COOK SHOPPING OF FAVRE CONFIRMED

[packers11]

pft.com


COOK SHOPPING OF FAVRE CONFIRMED

Posted by Mike Florio on April 4, 2008, 7:44 p.m.
In response to Sam Farmer’s recent report for the Los Angeles Times that agent Bus Cook is quietly talking to other teams about a possible trade for retired quarterback Brett Favre, a league source tells us that Cook definitely had been doing this.

Cook’s motives remain unclear. It’s possible that he wants to line up a new option for Brett and then present it to him in order to see whether he bites. Or maybe this Cook’s (or Favre’s) way of keeping Favre’s name in circulation.

For the record, Cook has said that the reports of such discussions are “absolutely false.” Also for the record, Favre says that he’s not coming back.

The bottom line here could be that Cook thinks that Favre really isn’t done, regardless of the words emanating from his mouth. Remember this — it’s Cook who said that he thinks Favre felt unwanted by the Packers. And what non-family member knows Favre better than the guy who has represented Favre since he entered the league in 1991?

[packinpatland]

Where's the proof?...........a league source......... :roll:

[motife]

btw, as JS points out, if any NFL team talks to either Cook or Favre without the Packer's permission, that's tampering because he's under contract.

This is what SF lost a 5th round pick and had to swap 3rds(?) with Chicago for when they spoke to Lance Briggs without the ok from the Bears.

[motife]

I think Florio is saying this is first hand information he has received from someone who knew it for a fact and spoke "off the record".

So the proof is your trust of Mike Florio to know his source had real access.

As stated earlier, NO ONE better be quoted on this specifically or that team is in deep doodoo.

[MJZiggy]

Is there no penalty for Cook if he did actually do it, especially if he did it without Favre's consent? I know that he will adamantly deny it because his credibility and trustworthiness are on the line.

[motife]

Is there no penalty for Cook if he did actually do it, especially if he did it without Favre's consent? I know that he will adamantly deny it because his credibility and trustworthiness are on the line.

Bus Cook has no problem. The team that DARED to talk to him after the SF Lance Briggs tampering would be the victim, whether Favre knew anything or not. Favre is under contract with GB.

[falco]

Is there no penalty for Cook if he did actually do it, especially if he did it without Favre's consent? I know that he will adamantly deny it because his credibility and trustworthiness are on the line.

Bus Cook has no problem. The team that DARED to talk to him after the SF Lance Briggs tampering would be the victim, whether Favre knew anything or not. Favre is under contract with GB.

i don't think there will be any trouble - especially since it is Bus shopping Favre around - besides, its not like Favre is about to be a free agent - the packers hold his rights.

There's a big difference between negotiating a trade, and setting up a contract in advance of a player becoming a free agent.

[MJZiggy]

I fully realize that, but there should be some sort of deterrent to agents trying to shop a player they know is under contract and they know will cause a tampering charge. There's also the possibility that he was trying it and no one would even talk to him. Technically he's still "shopping" him. Which still doesn't make any sense because GB would never trade his rights, and if some team comes to them wanting to, it's kind of a giveaway.

[Lurker64]

This story just doesn't make any sense. I can see Bus Cook trying to get Favre to keep playing, since he gets a cut of Favre's earnings, but why on earth would Favre want to play on any other team? As I understand it, all of the other teams that were as close to the superbowl as we were last year are pretty much set at QB.

[falco]

This story just doesn't make any sense. I can see Bus Cook trying to get Favre to keep playing, since he gets a cut of Favre's earnings, but why on earth would Favre want to play on any other team? As I understand it, all of the other teams that were as close to the superbowl as we were last year are pretty much set at QB.

the only thing that makes sense to me is the fact that I don't think Favre would be welcome back with the packers anymore - they're obviously ready to move on, and it would create a real stir if favre tried to come back, especially with regards to rogers. In that scenario, Favre's only way to return would be to go to another team - and I can completely see the packers being willing to trade his rights if thats what he wanted.

