Legion of Angels News Archive

Three days after calling a FOXSports.com report that he talked with the Detroit Lions before their Sept. 14 game against Green Bay “total b.s.,” former Packers QB Brett Favre admitted on Wednesday that he had indeed spoken with then-Lions president Matt Millen prior to the game.

Speaking at the Jets’ training complex in Florham Park, N.J., Favre spent nearly 15 minutes answering questions about the Sunday report by FOXSports.com’s Jay Glazer that said he called the Lions before their Sept. 14 game against the Packers. The report said Favre spent more than an hour giving Millen and Lions coaches information on nuances of the offense he used to run. Green Bay won the game 48-25.

Favre, who had a bitter split with the Packers in the offseason, said Millen called to invite him to go hunting. The friends then talked about football, but Favre denied sharing any specific information to be used against the Packers.

“I didn’t give him any game planning,” Favre said. “I haven’t been in that offense in over a year. I don’t know what else to tell you. It was pretty simple.”

Favre and Jets coach Eric Mangini said that sharing information is common in the NFL, and it isn’t against league rules.

“It happens every day,” Favre said. “It happens more than you know.”

Favre initially denied any contact with the Lions, sending a text message to Sports Illustrated’s Peter King on Sunday calling the report “total b.s. . . . not true and pretty ridiculous.”

“I stand by my story 1000 percent,” Glazer said Wednesday. “I guess Brett and I will just agree to disagree on certain things. The way I do my work, I don’t go on what just one person told me. I investigated this fully and for quite some time. I spoke with several sources, and when I go with something, I make sure it’s dead-on. I think my track record speaks for itself.”

Favre said he received a call from Millen while traveling home from the Jets’ training facility, and the two spoke for 25 minutes.

Green Bay beat Detroit twice last season, including a 37-26 victory in November in which Favre set a team record with 20 consecutive completions. Favre had a bitter split with the Packers in the offseason.

“We went empty formation and just keep throwing completion after completion,” Favre said he told Millen. “They study film, they know what type of plays.

“When Matt called me and was talking about hunting and told me that he lived an hour from here, don’t think for a second I wasn’t thinking, ‘Now, surely he wants to know something,”‘ Favre said. “Yeah, I played for the Packers for 16 years and we played against the Lions a bunch, but it’s no secret what we did against them. I don’t have a playbook from Green Bay. I didn’t send the playbook. I didn’t call him and say, ‘Look, if you do this, you’re going to win the game.’ I didn’t do that.”

Favre also said Dallas quarterback Tony Romo called him last week — not the other way around — to ask for suggestions on playing through injuries.

“Next thing I know, I’m calling everyone in the league, giving out secrets,” Favre said. “I’m willing to help, but it’s awful ridiculous.”

“I did not call the Lions, nor did I call Tony Romo,” a defiant Favre said Wednesday. “I don’t know what else to tell everyone, but I’m not calling people.”

During the call with Millen, Favre said as far as he knew, he was on the line only with Millen.

But he added that if he were “a guessing man,” there’s a chance other people might have been listening in on the conversation.

“I don’t know,” he said. “I’m telling you, I didn’t have a game plan in my lap, driving home, saying, ‘OK, last year, third-and-3 to (the) 6, we went … hold on, light.”‘

Favre, wearing a green Jets sweat shirt and a navy New York Titans cap, held his composure throughout the news conference. He clenched his jaw a few times and only once raised his voice in anger, when he was told that former teammate Charles Woodson said if the Lions called Favre, it’s OK, but not if it happened the other way around.

“Go back and tell Charles I did not call them,” an irritated Favre said. “I didn’t call ‘em.”

Favre was asked numerous times if he might have said anything that could be perceived as helping the Lions plan for the Packers. After all, Favre and Green Bay had an ugly divorce in the summer.

“I’m well aware of the perception of what’s going on,” Favre said. “Aren’t you and isn’t everyone else? Believe me, I’m trying my best to help this team win, the New York Jets, and spending no time trying to make sure the Packers lose. I’ve got enough on my plate, believe me.”

Favre said the controversy wouldn’t change the way he approaches similar situations.

“Nothing was wrong,” he said. “If Matt calls me and says, ‘Sorry about the big deal, the offer still stands,’ I’ll take the call. I know he’s not in football right now, but, you know, nothing happened. Nothing happened that was any different than happens any other day. But the fact I was in Green Bay for so long and what happened this offseason, that makes it a big deal.

“I am who I am. I’m part of the Jets. I’m trying to get ready for the Chiefs. I don’t have time to be dealing with other issues, especially other game plans. I wish them well up there. I really do.”

Source — FOX Sports

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) - NFL commissioner Roger Goodell hopes to have Brett Favre’s standoff with the Green Bay Packers resolved by Monday — even if he has to force the issue.

“Both parties are talking,” Goodell said in an interview with the NFL Network on Saturday. “I think the discussions are moving ahead and I hope we have something resolved by Monday. I think we’ve gotten to the point where we kind of have to force it.”

