Silverstein Thompson Interview 7/12/08

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Silverstein is up with the interview. Packers intention more muddled than previously thought.
http://blogs.jsonline.com/packers/ar...-thompson.aspx
Favre return making things messy for Thompson
By Tom Silverstein
Saturday, Jul 12 2008, 02:36 PM

Green Bay -- Refusing to rule out the possibility of Brett Favre playing for the Green Bay Packers this season but at the same time reiterating that Aaron Rodgers is currently his starter, general manager Ted Thompson admitted during a half-hour interview Saturday that he was dealing with a messy situation.

Thompson, who agreed to conduct interviews with several local media outlets, did not publicly dissuade Favre from filing reinstatement papers and did not go as far as saying there was no way he would play for the Packers this season. But he said he could not answer whether there would be an opportunity for Favre to get his starting position back with the Packers if he chose to return.

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Thompson confirms aborted comeback in March. Doesn't force the issue of backup. Makes the case that Favre has yet to ask to return to the Packers, just be reinstated. Intimation is that Favre might be jockeying for a release, which puts us back to square one where we debate who fault it is that Favre is asking to leave.

I feel like we have gone backwards and are less sure.

[RashanGary]

"It doesn't bother me when people think we picked the wrong guy or we made a personnel decision that wasn't right. But when it gets to something as core value as this, it concerns me that there would be people who would think less of us. That's important to me. It always has been.







Something about what Favre has done is not at all acceptable to MM, TT or both. They are moving on. He said Aaron Rodgers is our QB and we are moving forward.

I don't think he wants the lockerroom to see the type of shit Favre gets away with. TT is a very big lockerroom guy and I don't think he thinks Brett deserves to play for this team.

[imscott72]

How I take it is that TT is willing to allow Brett to remain on the roster if he reinstates. This tells me that he hasn't completely ruled out Brett starting for the Packers this season. He may claim Arod is the starting QB, but he didn't rule out a competition either. It's going to be very interesting.

You have to wonder if this is why TT left so much cap room in case he did return.

[cpk1994]

"It doesn't bother me when people think we picked the wrong guy or we made a personnel decision that wasn't right. But when it gets to something as core value as this, it concerns me that there would be people who would think less of us. That's important to me. It always has been.







Something about what Favre has done is not at all acceptable to MM, TT or both. They are moving on. He said Aaron Rodgers is our QB and we are moving forward.

I don't think he wants the lockerroom to see the type of shit Favre gets away with. TT is a very big lockerroom guy and I don't think he thinks Brett deserves to play for this team.

ALl TT is doing is putting it all on the table to see if Brett will finally grow a sac, quit hiding behind mommy and bro, act like a man instead of a whiny petulant diva,, and talk for himself. Kind of funny about the man who never could shut up now has no balls to talk at all.

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I think that is a mortal lock.

You have to wonder if this is why TT left so much cap room in case he did return.

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http://blogs.jsonline.com/packers/ar...alk-trade.aspx

Thompson doesn't want to discuss a trade and won't release him.

[RashanGary]

A couple interesting pieces:

That could change should Favre file reinstatement papers. According to Thompson, there was a general agreement among Favre, coach Mike McCarthy and himself that it would be difficult for the Packers to switch gears at this point of the off-season, but Favre may think he can force the Packers' hand if he comes back


UPDATE: Stick with the blog, I will have a timeline described by Thompson of the events between the NFC Championship Game and last Tuesday. They are extremely interesting.



I am anxiously awaiting this timeline. It is very interesting to see this thing unravel. TT should just tell us why he doesn't want him back. I'm sick of guessing.

1. Brett not committing to off season work or being a good teammate
2. Not wanting a guy who said he doesn't have it anymore
3. A promise to Rodgers that they will not go back on because their word is very important to them. They told Brett to make a decisoin because if they gave Rodgers the job they would not go back.
4. Brett trying to force personnel moves behind the scenes

That's all I can think of. Whatever it is, bravo to the Packers for staying true to their convictions.

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I think this is your answer. He doesn't want to switch gears now. If that's because its too late to make this go down well with Rodgers/Teammates/Gameplan or because they are tired of shadow boxing a moving target in the offseason, I don't think you will get a direct answer until someone writes their memoirs.

According to Thompson, there was a general agreement among Favre, coach Mike McCarthy and himself that it would be difficult for the Packers to switch gears at this point of the off-season

[motife]

http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080712/PKR01/80712044/1058

Thompson: Favre welcome back, but 'scenery has changed'

GM describes matter as 'volatile, sensitive thing'

By Tom Pelissero
tpelisse@greenbaypressgazette.com

The Green Bay Packers will neither comply with Brett Favre’s request for his release nor take him back as the unquestioned starter.

But General Manager Ted Thompson, in an interview with the Press-Gazette this afternoon, said the Packers would welcome back Favre and decide what role he plays if and when he returns.

"Favre's welcome back, but the scenery has changed," Thompson said. "There may be a different role. … He becomes an active member of the roster, and then we'll see how it goes from there. We don't have the answers right now, because it hasn't happened, and we don't know that it will."
During the roughly 20-minute interview, Thompson acknowledged Favre told the team in March he wanted to return and that the team arranged a meeting before Favre backed out.

“Since then, I think he’s — once again, it’s passed messages back and forth — starting to get the itch or something like that,” Thompson said. “But to my knowledge, he’s never said, ‘I want to come back there.’ Messages have been relayed to him that we’ve sort of moved forward, which we’ve been tasked to do by the organization, so that’s kind of where we are.

“We understand this is a very volatile, sensitive thing,” Thompson said. “Fans are unbelievably passionate about this team and passionate about Brett Favre. We understand that, and we’re going to try to stay steady, consistent, and try to do the right thing for Brett Favre and the Green Bay Packers.”

Thompson said a story by The Associated Press indicating Favre only would be welcomed back as a backup was taken out of context.

[RashanGary]

I think Thompson is taking the right approach. Favre is NOT starting and he's NOT being released. If Favre really wants to be a backup, so be it. I'm starting to think the reason Thompson won't allow him back as a starter is because they promised it to Rodgers and will not go back on their word. If that is the case the the backup sinerio is possible. We'll see. I'm still hoping for a trade or retirement.

If Brett does show up, he's not really a complete dirt bag. I don't think he'd come back and stir shit. He'd just go about his buisness but man, I can't picture him wanting to come back to a place that he is clearly not wanted. At this point you have to know it's all about the money because he's not even being given an option to play.

[MJZiggy]

Thompson didn't rule out Favre starting, it's just not his role on the team right now. He said he wasn't ruling anything out and when someone reported the Favre was the backup TT said they took that out of context.

What TT did make clear is that he has no intention of doing anything until he recieves an official reinstatement request which has not happened as yet.

[pbmax]

No timeline, but now we are left wondering why Favre kept asking if the team wanted him back and not if he could rejoin them.

http://blogs.jsonline.com/packers/ar...n-packers.aspx

[mmmdk]

TT is smart and doing the right thing.

[pbmax]

This is getting to be too much like College. Kremlinology. Studying Pravda. Would Thompson be Brezhnev or Andropov? Favre would clearly be Gorbachev. Maybe Tretiak.

Tank would be Trotsky. And Packer fans would be the dissidents.