[Bretsky]

This story just doesn't make any sense. I can see Bus Cook trying to get Favre to keep playing, since he gets a cut of Favre's earnings, but why on earth would Favre want to play on any other team? As I understand it, all of the other teams that were as close to the superbowl as we were last year are pretty much set at QB.

the only thing that makes sense to me is the fact that I don't think Favre would be welcome back with the packers anymore - they're obviously ready to move on, and it would create a real stir if favre tried to come back, especially with regards to rogers. In that scenario, Favre's only way to return would be to go to another team - and I can completely see the packers being willing to trade his rights if thats what he wanted.


TT got his extension
MM got his extension

From a timing perspective it's good for the AROD reign to begin

[packinpatland]

Well said B........

[KYPack]

Brett could probably care less, but this kind of maneuvering has to damage his relationship with Cook to some extent.

[Badgerinmaine]

Brett could probably care less, but this kind of maneuvering has to damage his relationship with Cook to some extent.

That's what people said when all the rumors were flying that Favre retired because they didn't sign Randy Moss. I'm not sure I'd buy swampland from Bus Cook.

I think Falco is exactly right about the bridge back to playing for the Packers being burned. I don't think this will ever happen, but suppose an AFC team thought they could coax Favre out of retirement (I can't imagine the Packers would ever trade him within the conference, especially not in the division). What do you think the price the Packers could get would be?

[texaspackerbacker]

I haven't heard anything I'd call confirmation. In light of the penalties for tampering, confirmation would be very big news.

Just the same, I wouldn't rule this whole thing out. Cook could be having one sided conversations with some hypotheticals involved that wouldn't get anybody in trouble.

I've suspected since the retirement that there was SOMETHING none of us know about--possibly bad feeling with Packer leadership or whatever. I don't think Cook is doing anything without Favre's knowledge. If it's happening at all, it could be a sign he did feel unwanted in Green Bay. With Rodgers's contract situation, it's not completely out of the question that they might have wanted to shake things up now instead of a year from now.

I wouldn't automatically conclude the Packers would never trade his rights either. Sentimentality doesn't carry much weight if you are offered a high draft pick for what you weren't going to get any benefit from. I think Thompson would take a 3rd or higher in a heartbeat, and that he'd consider a 4th, maybe a 5th, but probably not.

Just the same, I don't expect anything to come from this.

[Partial]

Florrio...

[The Shadow]

A silly rumor.
If Favre still wanted to play, he would play for the Packers.
The streak. The legacy. Knowing the system. Knowing the players. A chance at a Super Bowl.
Uh huh : a player who can't take the preparation anymore is now considering starting with a brand new team, learning new terminology, new coaches, new team mates.
A silly rumor that hopefully blows over quickly.

[cpk1994]

I haven't heard anything I'd call confirmation. In light of the penalties for tampering, confirmation would be very big news.

Just the same, I wouldn't rule this whole thing out. Cook could be having one sided conversations with some hypotheticals involved that wouldn't get anybody in trouble.

I've suspected since the retirement that there was SOMETHING none of us know about--possibly bad feeling with Packer leadership or whatever. I don't think Cook is doing anything without Favre's knowledge. If it's happening at all, it could be a sign he did feel unwanted in Green Bay. With Rodgers's contract situation, it's not completely out of the question that they might have wanted to shake things up now instead of a year from now.

I wouldn't automatically conclude the Packers would never trade his rights either. Sentimentality doesn't carry much weight if you are offered a high draft pick for what you weren't going to get any benefit from. I think Thompson would take a 3rd or higher in a heartbeat, and that he'd consider a 4th, maybe a 5th, but probably not.

Just the same, I don't expect anything to come from this.TT will NEVER trade Favre's rights away. TT would be foolish and will probably hand over the keys to his office and quit after if he tried that. Even if I take the devil's advocate side, you are delusional if you think TT would take less than a 3rd rounder for Favre. 1st or no deal.
Again, all this is is BS. Cook is a snake-oil salesman just like any other agent. The one that has a problem with the Packers organization is Cook, not Favre. Cook is the one who is pissed, not Favre. Notice the common denominator in these stories? Cook. Favre needs to wake up to reality in regards to his "firend", Bus Cook.

[SnakeLH2006]

This is just quite ridiculous. Maybe Cook did talk to other teams....either way, Favre's legacy would be tainted if he went to another team at this point with..

