Favre says Thompson begged him not to return

[randy84]

How does the Washington stint have more application? Favre just came off one of the best seasons of his career. When Jordan got to Washington he couldn't hardly dunk, everything was a jump shot. Favre still has the ability to get it done, Jordan didn't.

Actually it would be a bigger deal if Favre was the best QB in the game, because TT would still tell him not to come to camp. This has nothing to do with Favre and/or Rodgers its all about TT and his ego.

[ReasonablySober]

Come on PP, you're smarter than this

Do you actually think the Packers want Brett to come to camp as the backup QB?

I don't think your picking up my point. No, the Packers don't want Brett anywhere near GB. Under any circumstance, starter or backup.

My point is that if FAVRE wanted to do the right thing and also put the Packers in a bind, he'd do a better job by him (Favre) saying he'd be glad to come in as the backup. There is zero chance that TT can still hold his job and turn Favre away from coming in as the veteran clipboard guy. Virtually every Packer fan in the State would love for Brett to defer to A-Rod yet still be part of the team. The only ones who wouldn't like that are TT, MM and A-Rod for the pressure it would cause.

But, why won't Favre make the mentor/backup play here? Because he's got too damn big an ego. Favre could win this thing right now by saying he'd love to be A-Rod's backup. But instead we're still hearing him bitch about cellphone gate and his problems with TT. Primarily because Favre wants to come back as the star he was.

This one hit the nail on the head.

If Favre and his team were at all smart, he would have said, "I gladly welcome the opportunity to come in and back-up Rodgers. I want to help the team in any way I can and if this is the best way possible, so be it" and leave it at that.

That would be calling the Packers bluff because, frankly, that's the last situation in the world Green Bay as an organization would want. It's worse than him going to Minnesota. The public outcry from seeing Favre work with the #2s would be impossible to handle. Favre could go from being the whiny flip flopper to a sympathetic figure. The guy who's (presumably) better equipped to be the starter but the coaching staff and GM won't let him.

He could let his play do the talking and with Rodgers under the unreal pressure to perform, he could have easily looked better.

But every time Brett opens his mouth, he looks worse.

[El Duderino]

MJ retired twice and came back. Twice he retired after winning three straight titles.....1993 and 1998.

It was the subsequent Washington Wizards stint that I think has more application in this instance.....Favre right now is more Jordan during his Wizards time than his Bulls time.

If Favre were the unquestioned best QB and player in the game like Jordan was there would be no controversy here. The controversy is precisely because Favre is still good but not great anymore.

No question that the odds favor Brett not being able to match last years very surprising performance, father time can only be fended off by athletes for so long and Favre's birthday cake is loaded with candles.

With that said, the QB position in the NFL is the most important position in all pro sports. That's why a fair number of teams still will be willing to trade for a 38 year old Brett Favre. While Brett is no longer good enough to carry a team by himself, he did lead the Packers to a 7-1 record last year even though we had the worst running game in the league until Grant got his chance. There weren't lots of QB's last year who could have done that.

Having an above average QB won't guarantee any NFL team will be very successful, but having a very mediocre or poor QB will in most cases guarantee a team won't reach it's potential unless they have a flat out dominant defense. Put Brett though on a few teams in the NFL that otherwise have a good or pretty good team besides the QB spot, those teams then at least have better reason to hope for a playoff berth.

MJ at the end of his career in Washington just couldn't have that kind of impact because in the NBA, only special players can have a major impact on a team. In the NFL, a good but not great QB can still impact a team a lot so long as the team around that QB is pretty good. Put Brett on say the Jets and they could have some reason to think a playoff berth is possible, they keep their current QB's instead, the Jets likely will be a bad team. Put Brett on the Vikings, they are a legit good bet to win the division and compete for a SB berth. An old Jordan couldn't impact a team like that.

[paulpressey25]

How does the Washington stint have more application? Favre just came off one of the best seasons of his career. .

He came off one of the best 12-game runs of his career. The first 12 games of last season. The prior two years he was Jordan on the Wizards. During the last four games and the Giants playoff game...he was Jordan on the Wizards.

