All Pro Sports

Brett Favre has earned the right to write his own ending

2009-05-16T15:47:00.000-07:00

Brett Favre has earned the right to write his own ending
He's getting a lot of advice after less-than-stellar finish to his season with the Jets, but the gritty, grim quarterback deserves NFL's respect and admiration.

The multi-award winning "All Pro Sports Football Series" ... featuring Brett Favre, Jerry Rice, Ronnie Lott, Reggie White and seven other outstanding NFL players and Coach Don Shula ... is available at http://www.allprosportsfootball.com and 1 888 79 FOOTBALL ...

the most innovative football ... see http://www.allprosportsfootball.com ... , basketball and automobile racing series ever produced for home entertainment featuring: eleven of the greatest NFL football players and the most successful coach in NFL history; five of the greatest NBA basketball players and one of the most successful coaches in NBA history; and six internationally recognized automobile racing champions ... . sharing their life stories and demonstrating their skills in a very entertaining setting of upbeat music, three dimensional digital graphics and NFL Films action footage

http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-erskine15-2009jan15,0,2017690.column
From the Los Angeles Times
CHRIS ERSKINE / FAN OF THE HOUSE
Brett Favre has earned the right to write his own ending
He's getting a lot of advice after less-than-stellar finish to his season with the Jets, but the gritty, grim quarterback deserves NFL's respect and admiration.
Chris Erskine

January 15, 2009

I have been, for many years now, a connoisseur of great endings. Ice Bowls, Kirk Gibson home runs, and Dorothy discovering it was all only a dream. I'm a sucker for such stuff. But what are the alternatives? Cynicism, then death? I've been in California too long for that to happen. I prefer unbridled optimism and the sunshine with which to find it.

Which brings us to the happy-or-sad saga of Brett Lorenzo Favre, a quarterback of some distinction who last year left the Great White North for the friendly confines of New York City, where the munchkins are now hovering all around him, offering their sage, munchkinly advice. Just insane, isn't it?

You've got that snot-bubble Thomas Jones calling him out after the Jets' collapse down the stretch. Apparently Jones, a middling running back who had his first Pro Bowl year with Favre at the helm, is too stoned on his own wonderfulness to remember the Jets' going 4-12 last season.

Before Favre arrived, the Jets were the French Foreign Legion of football, an outpost, a place of misfits and crushed souls. Under Favre, they started out an amazing 8-3, till someone banged up his right wing, after which Favre couldn't throw a gum wrapper out a car window without Brandon Flowers picking it off.

Admittedly, it was a not-so-great ending to what looked like a fairy-tale year. But I guess that's New York for you. Only Amy Adams and Meg Ryan find happy endings in the concrete apple. For the rest of us, there is only disappointment and midwinter slush.

Thing is, Brett Favre is a national treasure, ask almost anybody. Forget the recent interceptions for a moment and think about whom you'd rather watch. Brett Favre or Jake Delhomme? Brett Favre or Joe Flacco? Kyle Orton? The estimable Kellen Clemens (Favre's backup)?

No, I'm guessing most fans would prefer to turn on the tube to find No. 4 performing on a wintry day, when the dark sky makes it look as if the world is about to collapse -- conditions are muddy, war-like, and there is the very real possibility that you might witness the greatest ending ever. For all his wear and tear, you still get that feeling with Favre, that you might see something just extraordinary.

Because the NFL, at its very best, isn't computer graphics and referees studying replays, in those weird hooded cubicles (like priests). The real NFL is the gritty, grim and whiskered visage of Favre squinting at the strong safety, playing poker in the snow. That's magic. That's football. That's the kind of moment that has made No. 4 the most popular player of the modern era.

With all its technology, the NFL should be trying to figure out how to copy and paste Favre across the league, not ways to drive him out.

As I often do to get through a day, I have been making lists -- shave, get dressed, breathe deep, that sort of thing. In this case, I'm making lists for Favre. Does he stay or go? Pro and cons. Pluses and minuses. It's almost impossible not to have a little fun.

Reasons for Favre to retire

* Keeps falling asleep in huddles.

* During coin flip, refs offer him an AARP discount.

* CBS planning new show: "CSI: Brett Favre."

Reasons for Favre not to retire

* A little gut looks good on a quarterback.

* There are still 29 teams he hasn't played for.

* Even in wheelchair, can always beat Chicago.

