Kinda OT: Favre says, "I'll fill in for Rodgers!"

[Howling Mad]

How unfair is that?

Brett Favre is happy in retirement but claims that he wouldn't mind filling in for the Packers at quarterback if Aaron Rodgers were to get injured, according to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.

"It would be hard to pass up, I guess," Favre told the Biloxi (Miss.) Sun-Herald in an interview Tuesday. "Yeah, I can probably be up there doing that and playing, but again, I don't know. It's only speculating. I think the world of that team. I had a lot of fun, not only this year, but over my career. Those guys I played with this past year, a lot of young guys, a lot of fun. . . ."

"It was a fun year. That was fun, throwing the ball around like we did. There's no reason to think that won't happen again. Aaron (Rodgers) has fallen into a great situation. And if that opportunity presented itself and they did call, it would be tempting. And I very well could be enticed to do it," Favre added.

Aaron Rodgers already has the burden of living up to one of the best QB's ever, and now cheeseheads will be cheering for him to get injured.



Not a politically correct thing to say for Favre, but it doesn't matter the guy walks on water in Wisconsin.

[Cliff Levingston]

"I'm retired, but i guess i'll come back if they absolutely need me."

Cliff Levingston agrees that this comment will only make some Packer fans want Rodgers to get hurt so they can see Favre again, especially if the Packers start slow.

[SWIFTSLICK]

And this is a guy that the NFL considers it's golden boy. What an a-hole.

[WEFFPIM]

Cliff Levingston agrees that this comment will only make some Packer fans want Rodgers to get hurt so they can see Favre again, especially if the Packers start slow.

That was my first thought. Rodgers is gonna be walking around looking around every corner in fear of a crazed Packer fan wielding a nine iron walking up on him and taking out his leg. I would say I was exaggerating, but remember, a Packer fan in some Great Plains state got really drunk, started firing a shotgun for no reason and killed a woman after the Packers' NFC Championship loss. So those types of fans are out there.

[Howling Mad]

If Brett Favre went Tonya Harding, would he still be the NFL's golden boy?

Could you imagine that? A masked Deanna Favre taking a whack at Aaron Rodgers' ACL.

[dougthonus]

at the over reacting in this thread.

Reporter:
If Aaron Rodgers was hurt and the Packers desperately needed you would you come back?

Favre:
That'd be hard to pass up.

Wow, what a jerk.

[Howling Mad]

He's said things like this all the time, but for some reason they are always swept under the rug.

If he was retired, really retired, a politically correct answer to that question would've been, "I'll have to make that decision when it comes ups", or simply, "I'm retired."


A couple instances like this one is his call out of Javon Walker for holding out, and twice he spoke publicly about his frustration when the Packers didn't make a legit move for Moss.

I don't know how many years Favre has put off his retirement decision, I lost count, but several times he was criticized for using that tactic as leverage to force the GB brass to make moves.

I tend to agree with the media on that, however after a few reports of it, it was swept under the rug.

Then several reports have him being very pissed off about GB not making a move for Moss, in which he threatened retirement. Both this past season, and the season before he left the Raiders.

Even his retirement had some shadiness. Randy Moss was resigned, or reported to be finalizing a deal right before Favre announced retirement. The night before Favre announced his retirement, ESPN reported that Favre was furious that GB didn't make a move on Moss, then the next day those reports stopped. Coincidently, Favre left a voice mail on Chris Mortenson's voice mail (ESPN football reporter), and the negative story about Favre being furious on the lack of moves(for Moss) by GB stopped. Did ya get all that... lol.

I've always believed that if a player cooperates with the media, they are more likely to hide negative things about his personal life.

Examples:

Michael Jordan/good media guy = barely any negative stories.

Brian Urlacher/bad media guy = lots of negative stories.

They always say, what makes Favre great, is also what makes Favre terrible.

I think you can say this about his media etiquette. He's always been a guy that does what he wants, whenever he wants. He doesn't care what others say(gun slinger mentalitity). I think this can be said about his media comments. He speaks the truth, although not always politcally correct, he always speaks his mind.

Maybe its just me speculating, but the pattern is too hard to ignore.

Doug, I know you've had more experience than most on these boards about media relations in sports. So I'll ask, how much influence does the media have in shaping the image of these professional athletes?

I'm sure every city has a different answer, but I would assume a city like Green Bay is an easier place to 'cover up flaws' compared to a big city, with lots of different media types, like Chicago.

