ESPN: Favre won't apply for reinstatement yet

JakeandElwood · Jul 17, 2008

Mizzougrad96 said:

Packers' timeline of off-season dealings with Brett Favre
Posted: July 12, 2008
The following is a timeline provided by Packers general manager Ted Thompson of the off-season dealings with quarterback Brett Favre. All of the information comes from Thompson, and several sources close to Favre did not return phone messages seeking verification of Thompson’s account.

Jan. 20, 2008: The Packers lose in overtime to the New York Giants in the NFC Championship Game. Both Thompson and coach Mike McCarthy speak briefly to Favre before he returns home to Hattiesburg, Miss.

Jan. 30: McCarthy and Favre are both at the Super Bowl media center in Phoenix to collect post-season awards and spend about an hour chatting. The two talk again when McCarthy is at the Pro Bowl in Honolulu and later when McCarthy returns home.

Feb. 22: Sometime during the scouting combine Thompson calls Favre because he had heard reports that the quarterback was mad Thompson hadn’t called him. “I called him and he said, ’Well I don’t know where you’re getting that from, because that’s not true.’ ” Thompson said he reassured Favre he was wanted back and told him McCarthy would be the one communicating with him most often.

Feb. 25: McCarthy calls Favre on a trip back from the combine and discusses how he might be able to lessen the quarterback’s load and whether Favre can commit 100%.

Feb. 29: Favre calls McCarthy and tells him if he had to make a decision now, he would retire. McCarthy tells him to think about it over the weekend and both McCarthy and Thompson think Favre will play. “Mike talked to him about, ‘Well, what if we change (reduce) some reps or off-season things’ and things like that and he was pretty sure that he wanted to retire.”

March 3: Favre calls McCarthy at a function in Austin, Texas, and tells him he’s retiring. McCarthy asks if he needs more time and Favre says no. Favre tells him he can’t commit 100%. McCarthy flies back to Green Bay.

March 4: Thompson, McCarthy and public relations director Jeff Blumb are in Thompson’s office and Blumb reaches Favre on his cell phone. “Jeff spoke for a few minutes and then I talked to Brett for I don’t know, 20 minutes, 15 minutes, something like that. We got to the point where he wanted to go ahead and make the announcement here and then I think Jeff got back on the phone and then they worked it out that he would come up here and do the press conference.”

March 6: Favre conducts retirement news conference.

Week of March 24: Offensive line coach James Campen, who is visiting Louisiana, stops in to see Favre at his Mississippi home and is asked by Favre whether he thinks the Packers would take him back. Campen reports the conversation to McCarthy and Thompson. McCarthy calls Favre and hears the same things Campen did.

March 27: Thompson and McCarthy decide they would be fine with Favre returning even though Aaron Rodgers is set to begin off-season workouts as the starter, and they inform Favre. “Mike said, ‘Ted and I talked and we said, fine.’ But we’d like to come see you, and Brett was kind of excited that we were coming to see him.” In preparation to leave for the owners meetings in West Palm Beach, March 30-April 3, they arrange to meet with Favre and wife Deanna.

March 29: McCarthy prepares to fly to Hattiesburg on April 1 to make plans for Favre’s return. McCarthy is leaving for evening Mass when Favre calls to inform him he has changed his mind. “We were all set for them, but Brett called back and that he and Deanna had a long talk about it and they were going to stick with their original decision.”

May 6: Thompson is down South and decides to pay a visit to Favre at his home. “I called him and said I am thinking about seeing you, I don’t have any agenda or anything. So I did, I went and visited. Had lunch, sat out on the veranda. We had a long talk and good talk. Nothing really came up other than like with any retired player; you could tell there were a few things that he would throw in there; ’there might be some doubts, I may change my mind,’ or something like that. And that was that.”

June 8: Campen goes to Favre’s home and has a long talk with Favre and leaves feeling Favre wants to return.

June 20: Favre calls McCarthy and the two have a 45-minute conversation in which Favre tells him he might want to play again. “There was more wondering, you know, what ifs.” McCarthy and Thompson go on vacation for the July 4 weekend.

July 4: Thompson receives a text message from Favre and sends a message back about 8 p.m. back telling him he’s traveling and can they talk on Monday. “By Monday I hadn’t heard back from him. I sent him back a text saying, ‘Haven’t heard from ya, hope you’re getting these messages, can we talk Tuesday at noon?’ He got back to me and said ’OK,’ that it would be better sooner, but I was kind of doing some other things so we set up a conference call.”