Meanwhile, down deep in the swamps, where the best quarterbacks seem to emerge from the ooze, they're getting ready to appoint Favre's air apparent. Tim Tebow -- rhymes with TiVo -- is Florida's rhapsody in blue and orange. By the time he's done next season, Tebow may be the first collegiate player to win both the Heisman and the Nobel Prize. A little too good to be true, Tebow is, but if I have to choose between him and Pacman . . . well, you know.

Yet, for all his considerable gifts, I get the nagging feeling that the young Gator might be the next Bobby Douglass, a big southpaw who's neither a true thrower nor runner, the kind of hybrid who always puzzles the pro game's offensive geniuses. Hope I'm wrong, which has happened (check preceding paragraph). Honestly, I hope Tebow reinvents the game.

Till that happens, I'm praying to get another 100,000 miles out of Favre, a quarterback with more arm and a herculean heart. (Talk about dream matchups, how about Favre against Tebow? In the snow, of course.)

See, Favre loves football the way I love raindrops on roses and meatballs on toothpicks. This retirement of his is a complicated saga, deeply personal and compounded by the fact that even when he goes, he sometimes ends up staying. There is something marvelous and vaguely Shakespearean in his grinding passions for our national game.

Hamlet in chin-strap . . . refusing to ever take a knee.

chris.erskine@latimes.com

Erskine's Fan of the House column will appear Thursdays in Sports. His Man of the House column appears Saturdays in the Home section.

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Chuck Daly dies at 78; basketball coach led Pistons, Olympic team

2009-05-11T19:02:00.001-07:00

Chuck Daly dies at 78; basketball coach led Pistons, Olympic team
The Hall of Fame coach whipped Detroit's Bad Boys into shape to win back-to-back NBA titles. In 1992, he led the Dream Team to Olympic gold.

the most innovative football ... see http://www.allprosportsfootball.com ... , basketball and automobile racing series ever produced for home entertainment featuring: eleven of the greatest NFL football players and the most successful coach in NFL history; five of the greatest NBA basketball players and one of the most successful coaches in NBA history; and six internationally recognized automobile racing champions ... . sharing their life stories and demonstrating their skills in a very entertaining setting of upbeat music, three dimensional digital graphics and NFL Films action footage

http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-chuck-daly10-2009may10,0,3911604.story
From the Los Angeles Times

Chuck Daly dies at 78; basketball coach led Pistons, Olympic team
The Hall of Fame coach whipped Detroit's Bad Boys into shape to win back-to-back NBA titles. In 1992, he led the Dream Team to Olympic gold.

By Mark Heisler

May 10, 2009

Chuck Daly, the Hall of Fame basketball coach who led the Detroit Pistons to back-to-back NBA titles and the U.S. Dream Team to an Olympic gold medal, died Saturday in Jupiter, Fla. He was 78.

Retired since 1999, Daly was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer two months ago. In his honor, NBA coaches have worn "CD" pins during the postseason.

"Chuck did much more than coach basketball games," NBA Commissioner David Stern said in a statement. "He positively impacted everyone he met, both personally and professionally, and his love of people and the game of basketball helped develop the next generation of coaches."

Born in 1930 in St. Marys, Pa., Daly was a Depression baby, literally and figuratively, who used to tell a young Doug Collins, "I don't trust happiness."

Collins, who would consider Daly a mentor throughout his career as an NBA player and coach, jokingly called him "the prince of pessimism."

Daly's rise was as improbable as that of his Pistons, a widely hated team that reveled in its nickname, the Bad Boys, as it unseated Larry Bird's Celtics and Magic Johnson's Lakers.

Daly attended Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania and served two years in the Army, then joined Jack Ramsay as the only two coaches to win an NBA title after starting at the high school level. He began humbly, if colorfully, at Punxsutawney High School, in a town best known for its groundhog, where he spent eight years teaching English and speech as well as coaching the golf and basketball teams.

In 1963, dazzled by his first trip to an NCAA Final Four game, where he bought a ticket from a scalper and sat in the last row, Daly wrote a blind letter to Duke University Coach Vic Bubas, whose Blue Devils had lost in the semifinals, applying for an assistant's job.

Hitting the lottery, Daly got the job, joining a three-man staff with Hubie Brown, who would also go on to become a Hall of Fame coach in the pros, winning an American Basketball Assn. title with the Kentucky Colonels.

