packers11
07-16-2008, 01:08 AM
http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080715/PKR01/80715161/1057/PKR&located=RSS
Favre set to ask for reinstatement
Goodell has no reason to hold up request
By Pete Dougherty
pdougher@greenbaypressgazette.com
Brett Favre is ready to make the next move in his face down with the Green Bay Packers and petition NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell for reinstatement to the team’s roster, which would leave the next move in the Packers’ hands.
Though Favre hasn’t filed his official retirement papers with the league, he is on the Packers’ reserve/retired list, and by NFL rules, has to ask the commissioner in writing for reinstatement to the team.
A source close to Favre said he is going to petition the league, and though he didn’t say when, the assumption is it will be sooner rather than later so Favre can be traded to a new team before training camp.
“He’s going to write the letter to the commissioner,” the source said. “We’ll see what happens from there, I guess.”
In an interview on Fox News with Greta Van Susteren on tonight, Favre never addressed the reinstatement letter, but said he’s certain he wants to play football this year, though he doesn’t know if circumstances will work out for him to play.
The 12-minute segment — the second of an interview that was taped Monday — also more starkly revealed the widening rift between Favre and team management since Favre has become more adamant in the past three to four weeks that he wants to return for another season after announcing his retirement in March. The growing animosity will make it especially hard for Favre to return to the team.
The Packers are perplexed that Favre has changed his mind about playing so late in the offseason after telling them twice in March — once early in the month, again late in the month — that he couldn’t commit 100 percent to playing. They argue that his decision left them no choice but to prepare the team in offseason practices to move on with Rodgers at quarterback, with all the practical and psychological dimensions that includes.
The source said Favre, on the other hand, feels the Packers pushed him into an early decision regarding retirement, and they could have given him more time to decide. Favre also intimated in the interview that he’s upset the Packers don’t want him back and also seem to be doing everything possible to prevent him from playing for another team.
Also, Favre strongly suggested he’s lost trust in his personal relationship with General Manager Ted Thompson, though Favre never mentioned Thompson by name.
“How am I supposed to trust that they’re working on a trade after the things that have been told to me in the past?” Favre said. “Teams may have called and said, ‘We’re interested.’ Well, you know, they may never tell us. The longer this goes on, the less likely I am to play with someone because of the time factor.”
If Favre petitions and receives reinstatement, the next move would be the Packers’. They’d have to add him to their 80-man roster or release him. Thompson has said in recent public statements that he’s ruled out releasing Favre, so the presumption is he’d put Favre on the roster.
An NFL spokesman said the commissioner would have no deadline to respond to a reinstatement request. However, Goodell would have no reason to delay the ruling, and Favre is a shoo-in for reinstatement since there are no legal or other issues jeopardizing his eligibility.
The Packers’ players are required to report for camp on July 27 and begin practicing July 28. Thompson and coach Mike McCarthy would have to decide whether to leave the door open to him attending training camp, and the potential problems that could cause, or trade him before camp begins.
In the TV interview today, Favre said a flat “no” when asked if he would return as the Packers’ backup quarterback and dismissed the idea of competing with Rodgers for the starting job with the one-word answer, “Why?”
“They’ve been preaching about, ‘We want to protect Brett’s legacy’ — we both know what that’s about,” Favre said. “How does that protect my legacy if I’m a backup? ‘Brett, we’ll welcome you back, we’ll pay you $12 million, but you have to hold a clipboard and ball cap.’ That’s probably better for them as opposed to letting me go somewhere and me coming back (and beating the Packers), then their legacy, the management, could be in jeopardy. Let me worry about that. You don’t worry about my legacy. It’s a bunch of bull, it’s all it is.”
Favre also said he isn’t inclined to report for training camp just to see what the Packers would do, or to force the team’s hand by creating a disturbance because of his presence.
“It’s tempting, because everyone’s saying call their bluff or whatever,” he said. “I think (training camp) is going to be a circus in itself already, whether I go there or whatever. I like my teammates, I had a lot of fun with them. I’ve talked to numerous guys throughout this whole ordeal. I wish them the best, I really do. I hold nothing against those guys. We had a lot of fun together. It was an amazing year last year. I don’t want to make it any worse than it is. I’ve always been a Packer, always will be a Packer. Will I play somewhere else? Remains to be seen. But I don’t want to go back there just to stick it to ’em.”