July 8: Favre and his agent, James “Bus” Cook ask Thompson for Favre’s release during the conference call. It’s understood Favre won’t be the starter in Green Bay. “There were, I think, conversations with Mike where both parties acknowledged that time had gone by and the Packers had been asked to move on, or move forward, or whatever. That’s what they were thinking there (about asking for his release).”

July 11: Thompson receives a letter from Favre and Cook formally asking for Favre to be released.

Tom Silverstein
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So he actually already had a chance to come back after he retired and turned it down? He absolutely is getting what he deserves.

outofplace · Jul 17, 2008

cranberry said:

outofplace said:

Cran, that makes no sense. They would be giving up an asset for nothing, taking a big cap hit and could possibly end up facing off against him twice this year as he plays for a division opponent. It would be an incredibly stupid thing to for the Packers to do.
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I'm not a salary cap expert. Does the salary of a released player really count against their cap?

As for coming back to haunt them with another team, that's always a possibility. But if they're anxious to move on, they're going to have to allow him to play for another team (by trade or release) because nobody can force him to retire if he doesn't want to retire.
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Usually the cap hit comes from the signing bonus, which can be spread out over the life of the contract, but the remaining cash goes on the cap the year the player is released.

They don't have to force him to retire. Make him show up for camp and compete, especially if they really do believe the Vikings were tampering.

Mizzougrad96 · Jul 17, 2008

Yeah, if you ask to come back and change your mind two days later, I think the team has a right to move on.

Oz · Jul 17, 2008

cranberry said:

Oz said:

At some point, the Packers needed to move on. Favre retired, the Packers spent second- and seventh-round picks to brace for the future, and they have done so. But they can't let him walk to a division rival, the only way he's taking snaps next season is through a trade.
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So they'll need to trade him because keeping him our of spite and benching him would only hurt the team.
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No doubt. And I'm sure the Packers are working on that. Of course, you can't trade someone who's not in the league, so Favre will need to apply for reinstatement at some point if the Packers are to trade him anywhere.

One thing's for sure, he cannot return to Green Bay. You let Favre back in, you would see a split between the young and old players between Favre and Rodgers camps. You always hear about how teams love to gel, come together, etc. during training camp. Favre would eliminate any chance of that. Had Favre decided to return in late March/early April when he had the chance, that wouldn't be the case, he would've still been the starter, no questions asked.

Mizzougrad96 · Jul 17, 2008

I think the interview over the last few days burned all bridges.

My god did he come across like a colossal douche.

Rosie · Jul 17, 2008

Claws for Concern said:

Rosie said:

I'm not starting a new Favre thread (maybe they could be combined?)

The Packers are now blaming the Vikings.

Source: Packers Allege Tampering By Vikings
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As a Vikings fan and despite the Tarvais Jackson experiment, I don't want Favre anywhere near the Vikings except on the ground after being sacked or after throwing an interception.
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This is why I like Claws.

Rosie · Jul 17, 2008

And, surprise, surprise, the Vikings have no comment.

Vikings Offer No Comment On Packers Accusations

Moderator1 · Jul 17, 2008

A paper near me, I'd told, spelled it F-a-r-v-e in pretty big type today. It is not on their Web site. No, it is not my former paper.

Bubbler · Jul 17, 2008

Rosie said:

And, surprise, surprise, the Vikings have no comment.

Vikings Offer No Comment On Packers Accusations
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The Vikings can't even steal right!

corey375 · Jul 17, 2008

Here's what I don't get: The Packers don't have to do anything until Favre officially applies for reinstatement, but Favre's agent was quoted on ESPN as saying something to the effect that "the ball's in the Packers' court."

What am I missing?

outofplace · Jul 17, 2008

corey375 said:

Here's what I don't get: The Packers don't have to do anything until Favre officially applies for reinstatement, but Favre's agent was quoted on ESPN as saying something to the effect that "the ball's in the Packers' court."

What am I missing?
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You're applying logic to the situation. That's a problem right there.

Rosie · Jul 17, 2008

Bubbler said:

Rosie said:

And, surprise, surprise, the Vikings have no comment.

Vikings Offer No Comment On Packers Accusations
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The Vikings can't even steal right!
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Watch it Cheeseboy. It's your team and your retired quarterback looking like fools. They're just trying to fling mud across the border.

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ESPN: Favre won't apply for reinstatement yet

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ESPN: Favre won't apply for reinstatement yet

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