Its all rumor. Brett Favre
Apparently still retired, he denies the story about him wanting to play another year
By LORI NICKEL
Posted: July 2, 2008
As of Wednesday night, there was only one public comment from Brett Favre, in a text message to his friend and Biloxi Sun Herald sports reporter, Al Jones.
"It's all rumor."
But what a huge rumor it is.
On Wednesday afternoon, ESPN.com reported that Favre had the "itch" to be back on the field for training camp to play for an 18th NFL season. It is a dramatic turnaround for the 38-year-old Favre, who announced on March 4 that he would retire after 16 years as the Green Bay Packers quarterback.
The ESPN story was written by Chris Mortensen, the same reporter who broke the retirement news in March after he received a voice mail directly from Favre, who said he was mentally tired.
This time, Mortensen's story cites anonymous sources as confirmation of Favre's change of heart and says Favre expressed his wishes to come back to Packers coach Mike McCarthy, more than likely after the team's last minicamp practice on June 19. But, according to an ESPN source, the Packers would be reluctant to open the door for Favre because "Brett retired for the right reasons, even though I know his family is tugging on him (to play)."
A team spokesman said Wednesday: "The Packers have no reaction." Most of Lambeau Field's front office was deserted, from president Mark Murphy to general manager Ted Thompson to McCarthy. All were on vacation and could not be reached for comment.
But Favre's family did speak out Wednesday to Milwaukee TV stations, revealing one new development and reinforcing a long-held sentiment: first, that Favre is working out, and second, that he might not have felt welcomed anymore by Thompson.
Favre's brother, Scott, told WTMJ-TV that Favre was working out and that the odds were fair for Favre's return.
"I think it's 50-50," Scott Favre said. "There's no doubt he can play. He's in good shape, he's working out, we know he can still play, he's healthy, so, if he did, it wouldn't surprise me."
Favre's mother, Bonita, told WITI-TV that Favre felt Thompson was less than enthusiastic about keeping him around for another year, something Favre's inner circle has expressed for some time.
"He's felt like that for the last couple of years, that the Packers didn't really want him back," said Bonita Favre. "But nothing's been said. You know it's just been bits and pieces throughout the last couple of years, things that would come up, and it just didn't seem like they went out of their way to keep him. It was kind of like, 'You're done.' "
Former Packers general manager Ron Wolf didn't sound totally stunned when he first heard the news Wednesday.
"I hadn't heard anything about that," said Wolf. "When I had talked to him, it sounded like he had had it. It was after he had the press conference up there in Green Bay. But time has a way of healing those things, and there were a lot of people that probably thought he did that too early. You can look at it two ways; you go out the way you're supposed to go out. But I think all of us thought that he could still play.
"It will be interesting what comes of all this, you know that?"
That's what everybody who cares about the Packers is saying right now.
Favre had an answer for that, too, on Wednesday night. When Jones replied to Favre with a text message saying he was being bombarded with questions from the media, Favre sent a text back, "No reason for it."
FULL STORY
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=768751
Its all rumor. Brett Favre
Its all rumor. Brett Favre
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