1) A team that wants him back
2) Having retired..
3) Having said that he is not upset about management going after free agents
4) Most importantly...how many other teams are this stacked/had a 13-3 year last year aka are Super Bowl worthy?

This is ludicrous, and when there's smoke there is fire, yet this would be the biggest bombshell in sports in a long time if Favre came out and said he'd like to play for another team. NOT GONNA HAPPEN. PERIOD. :!:

[Rastak]

http://www.mediainfo.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003785774



'LA Times' Stands Behind Favre Un-Retirement Story

By Mark Fitzgerald

Published: April 04, 2008 2:05 PM ET

CHICAGO Given the flak the Los Angeles Times got over the now-withdrawn "scoop" about the murder of rapper Tupac Shakur, did Sports Editor Randy Harvey have any trepidation about going with another out-of-left field story -- its report that retired Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre was quietly being shopped around the NFL by his agent?

"No, no, no," Harvey said in a telephone interview Friday. "Obviously, these are two different cases entirely. Sam, Sam Farmer, has been covering the NFL for a number of years ... and he has a lot of great contacts, so when he reports that Favre's agent is quietly, discreetly, making inquiries, I believed him 100%."

Favre's agent, James "Bus" Cook, is denying the report.

"What's been happening is his denials have become more strident through the day," Harvey said. "He didn't deny it -- he didn't confirm it -- to Sam, who was the first person to talk to him.

Indeed, Farmer's article quotes Cook as saying he was not aware of Favre's interest in coming out of retirement. Favre, 38, announced his retirement March 6, saying he had no more "left to give" to football.

"That's news to me," Farmer quoted Cook as saying. "I don't think that has anything to do with anything. He's retired, period, point blank."

Favre, too, denied he was coming out of retirement in an interview with Sports Illustrated writer Peter King.

But Farmer's reporting is being defended by journalists outside the Los Angeles Times, too.

In Wisconsin, where Favre has at least demi-god status, two papers suggested Favre wants to send the message that he could be available to another team. Farmer's article reported that Favre retired in part over disappointment that the Packers did not work harder to sign standout receiver Randy Moss.

The Wisconsin State Journal in Madison, in an article by Jason Wilde, quoted an unnamed "NFL source" as saying there was "at least something to the story."

In a column in Madison's other paper, The Capital Times, Mike Lucas wrote: "On the surface, then, you want to dismiss this latest Favre Fandango as a hoax. But you can't because Farmer has credibility as a reporter and there's just too much intrigue to walk away from Anything Favre, post-retirement or otherwise.

"One thing is certain. The NFL is on Favre Alert. Whether Farmer was a pawn or not, he has become the Favre Messenger in that everybody in the league now has received the message, bogus or not."

Lucas said he is saving a transcript of Favre's retirement press conference "the All-Good-Things-Must-Come-To-An End transcript, just in case they really haven't."

[Rastak]

My take? It's most likely all Cook. First Cook says that Favre is pissed and Favre denies it. Now it appears more than one source has confirmed off the record that Cook is trying to drum up interest. Since the agent works for the player it's east to assume the player is directing the actions but it's also very possible he ( the agent) is working deals on his own he's hoping to sell this to the player and score a payday for himself in the process if he can line something up.


My feeling is that the story is absolutely true and I also believe Favre isn't gonna go along. He'll stay retired.

[twoseven]

Cook's job is to get the best for his client, if that means he is out there trying to pull off the impossible and THEN bring the idea, news, or offer to Brett without Brett knowing..why not? Has every player known every move his agent was making before it happened, yeah.. I doubt it. The worst that can happen is Brett says no, and/or the Packers say no, and/or another team gets penalized for tampering, no skin of GB's nose.

IMO, IF Brett did want to play for another team and he was actually miffed with GB I say go ahead and trade his rights to the AFC for all you can get, why not? Draft picks versus nothing but a farewell. Which AFC team could he actually lead past IND or NE in the playoffs that doesn't already have a QB?

Would this blasphemy tarnish his legend in GB? Hardly, that's galvanized. Make for odd feelings in GB that #4 is playing elsewhere? Probably, but those odd feelings would start with Brett requesting a trade to begin with, actually playing elsewhere is sceondary to that (hypothetical) intial trade request bombshell.

