Tag: Brett Favre (Page 19 of 64)

      Favre denies sending text message to Vikings – will play if healthy

      August 4, 2010 /
      CHARLOTTE, NC - DECEMBER 20: Quarterback Brett Favre #4 of the Minnesota Vikings against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium on December 20, 2009 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

      According to ESPN.com, Brett Favre has denied sending text messages to Vikings officials and teammates telling them that he had decided to retire and also told Ed Werder that if he’s healthy, he will play this season.

      Favre also insisted that the decision isn’t about money, even though Judd Zulgad of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune reports that the Vikings have offered Brett a raise that would increase his 2010 base salary from $13 million to $16 million.

      Favre responded to a Star Tribune report that the Vikings were prepared to offer him more money for the 2010 season if he would play by insisting that his salary is not a factor in the decision. “It’s not about money,” he said.

      Well, I would hope it’s not about money considering he’s made over $100 million during the course of his career (which doesn’t include the millions more he has made through endorsements). Money has played a factor in everyone’s decisions at some point or another, but it would be asinine to think that he would play next season for $16 million, but not $13 million.

      Here’s the part of the story that I don’t get:

      On Tuesday, Vikings tight end Visanthe Shiancoe said Favre texted his teammates and told them he plans to retire. Shiancoe added he did not receive any direct messages from Favre, but learned of the texts from several teammates.

      “He told a couple guys on our team he’s going to retire,” Shiancoe said after practice on Tuesday. “He hasn’t told me yet. I’m going to check my phone right now, but it hasn’t been said publicly yet so I don’t know what to believe.”

      So did Favre send the text messages or not? Because if he didn’t, why did Shiancoe say that Favre told some of his teammates via text messages that he was going to retire? Something doesn’t add up here. Either Brett is a lying windbag or there’s a bad game of telephone going on inside the Vikings’ locker room.

      Regardless, this report proves that this situation is far from over. As reported all day yesterday, Favre has yet to make up his mind about whether or not to return. Shocking.

      External Sports, NFL

      NFL Camp Notes: Favre, Maclin injured & Babineaux suspended

      August 3, 2010 /
      PHILADELPHIA - AUGUST 27: Jeremy Maclin #18 of the Philadelphia Eagles runs the ball against the Jacksonville Jaguars on August 27, 2009 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

      Favre has yet to tell Childress that he’s retiring
      Despite reports that state he won’t return, Vikings’ head coach Brad Childress insisted on Tuesday that Brett Favre has not told him he’s retiring. Minnesota still considers the situation “fluid” and Viking players have told the media that nothing has changed in regards to Favre’s status with the team. A “family source” also tells the Biloxi Sun Herald that Brett has not decided whether to play this year. With over a month left before the season starts, it’s doubtful that Brett has made any concrete plans about whether or not to come back – even though many media outlets are reporting that he’s likely done.

      Eagles’ Maclin suffers hyperextended knee injury
      Second-year receiver Jeremy Maclin suffered a hyperextended left knee injury during practice today. According to some reports, he looked to be in serious pain on the field and his teammates even huddled for a prayer after practice. He’ll undergo an MRI on the knee to determine how much camp time he’ll miss. Hopefully the injury wasn’t serious and he’ll only miss a week or so.

      Falcons’ Babineaux suspended one game
      The Falcons won’t have their best interior pass-rusher when they take on the Steelers in Week 1, as defensive tackle Jonathan Babineaux has been suspended one game for violating the league’s Personal Conduct Policy. (The suspension stems from Babineaux’s 2009 arrest for possession of marijuana.) Kudos to GM Thomas Dimitroff for having the wherewithal to know Babineaux was likely to be suspended and to select DT Corey Peters in the third round of April’s draft. Non-kudos to Babineaux for the arrest.

      Haynesworth skips conditioning test again
      Another day, another skipped conditioning test for Albert Haynesworth. Mike Shanahan says that Haynesworth’s knee is still bothering him and that when he’s ready to take the test again, “he’ll take it.” Shanahan is standing firm that Haynesworth is not allowed to practice until he passes the test (which some media members have reportedly attempted and passed over the last coupe of days).

      External Sports, NFL

      A mock conversation between Brett Favre and Brad Childress

      August 3, 2010 /
      EDEN PRAIRIE, MN - AUGUST 18: Minnesota Vikings Head Coach Brad Childress (L) walks with Brett Favre #4 after finishing a passing drill during a Minnesota Vikings practice session on August 18, 2009 at Winter Park in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. Favre has reportedly agreed to play for the Vikings, a reversal of his announced retirement. (Photo by Scott A. Schneider/Getty Images)

      Since the news of his (latest) possible retirement broke, the one thing that keeps popping into my head is what the conversation would have sounded like between Brett Favre and Brad Childress if Brett had ensured Childress that he was coming back this season but wanted to string the media along.

      (When reading the Childress parts, think of a cross between a really excited Will Ferrell and Butters from “South Park.”)

      “Hey Brad, it’s Brett.”

      “Brett!!! OMG Brett, OMG! It’s soooo good to hear from you – how’s the offseason going? You ready to return?”

      “Oh yeah Brad, I’m coming back. But hey listen, I wanted to know if you could help me out with something?”

      “For realsies?! Yes! Of course – ANYTHING!”

      “Well, first and foremost I don’t want to go to training camp. So you can suck it if you think I’m showing up.”

      “Oh, don’t worry about it. Training camp is totally not cool and I wouldn’t expect somebody as wonderful and as awesome as you are to attend.”

      “Cool. Secondly, I want to pull a prank on the media again this year. First, I’m going to string them along like I usually do and not tell them what my plans are. What I need you to do is string them along from your end, too.”

