they may retire his number – playing in purple, people aren’t going to forget that.
June 16, 2009 at 3:34 pm
I’m a Packer fan, and I don’t think his legacy is ruined. And in 10 years time, I’d welcome him back to be inducted in any HOF.
Yes he was a “fun” guy, but I heard way too many stories about Brett in his youth to think of him as a “good” guy. I guess I try not to put athletes (or anyone for that matter) on too high of a pedestal, because really they’re just human beings with skills…great skills, but they’re fallible none the less. and really, wouldn’t we all want to compete against someone we felt did us wrong (even if those feelings are misplaced).
Favre ‘owes’ the fans nothing. But, I bet someday he’ll come out and say “Really, Packer fans are the greatest in the world” and then he’ll show up at Lambeau and people will clap, because they’ll forget this nonsense and they’ll remember the joy of watching Brett run down the field, smile on face, arms in the air and jumping on someone’s back.
If people need to hold on to some grudge because they feel duped or think Brett is trying to “screw” the Packers…that’s their bag, but I hope they don’t lump all Packer fans into the same bag.
June 16, 2009 at 3:52 pm
I don’t think I put him on a pedastal. I never thought he was perfect – I just never thought he was this self-centered. This whole situation is all about Favre. He felt disrespected by the Packers and so he is going to get back at them. He even admitted that a lot of his wanting to come back was to ‘stick it to Ted’. He’s lied on multiple occassions and he doesn’t even seem to get that his actions affect other people – like his former teammates and the fans that supported him for 16 years.
Yes, he doesn’t ‘owe’ me (or any fan anything) but it is a two way street. And that means that I have no obligation to support him, or to not point out that his actions are selfish, disrespectful to the fans, and childish.
And if he does say Packer fans are the greatest, I have no obligation too believe that he means it – because if they were truly the greatest then he wouldn’t be doing something guaranteeed to hurt them. And I don’t think most fans will forgive and forget. The more passionately you care about something, the harder any perceived betrayal is. And Favre was pretty passsionately loved and his showing up at Lambeau in purple isn’t going to be easily forgiven or forgotten. Especially since most people view it as a way to get back at Ted Thompson.
No I wouldn’t want to compete against some who I felt did me wronge – I d want to move on. My first year of college someone told me that the only reason I made our school’s top band was as a favor to my high school band director. I could have done my best to rub it in his face every time we saw each other. I didn’t. I worked, I kept my mouth shut and when he asked for my help recording a composition he wrote, I agreed. Sometimes you have to let things go, especially after more than a year.
June 16, 2009 at 1:01 pm |
The Packers did NOT handle the situation well at all. Several GB writers have acknowledged that TT ignored Favre and let the entire thing fester, instead of dealing with him face to face.
Please, I know you can’t stand Favre and that is your right, but stop acting as though the Packers are this noble, above the fray org. They are a business, ergo, loyalty to any player no matter what that player gave them for 16 years means nothing. How and why you continue to give them the benefit of the doubt is amazing.
I hope like everyone else that the team is successful this year, but forgive me if I don’t guzzle the Lambeau Koolaid.
June 16, 2009 at 1:18 pm |
It isn’t that I can’t stand Favre. It is that I feel duped. I supported this guy for years. Living in MN I got lots of grief everytime I wore a #4 jersey and I didn’t care. Because I thought that Favre was one of the good guys. Someone article basically called him the white T.O. and I tend to agree with it. Nothing is ever Favre’s fault. It’s TT’s fault, it’s the media’s fault, but it is never Brett Favre’s fault. Sure the Packer’s share some blame. But they aren’t the ones who turned it into a media circus and they aren’t the ones pursuing a personal vendetta over a year after the fact. In fact, they’ve said they still want to retire Favre’s number and establish a relationship with him. Favre’s response is essentially ‘screw you’.
That’s not the guy I though I was supporting for 16 years.
June 16, 2009 at 1:36 pm |
Favre did play last year without screwing the Packers. He agreed to play for the Jets. Why would he do that if he only wanted to screw the Packers? The Jets didn’t want him back and had no problem releasing him even though he could come back now and play for the Bills (which wouldn’t be a bad fit, either).
Now it just so happens that the best fit for Favre is the Vikings. Big deal. No other team has expressed interest. So what if playing against the Packers adds a little extra incentive? It’s hypocritical to feel duped by Favre, but to deny the right for Favre to feel duped by the Packers, IMHO.
June 16, 2009 at 3:05 pm |
The Jets did want him back. They said so in public multiple times.
And Favre did screw the Packers last year. Or do you not recall the media circus that surrounded training camp?
Actually, the Jets probably would be the best fit for Favre. Before his injury they were looking very good. He could build off that performance. And while he would need to adjust to a new coach and likely a new offense – he would need to do that with the Vikings. And with the Vikings he also needs to get use to new teammates. That wouldn’t be the case with the Jets.
And while the Vikings are a good fit, they aren’t the best fit. For one thing, they don’t need a gunslinger – they need a game manager who can hand the ball of to Peterson while being good enough to keep the defense honest. Favre isn’t a game manager. And do you really think he’s going to be willing to take a backseat to the running game? I doubt it. Favre does best when he has a coach who keeps him disciplined – such as Holmgren and McCarthy. I highly doubt Childress will be able to do that..
June 16, 2009 at 2:07 pm |
Favre made his choices. He was traded after retirement and the Packers refusal to give him an outright release. Up to that point T’s arguements hold a bit of water. After he played a year on a two year contract for the Jets ole Brett decided to use the reirement ploy once again. The Jets had told him he needed surgery and would be welcome back. No says ole Brett I’m retiring. Surprise, Surprise ole Brett gets his outright release and miracle of miracles the Queens appear once again. The surgery he didn’t want to do when he conned the Jets was done. WOW! He signs with the Queens assuming his arm is properly attached to his shoulder. That makes him a manipulative lying piece of self-important crap in my book. Go ahead and retire from the Queens and go to the Hall as a queen. That would be the perfect cap off for his career and make him look as small as he really is.
June 16, 2009 at 10:24 pm |
He may have gotten the benefit of the doubt in the past, but some Packer fans and the media are sure as hell making up for it now.
The overkill is ridiculous and so are some of the hysterical reactions of Packer fans.