If everyone here wants to be 10-6 and watch Favre get the crap beat out of him by the Giants or Dallas in the playoffs next year while throwing 3 INT's, that's fine. That's really what we're voting for here.

I'll roll the dice that A-Rod might take us to better things either this season or next with the possibility that we'll also go 6-10.

[randy84]

Actually, I think the Packers have looked worse. They acted like in March they would take him back but in 3 short months now they are saying he can't even backup A.R. or come to camp. M.M has said that A.R. is the starting QB no matter what. That means even if Brian Brohm is better or Flynn that Rodgers will still be the starting QB.

Basically they are losing all credibility with the players because there really isn't any competition. T.T. and M.M. are going with the guys they like even if they are not the best players.

[randy84]

I guess I don't understand the age thing. How old was Rich Gannon when he went to the Super Bowl? Vinny Testeverde started a game for the Panthers last year and he was in his 40's. Favre has more talent than both of these guys so I definately think he could play at a high level until he is 40 unless he gets hurt.

[El Duderino]

Come on PP, you're smarter than this

Do you actually think the Packers want Brett to come to camp as the backup QB?

I don't think your picking up my point. No, the Packers don't want Brett anywhere near GB. Under any circumstance, starter or backup.

My point is that if FAVRE wanted to do the right thing and also put the Packers in a bind, he'd do a better job by him (Favre) saying he'd be glad to come in as the backup

Instead of ripping Favre, it should be pointed out that he isn't going to the farthest degree to put the Packers in a bind like he very well could have done by telling Thompson, no, i'll be there Sunday morning.

As for Brett saying that yea i'll come to camp as the backup all season, i credit him for not playing along with some silly charade that both the team doesn't really want and neither does Brett because both parties know that Brett is easily good enough to start in the NFL and the Packers don't even want him in camp at all.

But, why won't Favre make the mentor/backup play here? Because he's got too damn big an ego.

Oh come on PP

First of all, nearly every great athlete has a huge ego, its one part of the reason they are/were great. Favre is certainly not some rarity in a HOF talent having a big ego. Besides that, he doesn't want to come to camp as a designated backup/mentor for the same reason no other QB in Brett's shoes would and nor would you, Favre is still a top 10 QB in the NFL. If there truly was an open competition for the job, he'd be there today.

He came off one of the best 12-game runs of his career. The first 12 games of last season. The prior two years he was Jordan on the Wizards. During the last four games and the Giants playoff game...he was Jordan on the Wizards.

If everyone here wants to be 10-6 and watch Favre get the crap beat out of him by the Giants or Dallas in the playoffs next year while throwing 3 INT's, that's fine. That's really what we're voting for here.

Brett was 18-4 in his last 22 regular season games at QB and a FG away from a Super Bowl berth, Jordan on the Wizards never came close to leading his team to that much success.

[El Duderino]

Come on PP, you're smarter than this

Do you actually think the Packers want Brett to come to camp as the backup QB?

I don't think your picking up my point. No, the Packers don't want Brett anywhere near GB. Under any circumstance, starter or backup.

My point is that if FAVRE wanted to do the right thing and also put the Packers in a bind, he'd do a better job by him (Favre) saying he'd be glad to come in as the backup. There is zero chance that TT can still hold his job and turn Favre away from coming in as the veteran clipboard guy. Virtually every Packer fan in the State would love for Brett to defer to A-Rod yet still be part of the team. The only ones who wouldn't like that are TT, MM and A-Rod for the pressure it would cause.

But, why won't Favre make the mentor/backup play here? Because he's got too damn big an ego. Favre could win this thing right now by saying he'd love to be A-Rod's backup. But instead we're still hearing him bitch about cellphone gate and his problems with TT. Primarily because Favre wants to come back as the star he was.

This one hit the nail on the head.

If Favre and his team were at all smart, he would have said, "I gladly welcome the opportunity to come in and back-up Rodgers. I want to help the team in any way I can and if this is the best way possible, so be it" and leave it at that.