      “Got it – done. This is so cool…”

      “Then, I’m going to slip Peter King some information that my ankle isn’t healing well and how I’m still not decided about whether or not to come back.”

      “Oooooh – I love Peter King!”

      Continue reading »

      External Sports, NFL

      Vikings in trouble? Brett Favre now leaning towards retirement.

      August 3, 2010 /
      NEW ORLEANS - JANUARY 24: A fan in the stands holds up a Green Bay Packers #4 jersey as Brett Favre #4 of the Minnesota Vikings walks off the field after the Vikings lost to the New Orleans Saints 31-28 in overtime during the NFC Championship Game at the Louisiana Superdome on January 24, 2010 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)

      When training camp rolled around last year, Vikings head coach Brad Childress was fully prepared to head into the season with either Sage Rosenfels or Tarvaris Jackson as his starting quarterback.

      Let’s hope he still feels that way.

      Judd Zulgad of the Minnesota Star-Tribune reports via his Twitter page that Brett Favre began telling Vikings officials last night that he will not return for a 20th season. Apparently Favre’s ankle has not responded the way he had hoped and he is now leaning towards retirement.

      First and foremost, if Favre has been honest with the Vikings about his ankle this entire time, then there’s nothing more the team or Childress could expect from Brett. Both Childress and Favre have stated this entire time that they didn’t know what would happen and neither of them said either way whether or not he would return for another season.

      That said, the cynic in me wonders if Favre led Childress and the Vikings to believe that he would return. For a guy that went to great lengths to make sure he didn’t hand the job to Jackson last offseason (including trading for Rosenfels and completely avoiding giving Jackson any encouragement through the media), Childress has been awfully calm about his quarterback position this offseason. Is he really fine with heading into the season with either Jackson or Rosenfels? Or had he known that Favre wasn’t coming back, would he have gotten another quarterback at some point over the last couple of months (either in free agency or the draft)?

      Granted, this is Brett Favre we’re talking about. This is a man that absolutely despises training camp and will stop at nothing (including tormenting the media with his annual retirement dance) to avoid it. Jackson could be lining up to take his first snap under center in Week 1 and Favre could come running out of the tunnel to proclaim his return.

      You just can’t put anything past him.

      However, if Zulgad’s report holds true and Favre doesn’t come back, then the Vikings could be in a world of hurt. They still have Adrian Peterson, a solid offensive line and an outstanding front seven on defense, but without Favre and the threat of an efficient passing game, opponents will just stack the box to take away AP. Plus, Don Banks of SI.com reported yesterday that two of three hip specialists recommended that Sidney Rice have surgery in the offseason, which he never did. If Rice is hobbled, the Vikes’ passing game would take yet another huge hit.

      Again, we just have to wait and see what happens. It shouldn’t surprise anyone if three weeks from now the media started reporting that Favre was coming back. Training camp will have wound down by then and maybe his ankle will start feeling better too. (I’m sure Childress would literally rip his own soul out of his body for Brett to return, so that’s an option as well.)

      But if he doesn’t return, then the entire landscape in the NFC North changes. The Packers already proved last year that they were serious threats to the Vikings. Without Favre in Minnesota, Green Bay would become the favorites to take over the division.

      Update: Childress, in the denial stage of grief, has reiterated to the media that Favre has not told him he’s retiring.

      External Sports, NFL

      Just who does Aaron Schobel think he is?

      July 28, 2010 /
      ORCHARD PARK, NY - DECEMBER 17: Aaron Schobel #94 of the Buffalo Bills gets ready at the line of scrimmage during the game against the Miami Dolphins on December 17, 2006 at Ralph Wilson Stadium in Orchard Park, New York. Buffalo won 21-0. (Photo by Rick Stewart/Getty Images)

      Look, there’s only one person that can be Brett Favre and that’s Brett Favre. There’s only one person that can do the retirement dance like Brett Favre and that’s Brett Favre. And there’s only one player that can drive their fan base and the media up the wall like Brett Favre and that’s, well, I’ll stop myself before I get to be too annoying.

      There’s only one person that can be as annoying as Brett Favre and I sir, am no Brett Favre.

      With that in mind, where Does Aaron Schobel get off thinking that he can be Brett-like in his version of will-he-or-won’t-he this offseason? In early June he told the Buffalo News that he didn’t he think he was going to play in 2010. Now Schobel is saying that he’s leaning towards coming back.

      “I would say I’m leaning more towards doing it (playing) then I was a month ago”, Schobel said on Tuesday. “At this point I’m thinking about it. At that point (a month ago) I didn’t want to even consider it. I wanted to enjoy my life like I was done with football. Lately both me and my wife have decided we have to do something.”

      So what’s changed? It was just over a month ago that Schobel told BuffaloBills.com that he didn’t think he was going to play in 2010. “I don’t know why.. I just started thinking I need to do something”, said Schobel. “I don’t want it to be January and say I wish I would have tried.”

      I’ll tell you what’s changed: it starts with ‘training’ and ends in ‘camp.’ Players hate grueling training camp sessions and if they can avoid them by holding out or acting like they’re pondering retirement, then they’ll do so in order to skip as many practices as they can. It appears as though Schobel has pulled a page out of Favre’s playbook in order to work his way out of training camp. The audacity!

      On a less sarcastic note, only those who are close to Schobel know why he’s considering retirement. It might be his desire to spend more time with his family or skip training camp, or it could be some other personal reason that we would never understand. The bottom line is that the Bills have stood firm in their position in stating that they’d like him to play but would understand if he chooses not to. So essentially it’s Schobel’s decision to come back or not and given how young the Bills’ defense is, they could use his veteran presence once again in their front seven.

      Schobel has always been a blue-collar player and a hard worker. Both the NFL and the Bills need him to play, so here’s hoping he does.

      External Sports, NFL

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