AR is our guy now, he's the one that is actualy 100% committed to playing in GB. I say if Bus and Brett want a trade to the AFC, go for it.

[Travbrew]

Florrio...

"What what in my butt"

Beautiful sig Partial. I laughed my ass off on Wednesday night.

[Bretsky]

My take is that it's very possible Cook is putting out feelers; I doubt there is much interest from Favre though. I doubt TT would trade him, but it's possible for the right draft pick. Favre will not want to learn a new offense and he'd have to have a comfort level with the coach and climate. Only team I see that fits is Tampa Bay.

That being said, this isn't going to happen

[Scott Campbell]

Slow news day...........

[GBRulz]

Favre: 'They won't let me stay retired'

By Tom Pelissero
tpelisse@greenbaypressgazette.com

What a shock — Brett Favre says the unretirement rumors aren't coming from him.


"That's the last thing I'm thinking about," the former Green Bay Packers quarterback told SI.com on Friday. "I have no idea where that came from, but it certainly didn't come from me. I'm happy about my decision and I haven't once said, 'I wonder if I made the wrong decision.' I know it's the right one."


Favre, who retired last month, made the remarks a day after the Los Angeles Times reported his agent, Bus Cook, quietly had been gauging trade interest in his client. Cook denied the report.


"It's crazy to me that I'm the guy they're all talking about, and the story is out there everywhere, and I have nothing to do with it," Favre told SI.com. "It's not something I'm thinking about. It's kind of funny. Even when I'm retired, they won't let me stay retired."


Favre also told the Web site he is looking into having surgery for what he thinks is a hernia sustained late last season.

[Gunakor]

Favre: 'They won't let me stay retired'

By Tom Pelissero
tpelisse@greenbaypressgazette.com

What a shock — Brett Favre says the unretirement rumors aren't coming from him.


"That's the last thing I'm thinking about," the former Green Bay Packers quarterback told SI.com on Friday. "I have no idea where that came from, but it certainly didn't come from me. I'm happy about my decision and I haven't once said, 'I wonder if I made the wrong decision.' I know it's the right one."


Favre, who retired last month, made the remarks a day after the Los Angeles Times reported his agent, Bus Cook, quietly had been gauging trade interest in his client. Cook denied the report.


"It's crazy to me that I'm the guy they're all talking about, and the story is out there everywhere, and I have nothing to do with it," Favre told SI.com. "It's not something I'm thinking about. It's kind of funny. Even when I'm retired, they won't let me stay retired."


Favre also told the Web site he is looking into having surgery for what he thinks is a hernia sustained late last season.


This should put it to rest. I was waiting for Favre's reaction to this story, believing that HIS reaction to it would prove this story true or false. When it comes to Brett's retirement, I think I'd trust what Favre says before believing what Cook says.

[Sammy4Pack]

Let the guy retire in peace!!!

[Guiness]

IMO, IF Brett did want to play for another team and he was actually miffed with GB I say go ahead and trade his rights to the AFC for all you can get, why not? Draft picks versus nothing but a farewell. Which AFC team could he actually lead past IND or NE in the playoffs that doesn't already have a QB?


just had to answer that one: San Diego
Great team, not many sold on that QB. He's shown flashes, but that's all.

just sayin'

[twoseven]

IMO, IF Brett did want to play for another team and he was actually miffed with GB I say go ahead and trade his rights to the AFC for all you can get, why not? Draft picks versus nothing but a farewell. Which AFC team could he actually lead past IND or NE in the playoffs that doesn't already have a QB?


just had to answer that one: San Diego
Great team, not many sold on that QB. He's shown flashes, but that's all.

just sayin'

They are 25-7 in the regular season since Rivers became the starter, coming off 2005 when Brees led basically the same team to 9-7. LT and that D have plenty to do with SD's success, but draft picks to insert currently retired 38 yr old Favre over 26 yr old Rivers? C'mon. They fired a coach that posted 14-2 and got away with it, but I doubt that a trade for Favre to alienate one of the best young QBs in the game is what SD currently needs.

If SD wants to trade 26 yr old Rivers to GB for retired 38 yr old Favre, I say go for it.