Goodell was not going to grant Favre’s reinstatement request Saturday, NFL spokesman Randall Liu said. Favre submitted a letter requesting reinstatement from the Packers’ reserve/retired list Tuesday, but Goodell has held off approving it in hopes that Favre and the Packers could resolve their dispute.

Favre is having second thoughts about playing this season after retiring in March. But even after three weeks’ worth of rising tensions between Favre and the team, he apparently still might stay retired.

Favre is considering the Packers’ offer of a marketing agreement worth a reported $20 million over 10 years. The value of the deal could be driven even higher during negotiations between Favre and the team over the weekend.

If he accepts the deal this weekend, he presumably won’t report to Packers training camp to cause a major distraction to the team and might abandon his bid to end retirement entirely.

Still, Favre could be reinstated and show up to Packers camp early next week. Once Favre is reinstated, the Packers will have 24 hours to decide whether to release him or add him to their active roster.

Favre’s arrival would create a media frenzy in Packers camp, and might force team officials to redouble their efforts to trade him or reconsider their decision not to release him.

The Packers fear Favre would sign with division rival Minnesota immediately after being released, and have filed tampering charges against the Vikings alleging the team had inappropriate dialogue with Favre.

In the most unlikely scenario, Favre would linger on the Packers’ roster as a $12 million backup to Aaron Rodgers.

“Primarily, it starts with whether Brett Favre wants to play football and then, second, whether the Packers want him to play for them,” Goodell said. “That’s pretty much what it comes down to.”

Goodell said the Packers are being “reasonable” in their dispute with Favre.

“These are difficult, emotional issues that they’re dealing with,” Goodell said.

In a visit to Cincinnati Bengals training camp earlier Saturday, Goodell said he wasn’t trying to interject himself into the Favre situation.

“I was interjected into it because there was a tampering charge initially,” Goodell said. “I’m not looking for things to interject myself to. It’s an issue that needs to be addressed because of the competing interests. You want to make sure it’s done properly and within our rules. This is an issue that ultimately has to be decided between Brett and the Packers.”

Packers coach Mike McCarthy again praised his players for not allowing the Favre situation to distract them.

“What’s going on between Brett and the organization is something that the players and coaches, we cannot handle,” McCarthy said Saturday. “We’re not involved in it. I think they did a good job from a responsibility standpoint dealing with it for about two days, but the focus has been on improving.”

McCarthy was not pleased with the way the Packers’ offense performed in practice Saturday afternoon, making offensive players repeat two periods of practice as defensive players headed for the showers. But McCarthy didn’t blame the sub-par performance on the Favre situation.

“Today was our first bump in the road in terms of having too many negative things happen in practice, and I think that’s a credit to their focus and their energy level and staying true to, it’s training camp,” McCarthy said. “Everybody is going through it, and they’ve done a really good job. No one is really talking about it, frankly.”

Source — Fox Sports

TERRY BRADSHAW - There has to be more to this whole Brett Favre story than we really know right now. Because how is it possible that one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play the game, maybe the greatest Packer ever, isn’t given at least a chance to compete for his old job?

I have the feeling that Brett must have been pressured into retiring. When I retired, I was done. I couldn’t throw. My body said I was done. I had no choice and never looked back, but Brett had a great year last season. I know he threw that interception against the Giants at the end of the NFC title game, but that isn’t enough to say he’s a declining player. I don’t how you can label him a loser because they lost to the Giants and he didn’t play well in the second half. As I recall, Tom Brady lost to the Giants, too.

I was at the Hall of Fame luncheon today in Canton and most of the former players I talked to thought it was insulting that the Packers are offering him some marketing deal worth $20 million not to play. How dare they do that simply to keep him from playing?

The other thing is: How can Packers coach Mike McCarthy really believe that Aaron Rodgers is better than Brett because of how Rodgers has performed in seven-on-seven drills in mini-camps? That’s how he won the job — on the practice field!

What’s wrong with allowing Brett to come back and at least compete for his old job? Let the fans and coaches see who is the better quarterback. And if they are so worried about letting him compete in Green Bay, then let Brett go play somewhere else even if it means Minnesota.

A lot of great quarterbacks — Johnny Unitas, Joe Namath, Bert Jones and Joe Montana — finished their careers with another team. So what Brett is asking to do — to play somewhere else — is not that unusual. It didn’t work out for all of those guys, but they still wanted to play and I think that’s every player’s right to make that decision.

I don’t know how this is going to end. I still can’t believe that the Packers aren’t going to allow performance on the practice field, in training camp, to decide who gets the play. In the NFL, I thought the best player played.

The Packers have a real dilemma on their hands. If Brett doesn’t take this money, still asks to play for the Vikings and Green Bay doesn’t let him, that franchise jeopardizes its relationship with one of its greatest players.

I mean, if Brett leaves the game angry, he may stay away from Green Bay forever. The hope is that within five years, he will be going into the Hall of Fame and the Packers would want to be a big part of that. But right now, it looks like the Packers have a lot of patching up to do.

Source — Fox Sports

As the days roll by, the Brett Favre saga seems to get stranger and stranger. Now the soap opera has shifted to a new level.