Despite all the talk, there’s no knowing what could happen between Favre’s reinstatement, if he follows through with the request, and the start of training camp.
Thompson and McCarthy have told Favre they’ve committed to Aaron Rodgers as their starting quarterback, and their continued stance strongly suggests they’re happy with what they’ve seen in Rodgers.
Assuming Favre remains steadfast that he won’t come back as a backup or to compete for the starting job, the Packers’ only other options would be to bring him back as the starter or trade him.
The greatest risk of bringing him back is ruining the franchise’s relationship with Rodgers, who would feel undercut after being assured all offseason that the team is his to run. Rodgers is under contract through 2009, and if he’s upset enough, he could leave the team as a free agent after that year, and all the time the Packers have taken to develop him would go for naught. The Packers would have the option of putting their franchise tag on him after the ’09 season, but that would come at a great cost and with at most only the 2009 season to evaluate him as a starter.
There’s also a question of how Favre’s return would affect a locker room that McCarthy has prepared to go on without Favre after his dominant presence the past 16 years. Both quarterbacks undoubtedly would have their supporters among players, and Thompson and McCarthy would have to project whether that would be a long-term problem.
The far more likely option appears to be a trade.
“(A trade) is hard to imagine,” Favre said, “but if I’m going to play — obviously, I’d have to agree to whoever it is, and I’m sure they’re not going to do it with a big rival or competitor or whatever. But that may be their only option. I don’t know what else to do.”
Favre also expressed at least some sympathy for Rodgers, who is facing a difficult task succeeding a legend.
“The one thing in this, I do feel bad for Aaron a little bit,” Favre said. “I think he’ll do a fine job, to be totally honest with you, I do. He has been injured. I mean, the two injuries are not his fault. Couldn’t control (it). I know this has been tough on him. I think he’ll do a fine job. And this has nothing to do with him, this whole deal.”
Favre set to ask for reinstatement
Goodell has no reason to hold up request
By Pete Dougherty
pdougher@greenbaypressgazette.com
Brett Favre is ready to make the next move in his face down with the Green Bay Packers and petition NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell for reinstatement to the team’s roster, which would leave the next move in the Packers’ hands.
Though Favre hasn’t filed his official retirement papers with the league, he is on the Packers’ reserve/retired list, and by NFL rules, has to ask the commissioner in writing for reinstatement to the team.
A source close to Favre said he is going to petition the league, and though he didn’t say when, the assumption is it will be sooner rather than later so Favre can be traded to a new team before training camp.
“He’s going to write the letter to the commissioner,” the source said. “We’ll see what happens from there, I guess.”
In an interview on Fox News with Greta Van Susteren on tonight, Favre never addressed the reinstatement letter, but said he’s certain he wants to play football this year, though he doesn’t know if circumstances will work out for him to play.
The 12-minute segment — the second of an interview that was taped Monday — also more starkly revealed the widening rift between Favre and team management since Favre has become more adamant in the past three to four weeks that he wants to return for another season after announcing his retirement in March. The growing animosity will make it especially hard for Favre to return to the team.
The Packers are perplexed that Favre has changed his mind about playing so late in the offseason after telling them twice in March — once early in the month, again late in the month — that he couldn’t commit 100 percent to playing. They argue that his decision left them no choice but to prepare the team in offseason practices to move on with Rodgers at quarterback, with all the practical and psychological dimensions that includes.
The source said Favre, on the other hand, feels the Packers pushed him into an early decision regarding retirement, and they could have given him more time to decide. Favre also intimated in the interview that he’s upset the Packers don’t want him back and also seem to be doing everything possible to prevent him from playing for another team.
Also, Favre strongly suggested he’s lost trust in his personal relationship with General Manager Ted Thompson, though Favre never mentioned Thompson by name.
