Peter King's take on Favre

[packers11]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/peter_king/04/06/labor/2.html


1. I think there are a couple of things about the Brett Favre story of the last few days we all ought to have clear here. One: Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times is a very good reporter, one whom all of us on the NFL beat respect. He's far from being criticized in any corner for his story that a representative of Favre's was feeling out possible NFL gigs if Favre decided to return to the NFL. I think Farmer deserves credit for sniffing it out.

Favre and his agent, Bus Cook, have a suppose-this-ever-happened kind of relationship, so it wouldn't shock me if Favre, in some conversation with him, said there was some very slight chance he might want to play again. I don't know that; I'm just saying it's possible. And as Favre said when he retired, "Bus is a lot like my dad. Sometimes he says things he probably shouldn't have.''

Two: I talked to Favre for 20 minutes Friday, and he's content, as his wife, Deanna, says, to be married to his 465-acre spread in Hattiesburg and work the land. He doesn't want to work out, he doesn't want to think about the mental energy it would take to play again. Will he change his mind? I doubt it. When Favre retired, I would have said I'm 98-percent sure he'll never play again. Now I'd put the percentage at 93. I still can't see him doing it, but I suppose I have my eyes open.

[packers11]

I need September to roll around asap... Until Aaron Rodgers takes the first snap of the 2008-2009 season the speculation will never stop and I will never be able to let go...

Every-time I reach "stage 5" in grieving... The Unretiring reports put me back to "stage 1" :(

[Chester Marcol]

Take your pick(Tom Brady - Peyton Manning - ____________) goes down and will be lost for the playoffs. I could only see it being one of a select few teams, but that is the only way I would lend any credibility to the reports of Favre sniffing around. Doubt he'd come back and go through training camp. Being a saviour is right up Brett's alley.

[Zool]

Any team would still have to trade for him. You really think Thompson is going to just let him go for anything but some ridiculous Hershel Walker type trade? Maybe I'm wrong, but I doubt it.

[texaspackerbacker]

The Packers will be fine. I've been saying for several years that as Favre wound down and Rodgers improved, the chance of a smooth transition got better and better. Although Favre had the great season last year, he still was diminished in some of his skills. Rodgers obviously will fall short in some areas than the best QB in NFL history, but he will be better in other areas too.

As for Favre, where there's smoke, there's fire. Something that didn't make the news was a factor in Favre's untimely retirement. I don't know what that is, but it is possible he really was if not forced into retirement, slightly encouraged in that direction. It also is possible that there is some latent bad feeling on his part toward Packer management.

Still, it's a large leap from that to thinking he would come back and play for somebody else. For that to happen, he would have to do a lot of what he clearly said he hated the most--conditioning and preparation. Even Brett Favre doesn't just get off the tractor and into the driver seat of an NFL team part way through the season if a playoff bound team needs him.

[DonHutson]

Even Brett Favre doesn't just get off the tractor and into the driver seat of an NFL team part way through the season if a playoff bound team needs him.

Wouldn't be fair to him or said playoff team. I trust Favre to be smart enough to remember that when the time comes.

All in all, I think Tex's entire post is close to dead on. I don't really think the Packers did anything to actively push Favre out the door. There's absolutely no reason for them to have done so. However, that doesn't mean Favre didn't see it that way, I suppose.