That would be calling the Packers bluff because, frankly, that's the last situation in the world Green Bay as an organization would want. It's worse than him going to Minnesota. The public outcry from seeing Favre work with the #2s would be impossible to handle. Favre could go from being the whiny flip flopper to a sympathetic figure. The guy who's (presumably) better equipped to be the starter but the coaching staff and GM won't let him.

He could let his play do the talking and with Rodgers under the unreal pressure to perform, he could have easily looked better.

But every time Brett opens his mouth, he looks worse.

So you're ripping on Favre for being accepting of Thompson's wish that Brett hold off coming to camp instead of Brett doing what every agent would push for him to do and say screw you Ted, i'm showing up Sunday and you deal with the consequences and media circus?

Brett doesn't show up right away at the wish of Thompson and thus saving Ted and the Packers the immediate hassle of camp becoming a complete circus, yet most here are ripping Favre for saying yes to Thompson's wish.

[paulpressey25]

First of all, nearly every great athlete has a huge ego, its one part of the reason they are/were great. .

Egos like Unitas, Franco Harris, Jerry Rice, etc, who all finished their careers on different teams because they weren't great anymore, but greatness was what their fan bases were used to.

The last three years statistically the guy has fallen off a cliff the second half of the season.

I don't disagree with you as to the importance of the QB position. I think it would be a lock if Favre returned for the Packers to go 10-6 and get a playoff berth. If that's what people want, then bring him back. But as Brett noted, the bar for Green Bay is just a lot higher. We shoot for the Super Bowl and nothing less.

Sal Palantonio does a good job of showing how Favre hasn't cut it in high pressure playoff situations for over a decade. I have no clue how A-Rod will do next year, but I do have an idea as to how Brett will function against tough defenses and in cold weather.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/columns/s ... id=3281535

[El Duderino]

First of all, nearly every great athlete has a huge ego, its one part of the reason they are/were great. .

Egos like Unitas, Franco Harris, Jerry Rice, etc, who all finished their careers on different teams because they weren't great anymore, but greatness was what their fan bases were used to.

The last three years statistically the guy has fallen off a cliff the second half of the season.

I don't disagree with you as to the importance of the QB position. I think it would be a lock if Favre returned for the Packers to go 10-6 and get a playoff berth. If that's what people want, then bring him back. But as Brett noted, the bar for Green Bay is just a lot higher. We shoot for the Super Bowl and nothing less.

Sal Palantonio does a good job of showing how Favre hasn't cut it in high pressure playoff situations for over a decade. I have no clue how A-Rod will do next year, but I do have an idea as to how Brett will function against tough defenses and in cold weather.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/columns/s ... id=3281535

I'm not sure why you posted this directed at me given that in this thread and in others, i've said that i believe in Rodgers ability as a QB and i'm ok with the Packers giving Aaron the job.

My only beef is with many here who are ripping on Favre for crap he doesn't deserve to be ripped on. Thompson calls Brett and asks him to please not show up today, even though if Brett showed up it would put more pressure on Ted. Favre says ok i'll stay away for a few days like Thompson asked and against his agent's wishes, yet Brett is getting ripped here for saying yes to Thompson's wish.

Favre doesn't want to come to camp as a backup because he not only knows he's better that the majority of starting QB's in the NFL, he also knows that the team just threw the backup charade out there as pure PR spin. They don't want Brett near camp in any fashion, as a starter or backup, yet Favre gets called an ego manic for for not playing along with the charade the Packers don't even really want? It's ridiculous.

Brett certainly has done his fair share of stuff since retiring that is worthy of being criticized. Now though some Packers fans have gone overboard in their zeal to rip Brett for any and everything they can, even when there is zero justification for it, along with being completely unwilling to see anything from his point of view. This thread being a perfect example. Ted asks Brett to please stay away for a few days and even though it only helps Thompson, Favre says ok and people are ripping Brett for this. It's silly.

