Brett Favre Becomes a Jet

The saga has ended. The month long battle to return to the NFL is over, and it looks like Brett Favre will join the New York Jets.

The Packers didn't want him back and have moved on, but the Jets are more than happy with their new quarterback. They are hoping for a winning season with Brett at the helm.

Talk of letting current quarterback Chad Pennington go is in the works to make room for Brett's contract under the salary cap. While he's been an asset to the team, last year's season was less than acceptable, and the Jets' GM is hoping Brett can turn that around.

Brett's number 4 Jets jersey was on sale on the team's website an hour after the trade was announced.

It's bittersweet. While I'm really sad to see him go, I'm happy that at least he'll be playing. Obviously that's what Brett wants to do. Otherwise he would've accepted the "bribe" the Packers tried to give him last week. If money were the issue, Brett would have taken the $20 million and sat home on his butt. It's not about the money. He wants to play, and I admire him for that.

I personally would probably have taken the money and ran, but then again, I'm not a millionaire quarterback for the NFL, either.

Anyway, the Packers are happy, because now they don't have to worry about Brett being a threat to them since he won't be playing in the NFC, and Brett is happy because he's going to be playing the game he loves. All's well that ends well, I guess. It just won't be the same Packers football without number 4.

Brett Favre Files For Reinstatement

Our beloved quarterback has made his move. The NFL announced yesterday afternoon that Brett has officially filed for reinstatement. Commissioner Roger Goodell has already said he would reinstate Favre if he should apply, so all that remains to be done is the paperwork. Once the paperwork is complete, the Packers are on the clock. They have twenty-four hours to either activate him on their roster or cut him. General Manager Ted Thompson has already said he will not release Favre.

Favre could quite possibly show up for training camp on Wednesday afternoon, but not before having a physical and run test just like all his other teammates did on Monday.

It hasn't been said yet just exactly what Brett will be doing once back on the team. "That," said Coach McCarthy, "will have to be discussed with Brett first. Then, we will let the media know our plans."

Is Brett Favre Getting Screwed?

Over the last two nights, Brett Favre has given his side of the story. To sum it up, he says the GM of the Packers, Ted Thompson, so much as forced him to make a decision about retiring before he was ready to make that decision. He was told to make his decision before the free agency started. Without much time to decide, Brett said he was retiring. But, turned right around after announcing his retirement and said he'd like to come back.

Now, that he wants to come back, Ted Thompson doesn't want him back as a starter. He can come back as a back up, but come on. A legendary quarterback coming back as a back up? I don't see it happening.

The Packers won't release him, either. Why? Because they know that should he go somewhere else and play he could be a threat. And they're probably right.

What will happen? Although he said in his interview that he is a Packer and will always be a Packer, he doesn't want to come back as a back up. I don't blame him. If the Packers don't release him, he could very well not play at all. I think this is an injustice. If it had been anyone else besides Brett Favre, there wouldn't be such a big deal. Because of who he is and what he's done in his career, he should be punished? I think not.

On the subject of Aaron Rogers, well, what are you gonna do? He's following in some pretty big footprints. No one said it was going to be easy. It's gotta be tough on him too, because his name is getting thrown around and his tendency to get injured is being talked about. Not that he's a bad quarterback. He's just stuck in the middle of all this mess.

I don't see an end to this any time soon. I don't think Brett is getting the treatment he deserves, but at the same time, I understand that the Packers have moved on. My solution? Fine, move on. But let Brett move on, too. Grant him his release and let him play again where he deserves to play: as a starting quarterback, some place else.

Dedicated Packer Fans Support Their Hero

More than one hundred Brett Favre supporters gathered outside Lambeau Field Sunday in a rally geared toward pushing the Packers into reinstating Brett Favre.

Associated Press - July 13, 2008 4:25 PM ET

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) - More than 100 people rallied outside Lambeau Field Sunday to pressure the Packers into reinstating Brett Favre as starting quarterback.

The crowd - many wearing No. 4 jerseys - chanted, "We want Brett" and carried signs reading, "Favre for President."

Organizers Adam and Erick Rolfson estimated the crowd at more than 200, but the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel estimated the crowd at more than 100. The brothers plan to another hold another rally Monday night in the Milwaukee area as well as every Sunday at Lambeau.

General Manager Ted Thompson says Favre can rejoin the team from retirement but would have to be a backup. Favre wants an unconditional release from his contract, something Thompson says he won't allow.

Packers Not Ready To Release Brett Favre

In an update today to the Brett Favre saga, the Packers General Manager Ted Thompson and Head Coach Mike McCarthy, say the Packers have no plans to grant Brett Favre his release.

They say he's welcom to rejoin the team, but it will have to be as a back up.

Brett Favre Wants Out

In the news today, Green Bay Packers (retired?) quarterback Brett Favre announced he's not ready to retire. He wants to come back and play football again. But, it doesn't look like he'll be playing for the Packers.