I've always wondered how much off the record talking (aka cooperation) there really is.

[dougthonus]

I don't really have that much experience with media relations, but I would tend to agree with you that the media plays a huge role in how they want to report things, and that if you are nicer to the media you'll get a lot more breaks.

However, that's just common sense. If you are nicer to anyone around you then they're likely going to take your side in a dispute of any kind than if you are a joke.

As for Favre, I agree, he is going to say and do what he wants. I just don't think it's all that different from what any other athletes do, nor do I think 'what he wants' is really that big a deal in this case. I don't think campaigning for your team to make moves to improve the team or putting off your retirement until they prove to you that they want to win is all that bad. Nor do I think taking his time on that decision is that bad. The Packers could give him the finger any time they want and not take him back. If he leaves them hanging and they choose to let him then that's their choice.

Given what he's given Green Bay over his career, I don't think he's out of line in most of the things you've mentioned. Not to say there aren't plenty of other negative things about Favre that were swept under the rug or under reported a bit. However, I have no problem with a guy exercising his rights under contract to whatever degree he can do so legally under the CBA.

[Howling Mad]

I figured with your limited connections, bulls related, that you had some experience being/with the media.

I mean, how do you get all that good juicy info?

I always loved Favre as a football player. My belief is, its Chicago's payback for Jordan.

I guess this is my way to exert my Bears-related hate on Favre.

Disagree, but I wonder if those words came from another quarterback's mouth, if the media would spin it a different way.

[dougthonus]

Disagree, but I wonder if those words came from another quarterback's mouth, if the media would spin it a different way.

I don't know, I don't think anything about saying "it'd be hard to pass up" in reference to if Aaron Rodgers was hurt is something that you can easily spin in a bad way.

[Chewie]

Obviously we all wanted Jordan to come back after moving on to baseball but I just think if you're going to hold a tearful press conference and say you're retiring then....well....RETIRE (*cough* Junior Seau *cough*).

Move on with your life and let your former team move on. If Aaron Rodgers gets hurt, the Pack should have 2 able-bodied backup QBs to turn to that aren't named Brett Favre. The question wasn't fair but Favre should've simply answered that he's retired and wouldn't be returning if the Pack come a-calling. He leaves the door open by answering the way he did which tells me he's not 100% done.

I wouldn't care so much but for all the waterworks at these "retirement" press conferences. Boxing is prolific for this kind of stuff. You can't believe anyone's truly retiring anymore so you'll excuse me if I don't tear up when someone announces their great career is over.

[dougthonus]

Obviously we all wanted Jordan to come back after moving on to baseball but I just think if you're going to hold a tearful press conference and say you're retiring then....well....RETIRE (*cough* Junior Seau *cough*).

Doesn't the idea that a retirement for some guy is that emotional make you feel it's more likely for them to unretire rather than not? I mean if a guy didn't care at all and didn't think retiring was a big deal then he'd be the guy I'd expect never to come back. The guy who viewed the NFL as his whole life and breaks down completely on leaving is the guy I'm thinking has a better chance of coming back again later.

The question wasn't fair but Favre should've simply answered that he's retired and wouldn't be returning if the Pack come a-calling.

Why should he say this? Particularly if it's not true.

He leaves the door open by answering the way he did which tells me he's not 100% done.

I agree, he does leave the door open, and maybe he wants to.

I wouldn't care so much but for all the waterworks at these "retirement" press conferences. Boxing is prolific for this kind of stuff. You can't believe anyone's truly retiring anymore so you'll excuse me if I don't tear up when someone announces their great career is over.

Well I certainly wouldn't expect you to tear up over someone's retirement unless they were really special to you in some way. I've never teared up at the retirement of a player I loved, so I'm not sure that I ever would (given that I lived through Jordan's retirement).

As I said, I think the emotional ones are the ones who haven't entirely come to terms with it yet. In boxing, I think it's a bit different by the way, if someone comes and offers you the right pay day, then I think it can lure a lot of guys. It's very different then committing to a full season of a sport.

[Chewie]

Oh, I hate it when my every sentence is dissected! I just long for a time when a retirement meant a guy was done. Favre's press conference got so much hype and then he turns around with a comment like that and makes it all seem meaningless and like he'll strap the helmet back on in a heartbeat.

Why even pay attention to these quasi-retirements anymore? My favorite is when a guy says he's hanging it up to spend quality time with his family then un-retires later. Soooo....what happened? Family wasn't really all it was cracked up to be ??