07/11/08
Packers issue reaction: http://packers.com/news/releases/2008/07/11/1/
In other words: we love you Brett but you retired.
07/11/08
Yes, we blame Favre. But for a few minutes, let's think about the other side of the story.
Chris Mortensen was just on Homer's show on ESPN 540. And he made a good point: (paraphrasing because we didn't write it down) Favre was asked by the Packers in March to commit 100% to the season. He wasn't ready to do that so his choice was to retire.
So, Favre wasn't ready to retire when he retired. Ted Thompson wanted him to commit and Favre said he wasn't ready to commit so Favre felt like it was time to retire.
Did Thompson make Favre retire too soon?
07/11/08
So it's official: Brett wants out of Green Bay.
According to Chris Mortensen, Favre and Bus Cook sent an overnight letter yesterday to the Packers that asks for his unconditional release. That letter arrived at Packer offices this morning and now sets in motion the process the un-retirement process. Details:
Three days after a conference call with Green Bay Packers team officials on Tuesday in which quarterback Brett Favre emphatically expressed his desire to play in 2008, Favre on Friday formally asked for his contractual release from the Packers in a letter, sources close to Favre and the team said.
But will he be a Packer? Mortensen said on ESPN Radio, this afternoon, that "it makes the most sense for him to wind up in Minnesota". The Packer Backer Blog says no way.
Here's what we think will happen:
Within 24 hours the Packers have to either release Favre or reinstate him as an active duty Packer. The Pack did not use his salary cap room, so they can reinstate him just by cutting someone off the 53 man roster. We think that Favre will be a Packer by the end of Friday or start of Saturday.
This would enable the Packers to trade Favre and control where he plays in 2008. It will not be Minnesota or Chicago. It will be a team that the Packers will not face in 2008. The Packer organization will not allow Brett to play the Packers anytime soon. That's why we also think that it won't be the Buccaneers, one of the teams that has been rumored.
It's a sad, sad mess. We will always love Favre, but this makes it difficult to like him. What a nightmare.
07/08/08
So our extremely scientific poll seems to show that Packer fans don't want Brett back or at the very least are just sick of the whole situation (64% say stay retired).
Cheese and Packers has a pretty good summary of how Packers fans feel (he also rips Peter King, thank you).
And yes it's a little odd that the Packers haven't said anything about the Favre situation. What are they supposed to do? Have a press conference every time Favre, his agent or his buddies say he wants to come back?
Thankfully, Gene Wojciechowski (there's a good Wisconsin name, by god) is here to make sense of the Favre situation for us. Yeah, Bus Cook is a good source on this story, Gene. You've really done your homework.
Finally, Phil Simms is a voice of reason here (again).
07/03/08
We learned yesterday, through Chris Mortenson's "sources" (probably Favre agent Bus Cook), that Favre may, kinda want to come back, unretire and play for the Packers.
Yeah, he's got an "itch to play".
Supposedly he called McCarthy and asked about the options. We've heard that McCarthy didn't exactly welcome him back.
Later on Wednesday, Favre told the Biloxi Sun Herald, via a text message, that it's just a rumor. (He texts?)
Next steps? Favre has to send a letter to the Packers asking to be reinstated. The Packers would then have to release him or put him on the roster. If reinstated, He could either be traded or report to August pre-season camp (about four weeks to go).
There are hardly bigger Favre fans than the folks at this site (this office has a SI cover on the wall and life sized Brett in the corner), but we're getting annoyed with Favre. Please, make like Mark McGwire and go away. Hell, go on Fox every week, we'd love it. Just stop annoying the Packerland.
Meanwhile, we gotta feel sorry Aaron Rodgers. In a week that he was profiled in Sports Illustrated (coincidence?), Aaron now has to now deal with this.