Daly spent two years as head coach at Boston College and six at the University of Pennsylvania before coming to the NBA as a 48-year-old assistant under Billy Cunningham, who had just been hired as coach of the Philadelphia 76ers.

In 1981, Daly took the head coaching job in Cleveland under madcap owner Ted Stepien, who fired him after 41 games.

In 1983, Daly went to the Pistons, who had been through five coaches in six seasons with a high-scoring circus led by Isiah Thomas, Kelly Tripucka and Vinnie Johnson.

Introducing a new notion -- defense -- Daly turned them around, although it wasn't always smooth. It took an intervention by Thomas, the owner's favorite, to keep Daly from being fired in his fourth season.

Making up in competitiveness what they lacked in athleticism, the Pistons played defense by whatever means necessary.

Today's NBA controversy about flagrant fouls and suspensions stems from moves by Stern that began in the early '90s to protect stars, particularly Chicago's Michael Jordan, from being physically assaulted by the Bad Boys, who targeted him in a scheme Daly called the Jordan Rules.

Aside from Daly's toughness, perseverance and charm -- he had big hair, a big personality and favored expensive three-piece suits -- he was a shrewd realist.

Brendan Suhr, who arrived in Detroit as a young assistant from college where coaches rule, recalled seeing Thomas mess up over and over and asking Daly why he didn't take him out.

"He's our guy," Suhr says Daly told him, "and tomorrow, he'll still be our guy."

The Pistons, who had never won a title, broke through in 1989, sweeping the Lakers. A year later, Detroit beat the Portland Trail Blazers to become only the third team to repeat since the Bill Russell Celtics of the 1960s.

With the Bad Boys aging or gone, Daly left Detroit in 1992, subsequently coaching two-year stints with the New Jersey Nets and Orlando Magic.

His greatest honor, however, may have come with the U.S. Olympic team in 1992, the first one made up of NBA players.

The process was thorny, with Jordan reportedly dead-set against inviting Thomas, Daly's star, who was left off the team. Confident that Daly could soothe any personality conflicts that might arise, U.S. Olympic officials named him coach.

Retired since 1999, Daly lived with his wife, Terry, in Jupiter, Fla., golfing daily. The Pistons in 1997 retired a No. 2 jersey in honor of Daly's two titles.

Rick Mahorn, one of the baddest of the Bad Boys, said of Daly: "Without you, there wouldn't be us."

In addition to his wife, Daly is survived by a daughter, Cydney, and two grandchildren.

mark.heisler@latimes.com

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Brett Favre could be considering another comeback

2009-05-09T19:15:00.000-07:00

Brett Favre could be considering another comeback
The multi-award winning "All Pro Sports Football Series" ... featuring Brett Favre, Jerry Rice, Ronnie Lott, Reggie White and seven other outstanding NFL players and Coach Don Shula ... is available at http://www.allprosportsfootball.com and 1 888 79 FOOTBALL ...

the most innovative football ... see http://www.allprosportsfootball.com ... , basketball and automobile racing series ever produced for home entertainment featuring: eleven of the greatest NFL football players and the most successful coach in NFL history; five of the greatest NBA basketball players and one of the most successful coaches in NBA history; and six internationally recognized automobile racing champions ... . sharing their life stories and demonstrating their skills in a very entertaining setting of upbeat music, three dimensional digital graphics and NFL Films action footage

http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-newswire6-2009may06,0,3680314.story
From the Los Angeles Times
NEWSWIRE
Brett Favre could be considering another comeback
ESPN reports the quarterback will meet with Minnesota Vikings Coach Brad Childress later this week.
Staff And Wire Reports

May 6, 2009

Could Brett Favre wind up in purple after all? The quarterback could be mulling another unretirement, this time with the Minnesota Vikings, a nightmare scenario for fans of the Green Bay Packers.

ESPN, citing an unnamed source familiar with the situation, reported Tuesday that Favre and Vikings Coach Brad Childress are planning to meet later this week at an undisclosed location to discuss another comeback. The New York Jets cleared the way for that by granting Favre his release after drafting USC's Mark Sanchez.

Minnesota offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell is Green Bay's former quarterbacks coach, and the Vikings' playbook is very similar to that of the Packers.

Minnesota's quarterbacks are Sage Rosenfels, Tarvaris Jackson and former USC starter John David Booty.

Brett Favres retires -- again

2009-02-13T17:28:00.001-08:00

Brett Favres retires -- again
The record-setting quarterback informs the Jets that he is done after playing one season in New York.