[Reddeye]

Something must have happened between Favre and Thompson/McCarthy that we don't know about. They have really dug in their heels in their stance towards Favre. I am on the TT/McCarthy/ARod side, but if this goes on much longer I think it could tear the team apart. We might be looking at an 8-8 season if we are lucky. The schedule doesn't appear that easy to begin with.

On a side note I really would like to see McCarthy get more credit for Favre's season last year. He made Favre throw more short passes allowing the receivers to make plays which in turn greatly helped Favre's stats.. McCarthy turned Aaron Brooks into a pro level QB and now he is out of the league.

[InsideOut]

I don't believe a word Favre says.

MM and TT are paid to win games. If they don't they are fired and out the millions they would have made had they won a lot of games. For this reason I feel they are doing what they feel takes the Packers the farthest this season and the ones to follow. TT was exec of the year while MM was runner up coach of the year. I'll assume they aren't stupid.

Favre has cried wolf for 4 or 5 years now. He has killed us in the playoffs for the past 10 seasons (18 picks in last 6 games). Favre and his family have ripped TT in public. Favre is talking to the enemy and to everyone it's obvious he wants to play for the Vikings. However, after all this people wonder why they don't want Favre in camp?

My guess is TT has seen what a lot of us have seen. Favre has said he can't take the cold anymore and isn't sure he wants the ball with the game on the line. As was mentioned, Favre has sucked in the last 4-6 weeks of the past several seasons. This could be age catching up with him. He has also bombed in the playoffs for a while now. He hasn't put together back to back above average playoff games for over a decade. If Favre can't take us to the next level it's time to move on. If we could play out two seasons with each as the starter, my guess is Favre would be better than AR for the first half of the season but from that point forward AR will be the better player.

[humanrefutation]

My only beef is with many here who are ripping on Favre for crap he doesn't deserve to be ripped on. Thompson calls Brett and asks him to please not show up today, even though if Brett showed up it would put more pressure on Ted. Favre says ok i'll stay away for a few days like Thompson asked and against his agent's wishes, yet Brett is getting ripped here for saying yes to Thompson's wish.

If he's such a saint, why did he attempt to publically embarass Thompson by releasing this story? He could've simply told the media: "I'm holding off a couple days in order to see if there can be a resolution to this situation before I arrive." Instead, he tried to throw Rodgers, MM, and TT under the bus by making it seem like they were at his mercy.

Come on...Brett's actions weren't as noble as you think they were.

[TheMachine]

It is very obvious that Favre does not want to play for the Packers, period. Favre does not want to compete for the starting job despite what he says at this point.

The bottom line is that Favre will only play where he is guaranteed the starting job before going in. The simple reason is the record consecutive starts streak that he has. He will not risk being on a roster and not being the starter, as that will be where the streak ends. This means more to him than anything.

This is very much a two way street despite what the Favre camp will have you believe. Sure the Packers don't want Favre in camp due to the distractions, but Favre also does not want to be in a camp where he is not guaranteed the starting job, and this includes the Packers. This is why he has still not filed for re-instatement.

This is the simple truth of the matter.

[th87]

I've been supportive of the management thus far.

But not letting Favre compete is ridiculous. If he wins the job, he will have deserved it, and if he does not, then we'll cross that bridge when we get to it. Trade or whatever.

Pressure for Rodgers? Good. This might make him work at an extra gear, and if he wins the job, imagine how much more equipped he'll be for high-pressure situations. This cannot be a bad thing.

[El Duderino]

On a side note I really would like to see McCarthy get more credit for Favre's season last year. He made Favre throw more short passes allowing the receivers to make plays which in turn greatly helped Favre's stats.. McCarthy turned Aaron Brooks into a pro level QB and now he is out of the league.

The McCarthy aspect is being under played by the media. Thompson is catching nearly all the flack for not having Brett back, but there is no chance this would be going on if McCarthy didn't believe strongly in Rodgers ability to be a good QB if he can stay healthy. I think a lot of the national media just nearly assume Rodgers won't be able to perform at a pretty high level simply because it'll be his first crack at starting, but i think McCarthy has plenty of confidence in Aaron and that played a huge huge role in the team taking the risk of telling a HOF QB who just had a 13-3 season to stay home.