“How am I supposed to trust that they’re working on a trade after the things that have been told to me in the past?” Favre said. “Teams may have called and said, ‘We’re interested.’ Well, you know, they may never tell us. The longer this goes on, the less likely I am to play with someone because of the time factor.”
If Favre petitions and receives reinstatement, the next move would be the Packers’. They’d have to add him to their 80-man roster or release him. Thompson has said in recent public statements that he’s ruled out releasing Favre, so the presumption is he’d put Favre on the roster.
An NFL spokesman said the commissioner would have no deadline to respond to a reinstatement request. However, Goodell would have no reason to delay the ruling, and Favre is a shoo-in for reinstatement since there are no legal or other issues jeopardizing his eligibility.
The Packers’ players are required to report for camp on July 27 and begin practicing July 28. Thompson and coach Mike McCarthy would have to decide whether to leave the door open to him attending training camp, and the potential problems that could cause, or trade him before camp begins.
In the TV interview today, Favre said a flat “no” when asked if he would return as the Packers’ backup quarterback and dismissed the idea of competing with Rodgers for the starting job with the one-word answer, “Why?”
“They’ve been preaching about, ‘We want to protect Brett’s legacy’ — we both know what that’s about,” Favre said. “How does that protect my legacy if I’m a backup? ‘Brett, we’ll welcome you back, we’ll pay you $12 million, but you have to hold a clipboard and ball cap.’ That’s probably better for them as opposed to letting me go somewhere and me coming back (and beating the Packers), then their legacy, the management, could be in jeopardy. Let me worry about that. You don’t worry about my legacy. It’s a bunch of bull, it’s all it is.”
Favre also said he isn’t inclined to report for training camp just to see what the Packers would do, or to force the team’s hand by creating a disturbance because of his presence.
“It’s tempting, because everyone’s saying call their bluff or whatever,” he said. “I think (training camp) is going to be a circus in itself already, whether I go there or whatever. I like my teammates, I had a lot of fun with them. I’ve talked to numerous guys throughout this whole ordeal. I wish them the best, I really do. I hold nothing against those guys. We had a lot of fun together. It was an amazing year last year. I don’t want to make it any worse than it is. I’ve always been a Packer, always will be a Packer. Will I play somewhere else? Remains to be seen. But I don’t want to go back there just to stick it to ’em.”
Despite all the talk, there’s no knowing what could happen between Favre’s reinstatement, if he follows through with the request, and the start of training camp.
Thompson and McCarthy have told Favre they’ve committed to Aaron Rodgers as their starting quarterback, and their continued stance strongly suggests they’re happy with what they’ve seen in Rodgers.
Assuming Favre remains steadfast that he won’t come back as a backup or to compete for the starting job, the Packers’ only other options would be to bring him back as the starter or trade him.
The greatest risk of bringing him back is ruining the franchise’s relationship with Rodgers, who would feel undercut after being assured all offseason that the team is his to run. Rodgers is under contract through 2009, and if he’s upset enough, he could leave the team as a free agent after that year, and all the time the Packers have taken to develop him would go for naught. The Packers would have the option of putting their franchise tag on him after the ’09 season, but that would come at a great cost and with at most only the 2009 season to evaluate him as a starter.
There’s also a question of how Favre’s return would affect a locker room that McCarthy has prepared to go on without Favre after his dominant presence the past 16 years. Both quarterbacks undoubtedly would have their supporters among players, and Thompson and McCarthy would have to project whether that would be a long-term problem.
The far more likely option appears to be a trade.
“(A trade) is hard to imagine,” Favre said, “but if I’m going to play — obviously, I’d have to agree to whoever it is, and I’m sure they’re not going to do it with a big rival or competitor or whatever. But that may be their only option. I don’t know what else to do.”
Favre also expressed at least some sympathy for Rodgers, who is facing a difficult task succeeding a legend.
“The one thing in this, I do feel bad for Aaron a little bit,” Favre said. “I think he’ll do a fine job, to be totally honest with you, I do. He has been injured. I mean, the two injuries are not his fault. Couldn’t control (it). I know this has been tough on him. I think he’ll do a fine job. And this has nothing to do with him, this whole deal.”