The multi-award winning "All Pro Sports Football Series" ... featuring Brett Favre, Jerry Rice, Ronnie Lott, Reggie White and seven other outstanding NFL players and Coach Don Shula ... is available at http://www.allprosportsfootball.com and 1 888 79 FOOTBALL ...

the most innovative football ... see http://www.allprosportsfootball.com ... , basketball and automobile racing series ever produced for home entertainment featuring: eleven of the greatest NFL football players and the most successful coach in NFL history; five of the greatest NBA basketball players and one of the most successful coaches in NBA history; and six internationally recognized automobile racing champions ... . sharing their life stories and demonstrating their skills in a very entertaining setting of upbeat music, three dimensional digital graphics and NFL Films action footage

http://www.latimes.com/sports/football/nfl/la-sp-favre12-2009feb12,0,6361705.story
From the Los Angeles Times
Brett Favres retires -- again
The record-setting quarterback informs the Jets that he is done after playing one season in New York.
From the Associated Press

February 12, 2009

NEW YORK -- Brett Favre is done slinging passes with his rocket right arm -- maybe for good.

The 39-year-old quarterback told the New York Jets today that he was retiring after 18 seasons, ending a record-setting career in which he became one of the NFL's all-time greats.

"We had an all-encompassing conversation," owner Woody Johnson said of his discussion with Favre. "He told me at that point that he had made his decision to retire and thanked everybody and talked about what a great experience he had with the New York Jets."

Favre's decision came six weeks after his only season with the Jets ended in disappointment as New York failed to make the playoffs. In an e-mail to ESPN, Favre said he has no regrets about finishing his career in New York and praised Johnson, general manager Mike Tannenbaum and fired coach Eric Mangini.

"My time with the Jets was short, but I'm honored to be given that chance," Favre wrote in the e-mail.

If this is indeed it for Favre, he leaves the game with a slew of records, including career touchdown passes (464), completions (5,720), yards passing (65,127), regular-season victories (169) and interceptions (310).

Favre tearfully retired last March then changed his mind, prompting a bitter divorce with Green Bay. He was traded to the Jets in August and was a Pro Bowl selection despite an overwhelmingly disappointing season that cost Mangini his job.

"With Brett, there was always the possibility that he wouldn't play the second year," Johnson said. "We were hoping to get one good year out of Brett Favre. We picked him based on, in our opinion, his giving us the best chance to win last season. We were disappointed not to have made the Super Bowl, but we did some very good things with Brett."

And the team doesn't expect Favre to change his mind.

"He did not ask to be released," Tannenbaum said. "Everything he said was, he is done playing football. We have our plan according to that, and we're going to move forward."

When asked if the door might be open to Favre if he again decides to come back, Tannenbaum said he wanted to stay away from hypotheticals.

"He felt he had given us everything he had, and it was time for him to move on," Tannenbaum said Favre told him.

Running back Thomas Jones and safety Kerry Rhodes were critical after the season of Favre and his performance. The Jets went from 8-3 to missing the playoffs. Favre threw nine interceptions as the Jets went 1-4 down the stretch, and a torn right biceps might have contributed.

Still, Favre had nothing but positive things to say about his Jets experience.

"Mike and Woody, as well as the entire organization, have been nothing short of outstanding," Favre said in the e-mail. "My teammates -- Thomas (Jones) and Kerry (Rhodes) included -- were a pleasure to play with. Eric could not have been any better. I enjoyed playing for him."

As did All-Pro kick returner-running back Leon Washington.

"The longevity of his career and his love for the game is truly inspiring," Washington said. "I'm privileged to have played with not only a Hall of Fame QB, but also a great role model."

New York hired former Baltimore defensive coordinator Rex Ryan to replace Mangini, and he, along with Johnson and Tannenbaum, repeatedly said they wanted Favre to return. Instead, Favre spent several weeks after the season at his home in Kiln, Miss., away from football before deciding to retire -- again.

New York now will move forward with a new quarterback, whether that will be Kellen Clemens, Brett Ratliff, Erik Ainge or perhaps a veteran free agent such as Jeff Garcia, Kerry Collins, Byron Leftwich or Rex Grossman.

"We've got three quarterbacks on the roster, and I think we feel pretty good that in a competition among those guys, we'll end up with a pretty good quarterback," Johnson said.

