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Favre to Fox News: Packers should let me play elsewhere
Updated: July 14, 2008, 4:23 PM ET
MILWAUKEE -- Brett Favre finally is speaking for himself: He wants to play but doesn't feel welcome in Green Bay, so he's asking to be released.
The quarterback's first substantial comments on his latest retirement decision reversal come in an interview with Fox News on "On the Record with Greta Van Susteren."
Van Susteren
Favre
According to Van Susteren, who spoke to the AP by telephone Monday afternoon, Favre said he was "never fully committed" to retiring and felt pressured by the Packers to make a decision, a notion Packers general manager Ted Thompson and coach Mike McCarthy tried to dispel in an interview with the AP on Saturday.
"Ted always wanted Brett back," McCarthy said. "We always wanted Brett back."
Favre told Fox he understands that the Packers want to move on -- but if they're doing so, they should let him go.
"Them moving on does not bother me," Favre said. "It doesn't. I totally understand that. By me retiring March 3rd, I knew that could possibly happen. All I was saying is, you know, I'm thinking about playing again."
Van Susteren, who is from Appleton, Wis., and is a Packers shareholder, said Favre made it clear he would not return to the Packers if he wasn't the starter. And while Favre said the Packers asked him for a list of teams to which he would accept a trade, he wants to be released to make sure he ends up on a competitive club.
Thompson said the team wasn't going to release Favre, but he could come back in a "different role than he was" because the team is committed to going forward with Aaron Rodgers.
Thompson and Packers coach Mike McCarthy wouldn't discuss the possibility of trading Favre and said they hadn't received any trade inquiries as of Saturday.
Thompson and McCarthy gave AP a detailed description of their dealings with Favre throughout the offseason, including an episode a few weeks after Favre's retirement where the two were prepared to fly to Mississippi to seal the deal on a Favre comeback -- only to have the quarterback change his mind again.
Favre's interview -- which was receiving top billing over an interview with John McCain in promos for Van Susteren's show that aired during the day Monday -- is the latest development in what is looking more and more like an irreparable schism between one of the NFL's most revered franchises and perhaps its most beloved quarterback.
Thompson called the situation "gut-wrenching" Saturday.
"I mean, it hurts," he said. "I'm not talking about physically hurting, but the sensitivity. We understand where the fans are coming from. This is a hot-button issue that surpasses anything I've ever gone through."
Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press
4 comments:
Normally I would never side with ownership but with Farve you have to go by his actions, not his words.
On more than one occasion Farve has gone back and forth on whether he would retire or not. I don't buy the whole, "the team pressured me thing." Bullshit, he regreted his decision, the team already spent 2 draft picks on QB's and they need to move forward. No they should not just release him, because you'd have to be crazy to let him go to a division rival.
The Packers have been more than accommodating with him in the past few years. If he wants to go to another team, then the Green Bay should at least get something for him since he's still under contract.
Is this really the state of America? I mean I love Favre but am just so sick and tired of hearing about him.
The media is sooo starved for a story that they are blowing this way out of proportion. I can't even listen to ESPN radio anymore. The hosts of these shows either know it is in their best interest to have callers call in with gay ass suggestions on where Favre should go to get ratings up or the hosts are just plain morons.
If I have to listen to one more damn call-in show on how Brett should play in Buffalo or Washington, Miami or Minnesota or blah blah blah.......what a joke. If anybody would have any common sense they would see what is happening. I think I have heard Favre for Jason Taylor call-ins about 20 times.....I mean that isn't even a possiblity.......
There is no way they grant him his release and a very slim chance they trade him. Thus, can we stop the call-in shows or TV debates......and until Favre is a member of another team can't American sports fans talk about something else.
No they can't, and they shouldn't. Sports talk, especially radio, was built on stories like these. It's fodder for them. That's what sports talk is all about. Talking sports no matter what the subject.
People may not like it, but the Favre situation is easily the biggest story right now. I'd much rather hear fans call up talking about possible teams for Favre than what night club Pac-Man Jones shot up this week or what religious cult A-Rod and Madonna started.
At least the Favre story is actually about sports.
I didn't read the post or any of the comments, but I have to say something. I would like someone on the team to bring the rustiest razor from their tool box so I can slit my wrist in the dugout. Farve needs to disappear. I've had enough of this has been. He is tarnishing his legacy with all this bullshit. Later.
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