In the latest twist, the Packers have filed tampering charges with the league office against the Minnesota Vikings for alleged communication with Favre, still technically a member of Green Bay, FOXSports.com has learned. The league, according to a source, is currently in information-gathering mode, speaking to members of both teams.

The Vikings were informed late last week that the allegation is that Favre has had inappropriate dialogue with Minnesota offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell, a close Favre friend and former assistant coach with the Packers. Favre has sought his release from Green Bay and several rumors have swirled that Minnesota is his targeted landing place, largely due to his relationship with Bevell.

League sources say the Vikings vehemently denied any wrongdoing and are awaiting the league’s next step in the process. The Packers, meanwhile, have supplied the league with their version of wrongdoing.

Should the league find the Vikings guilty of tampering, they could lose draft picks and/or face fines.

The entire affair escalated to an ugly level this week when Favre conducted an interview with FOX News’ Greta Van Susteren in which the living legend took the Packers to task for refusing to release him. In fact, a leaked version of the transcript had Favre blasting GM Ted Thompson, but in another odd twist, that portion of the interview has not been shown on the air.

The Packers have refused to grant the league’s all-time leading passer’s request for a release due in part to their fear that he would sign with the Vikings. Despite the wave of speculation, Vikings head coach Brad Childress insists that Tarvaris Jackson is his guy.

The entire affair is unfortunate, as Favre is more synonymous with Green Bay than any other player is with a city. At the same time, however, fans are now forced to make judgments for or against their hometown hero/team.

Calls by FOXSports.com to head coaches of both teams have not yet been returned.

Source — Fox Sports

Brett Favre’s fans came to his defense Sunday, rallying outside Lambeau Field to pressure the Green Bay Packers to reinstate him as the starting quarterback. The crowd of more than 100 chanted “We want Brett,” and carried signs reading, “Favre for President” or “Favre Forever.” Many in the parking lot wore No. 4 jerseys, tossed footballs and grilled.

“We’ve always appreciated the passion of our fans,” the Packers said in a statement. Team spokesman Jeff Blumb said there would be no other comment.

The rally in Green Bay, Wis., was the brainchild of brothers Adam and Erick Rolfson, who on Friday tried to think of a way to keep Favre in Green Bay. Another rally is planned for Monday night in suburban Milwaukee and every Sunday thereafter at Lambeau Field until Favre is back.

The brothers also are demanding an emergency meeting of stockholders “to help control the fate of our quarterback,” Erick Rolfson said.

A message left for Favre’s agent, James “Bus” Cook, wasn’t immediately returned Sunday.

Favre retired March 6 after 16 seasons with the team. He changed his mind and asked for his release because it appeared the Packers were not receptive to having him play again.

On Saturday, general manager Ted Thompson and coach Mike McCarthy said they didn’t plan to grant Favre’s request. And while Thompson said Favre could rejoin the team in a “different role,” the Packers were committed to going with Aaron Rodgers as their starter.

“We wanted to create a forum for fans’ voices to be heard,” Adam Rolfson, 36, told The Associated Press by phone. “I don’t understand how you deny somebody that threw for 4,000 yards (last season) a starting position. I can think of at least 25 teams in the NFL that would jump at the opportunity to have Brett Favre be their starting quarterback.”

They had hoped Sunday’s rally, only a day in the making, would have attracted more people.

Packers fans are divided on the 38-year-old quarterback. While Favre clearly has his supporters, others seem weary of another offseason of retirement-related drama.

In a poll on the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Web site, 47.2 percent of fans said they wanted Favre to play for the Packers next season and 46.5 percent said he should “retire already.” Only 6.3 percent of the 17,000-plus fans who voted in the poll as of Sunday afternoon wanted to see Favre play for another team.

The Packers said if Favre wanted to play for them, he had the chance when he told them a few weeks after his tearful goodbye news conference that he was having second thoughts. With Thompson and McCarthy preparing to fly to Mississippi and seal the deal on a comeback, all Favre had to do was say yes. He didn’t.

“Ted always wanted Brett back,” McCarthy said. “We always wanted Brett back.”

In an interview with the AP on Saturday, Thompson called the situation “gut-wrenching.”

“We understand where the fans are coming from,” he said. “This is a hot-button issue that surpasses anything I’ve ever gone through.”

The brothers, from the Milwaukee suburb of Pewaukee, started making random phone calls Saturday from the Green Bay white pages urging people to attend Sunday’s rally and visit their Web site http://www.bringbackbrettfavre.com.

At the rally, they asked fans to vote on whether they wanted the team to make Favre the starter, whether Favre or Rodgers gives the Packers the best chance at the Super Bowl and whether Thompson should be fired if he trades or releases Favre.

The Web site is selling “Favre 08″ shirts, bumper stickers and yard signs. Erick Rolfson, 32, plans to turn his Wauwatosa mortgage company into “Favre ‘08 Headquarters.”

“Last time we checked,” he said, “Green Bay is a publicly owned franchise and is owned by the people in the community and by the stockholders, not Ted Thompson.”

Source — Yahoo!