Will Favre sign with the Vikings?

By: Larry Fitzgerald
Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder
Originally posted 05/13/2009

Here we go again — three-time NFL MVP retired legendary quarterback Brett Favre is clearly taking full advantage of White man’s privilege.
The Vikings appear to be convinced that Favre at quarterback this fall would give them their best shot at winning Minnesota’s first-ever Super Bowl.

For better than a week now, this story about Favre’s desires and the Vikings’ intentions simply won’t go away. “Where there’s a will there’s a way,” I always say, and Favre today appears to not have the will to want to load up one more time and lead the Vikings to the Super Bowl.

Last year, after coming out of retirement, Favre was traded by the Green Bay Packers to the New York Jets. I was in New York last year on September 28 when Favre had one of the best games ever by a quarterback.
He completed 24 of 34 passes for 289 yards and threw a career-best six touchdown passes in the Jets 56-35 win over the Arizona Cardinals.

Bus Cook is Favre’s longtime agent, and agents get paid when their players play. On February 21 Favre retired again, and the Jets released him April 28, making Farve an unrestricted free agent. Last week, Vikings Head Coach Brad Childress was reported to have arranged a face-to-face meeting with Favre in Mississippi but canceled his flight plans at the last minute, according to those reports, after Favre said he was staying retired.

Favre, it seems, goes through this, I don’t want to play I do want to play ritual every year. Cook said, “I don’t know what he’s going to do.”

Favre has a slight tear of his right biceps tendon. According to reports, the New York Jets sent that x-ray of the injury to the Vikings’ medical people to re-evaluate the x-ray. It’s believed that Favre can play with the tendon simply being snipped off and start throwing in four to six weeks. However, if the tendon is shredded, that would be a bigger problem.

Cook said, “I don’t think he [Favre] can get mentally up for another run at a championship. However, he could change his mind.” Childress and Favre have talked, that’s clear; however, neither Childress nor anyone else from the Vikings front office has confirmed that they are pursuing Favre.

The Vikings front office folks have suddenly becomes mimes. I had dinner last week with Adrian Peterson, the NFL’s leading rusher, and like everyone else he seemed a bit surprised at the life of its own this Favre story has taken on.

Vikings fans and Packers fans have been known to share beers together.
But no Packers fan wants to see Favre in Purple next season.
Obviously, Favre is considering the comeback, and the Vikings don’t want to go on record as saying they are trying to sign Favre out of respect to their current quarterbacks Tarvaris Jackson and Sage Rosenfels. So, despite Yahoo Sports reporting last week that Farve is staying retired, let’s just wait for the next episode of As the Favre Turns.

Breaking news: As we go to press, Vikings President Mark Wilf has been quoted as saying, “The team is still interested” in Brett Farvre, and the Vikings are assessing “a variety of factors” about the presumably retired quarterback.

Larry Fitzgerald can be heard weekday mornings on KMOJ Radio 89.9 FM at 8:20 am, and on WDGY-AM 740 Monday & Saturday mornings at 7:50 am and Fridays at 3:50 pm; he also commentates on sports 7-8 pm on Almanac (TPT channel 2). Larry welcomes reader responses to lfitzgerald@spokesman-re corder.com, or visit www.Larry-Fitzgerald.com