In an official letter from his agent, Brett has asked for an unconditional release from the Packers. This would leave him wide open to play with any other NFL team. The Packers General Manager Ted Thompson isn't ready to let that happen.

Brett Favre has made it clear he wants to play again, and it looks like it's going to be somewhere else. But the bombshell developments in this story kept on coming Friday afternoon, as sources explained why the Packers aren't so receptive to the legend's return.

It began with news Favre is turning up the heat on the Packers in his efforts to return to the NFL. According to ESPN's Chris Mortensen, Favre has asked the Packers for his unconditional release in a letter from his agent, which the team received Friday morning.

In so many words, agent Bus Cook said Favre's accomplishments merit the team honoring his request and that they would like an amicable parting of the ways.

The complete Green Bay Packers statement

The Green Bay Packers are aware of the latest developments regarding Brett Favre.

Brett earned and exercised the right to retire on his terms. We wanted him to return and welcomed him back on more than one occasion.

Brett's press conference and subsequent conversations in the following weeks illustrated his commitment to retirement.

The finality of his decision to retire was accepted by the organization. At that point, the Green Bay Packers made the commitment to move forward with our football team.

As a retired player, Brett has the option to apply for reinstatement with Commissioner Goodell. If that were to occur, he would become an active member of the Green Bay Packers. As always, the Packers will do what's right and in the best interest of the team.

As with all Packers greats, Brett's legacy will always be celebrated by our fans and the organization, regardless of any change in his personal intentions.

Brett and Deanna will always be a part of the Packers family.

An NFL source confirmed to Action 2 News what is in that report -- that Favre and his agent talked with general manager Ted Thompson and head coach Mike McCarthy in a conference call on Tuesday, and it was in that call that Favre assured them he wants to play this year.
But that was not the first discussion between Favre and the team. Our source also confirms that someone from the organization visited Favre in Mississippi a few weeks ago, trying to diffuse this situation before it got to this point... too late.

Friday afternoon, the Packers responded, telling the media, quote:

As a retired player, Brett has the option to apply for reinstatement with Commissioner Goodell. If that were to occur, he would become an active member of the Green Bay Packers. As always, the Packers will do what's right and in the best interest of the team.

This effectively puts the proverbial ball back in Favre's court.

Friday evening, Jay Glazer from Fox Sports dropped another bombshell. Glazer's report, citing multiple sources -- and since confirmed by our own Tuesday Night Touchback's Jason Wilde's sources -- said Favre approached the team in late March saying he wanted to play again, and both Coach McCarthy and Thompson agreed he could come back.

The team even chartered a jet to go to Mississippi to make an announcement later in the week.

Then, two days before that meeting, Favre informed Coach McCarthy that he had changed his mind again and would stay retired.

That's why when Favre approached the team a month ago about returning again, McCarthy and Thompson were ready to move on.

"Now we have more of the picture," Wilde told Action 2 News. "Favre had his opportunity to come back."

Thompson has been taking a storm of criticism from fans and Favre's family, Wilde said, but it was Favre who pulled the trigger.

While the Packers aren't receptive to Favre's return, they do not want to release him, because he would be free to sign with any other team in the league, including quarterback-starved teams (and long-time rivals) like the Chicago Bears and Minnesota Vikings.

It is important to note here that Favre did not officially ask to be reinstated from the reserve-retired list. Such a request must also be made to the league. When that happens, a team has 24 hours to either active the player, trade him, or release him.

Favre's request was informal and the Packers are not on the clock, so to speak.

I was a little disappointed to hear that Brett Favre would even think about playing for another team. I kind of thought he would retire, forever a Packer. But, football is in his blood, and he's got to do what he's got to do.

The Packers have moved on, giving Aaron Rogers the lead in taking the team to the Super Bowl. I mean, the guy has been waiting for years for his time to shine, and it wouldn't be right to take it away from him now just because good ole' Brett might want to come back. I think it's about time he make up his mind and quit stringing his fans along.

While I'm sad to see Brett maybe playing with another team, I think we need to take the Packers' advice and move on along with them. Brett Favre is a legend, and his name will always be synonymous with the Green Bay Packers. Truth be told, he is one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play the game. But I say, enough is enough. Go out on top, and leave well enough alone.

The Game Plan

Have you seen it? I have. Many, many times over the last week.

The kids have discovered the movie channels on cable and The Game Plan has been on numerous times over the last week. They've watched it every single time, laughing at the top of their lungs at the same things, over and over again.

It is a cute movie. It stars The Rock (Dwayne Douglas Johnson), which is a big plus, and Madison Pettis. Joe Kingman (The Rock) is an NFL quarterback on his way to winning the championship when he finds out he has an eight year old daughter named Peyton (Madison Pettis) from a previous relationship. Peyton's mother has to leave for a month, and drops Peyton on Joe's doorstep. The ensuing story is how he deals with the new responsibility and how it effects his career and his bachelor life.

If you haven't seen it, it's a great comedy/family movie with a little something for everyone in the family. It might even keep your kids entertained for as long as it has mine!