If he's such a saint, why did he attempt to publically embarass Thompson by releasing this story? He could've simply told the media: "I'm holding off a couple days in order to see if there can be a resolution to this situation before I arrive." Instead, he tried to throw Rodgers, MM, and TT under the bus by making it seem like they were at his mercy

Since i've never called Brett anything close to a saint in this whole ordeal, i'm not sure why you're asking me that, but whatever. The reason Brett talked to Mortenson is obvious, he's trying to make himself look good by saying i took the high road in not reporting to camp like Ted asked of me. I wasn't trying to imply at all that Brett did this to just be a swell guy, he had his own personal reasons for it, like trying to look good. With that said, the fact is, most athletes today and their agents will do ANYTHING POSSIBLE to gain leverage in any situation where they have a gripe with their team.

Favre easily could have done that by telling Thompson no, i'll be there Sunday morning ready to go. That would have forced Ted into the terrible spot of either having Brett blocked from the facilities with tons of media around or allowing Brett to enter the facilities and an already media circus would blow up to massive proportions. Suddenly Ted would have way more pressure on him to resolve this issue than he already has. Favre instantly gains leverage the second he arrives in Green Bay given how badly the Packers don't want Brett anywhere near training camp.

What do you think many pissed off players of today with say a Drew Rosenhaus like agent would do in this spot? They'd have told Thompson to piss off and then show up at the Packer facilities at 6am Sunday morning, thus putting Thompson in a very tough spot he wants absolutely no part of.

[TheGhostDog]

I think MM and TT have been remarkably consistent on three points for months now, which MM once again reiterated a half dozen times in his Saturday (7/26) precamp press conference:
1) Aaron Rodgers is our starter.
2) We are trying to do what's best for the Packers.
3) We are trying to be respectful of Brett Favre's Legacy.
http://www.packers.com/multimedia/videos/recent/

What they can't say publicly, because of #3, but which is made clear by #1 and 2, is
4) Brett Favre, due to some combination of declining skills, growing ego, indecisiveness and late-season ineffectiveness, no longer gives the Pack their best chance at winning a Super Bowl.

If MM and TT were as unprincipled as Favre, I think they'd come out and say pretty much exactly what Sal Paolantonio said in that article PP linked to many posts back ( http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/columns/s ... id=3281535 ). But MM and TT, true to their word, are too decent and professional to come out and fully explain their decision to move ahead with Rodgers because they cannot without trashing Favre. I just wish Favre showed as much restraint as MM & TT and they all quietly worked together, behind the scenes, to move Brett to a happier place for all concerned.

[paulpressey25]

The bottom line is that Favre will only play where he is guaranteed the starting job before going in. The simple reason is the record consecutive starts streak that he has. .

I hadn't thought about that angle, but I think it is a great point.

Although the people in the Favre camp would say that now he's given that up since he'll "compete" for the starting job here rather than expect it.

[MartyConlonOnTheRun]

Heads Up: Standard MM presser at 1045 following the first practice on packers.com.
TT at 1.

[Bernman]

Can anybody seriously picture Ted Thompson begging and pleading with anyone?? I don't even think the guy has emotions.....he's an all business zombie. Favre is just trying to act like the Packers are the ones desperate for him not to be present at camp so he drives down his own trade value dramatically, therefore the Packers might as well release him to the Vikings as he desires. Never gonna get, never gonna get it, Brett. The Packers aren't going to allow you to play in the division and you've already made it crystal clear you want no part of training camp and practices unless you're a surefire starter. You don't have the dedication to be enough of a distraction. The Packers hold all the cards and you'll be traded where we desire, within reason. And if the Bucs or Jets want to acquire him they'll have to part with a 1st rounder or a 2nd + 3rd type deal to solidify their QB spot for 2 years. Quarterbacks have more value than defensive ends or tight ends.