You’ve got to hand it to those slick guys in Green Bay. They crafted the perfect distraction to keep Minnesota off balance and unsettled, by dangling the possibility of Brett Favre joining the Vikings. I don’t know how they got Brett to go along with it, but it has jerked the Vikings fanbase every which way for months, and will continue to be a divisive factor throughout the pre-season and into the start of the regular season. Hats off, Packer braintrust . . . you’ve more than earned your espionage bonuses this season.
I’m only surprised that Favre didn’t keep this “will-I-or-won’t-I” charade going for another couple of weeks.
Personally, I’m relieved that he’s staying retired (I called for him to stay retired the day the news broke). As recently as May, a majority of Minnesotans didn’t want the Vikings to sign him.
Of course, the local media appears to have really wanted the Favre-a-palooza to come to town:
All the hoopla, mystery and angst ended Tuesday, however, when the Vikings learned Favre won’t be joining the team.
After three months of buildup that seemed destined to end with the future Hall of Fame quarterback in purple, Favre called Vikings coach Brad Childress and told him he would remain retired. The call came a day before the Vikings report to training camp in Mankato, and three days before the team’s first practice.
The decision could be a blow to a team considered a Super Bowl contender with Favre, who holds every significant NFL passing record. His presence also would have guaranteed sellouts for a franchise that has struggled to sell tickets in recent seasons.
Now we’ll see how Coach Childress and the ownership try to rebuild their relationship with Tarvaris Jackson and Sage Rosenfels, who are probably rightfully feeling unwanted and unappreciated.