Favre had two years left on his contract and was due $13 million for next season, clearing a chunk of salary cap space for the Jets.

"It was an honor to coach against Brett over the years," Ryan said in a statement. "If he's not the best quarterback ever, then he's certainly in the conversation. I have great admiration for him as a player and a person. I wish him only the best in his life after football."

The three-time NFL MVP holds the mark among quarterbacks with 291 consecutive starts, including the playoffs, despite playing through several injuries throughout his career.

"It was a great honor to play with Brett," wide receiver Chansi Stuckey told The Associated Press. "He had an illustrious career, and I want to thank him for giving the Jets the opportunity to play with him."

After the Jets' season-ending 24-17 loss to Miami, Favre said he felt discomfort in his arm "for quite a while." It turned out to be a torn biceps tendon that didn't require surgery.

It wasn't all bad with the Jets for Favre, who showed a few glimpses of greatness -- as well as great zip on his passes -- early on. He threw a career-high six touchdown passes, tying Joe Namath's team record, in a 56-35 victory over Arizona in Week 4. Favre also helped rejuvenate the franchise, drawing thousands of fans to training camp practices.

He finished with 3,472 yards passing and 22 touchdowns, but the 22 interceptions were his most in three seasons.

Favre was drafted by Atlanta in the second round of the 1991 draft but was traded after the season to Green Bay for a first-round pick. In the third game of the 1992 season, Favre stepped in for an injured Don Majkowski. He started the following week against Pittsburgh, beginning a streak that was still intact when he first retired.

During his 16 seasons with Green Bay, he helped lead the Packers to consecutive Super Bowls, including a victory over New England in 1997.

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Tennessee gets first loss; Jets' Brett Favre shines

2008-11-26T10:13:00.000-08:00

Tennessee gets first loss; Jets' Brett Favre shines
The New York Jets quarterback throws two touchdown passes as the Titans' regular-season winning streak ends at 13 games.

The multi-award winning "All Pro Sports Football Series" ... featuring Brett Favre, Jerry Rice, Ronnie Lott, Reggie White and seven other outstanding NFL players and Coach Don Shula ... is available at http://www.allprosportsfootball.com and 1 888 79 FOOTBALL ...

the most innovative football ... see http://www.allprosportsfootball.com ... , basketball and automobile racing series ever produced for home entertainment featuring: eleven of the greatest NFL football players and the most successful coach in NFL history; five of the greatest NBA basketball players and one of the most successful coaches in NBA history; and six internationally recognized automobile racing champions ... . sharing their life stories and demonstrating their skills in a very entertaining setting of upbeat music, three dimensional digital graphics and action foot

http://www.latimes.com/sports/football/nfl/la-sp-titans24-2008nov24,0,116316.story
From the Los Angeles Times
JETS 34, TITANS 13

Tennessee gets first loss; Jets' Brett Favre shines
The New York Jets quarterback throws two touchdown passes as the Titans' regular-season winning streak ends at 13 games.

November 24, 2008

Reporting from Nashville — The Tennessee Titans are unbeaten no more.

Brett Favre and the New York Jets served notice they will be a factor in the AFC this season.

Favre threw two touchdown passes, Leon Washington ran for two scores and the Jets routed the Titans, 34-13, ending the regular-season winning streak by the NFL's last undefeated team at 13 games.

The NFL's stingiest scoring defense that had been allowing 13.1 points per game had no answer for Favre and the Jets (8-3), even with the return of defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch.

New York overcame two turnovers and two sacks in the first half by outgaining Tennessee on offense, 409-281.

Quoteworthy: "I'm not going to sit here and say we've established ourselves as the best team in football." -- Brett Favre, Jets quarterback

-- associated press

Football's popularity soars in Mexico

2008-11-11T16:38:00.000-08:00

Football's popularity soars in Mexico
The sport is no longer foreign to Mexico, where the NFL says it has 20 million fans, which is more fans than any country other than the U.S.

The multi-award winning "All Pro Sports Football Series" ... featuring Brett Favre, Jerry Rice, Ronnie Lott, Reggie White and seven other outstanding NFL players and Coach Don Shula ... is available at http://www.allprosportsfootball.com and 1 888 79 FOOTBALL ...

the most innovative football ... see http://www.allprosportsfootball.com ... , basketball and automobile racing series ever produced for home entertainment featuring: eleven of the greatest NFL football players and the most successful coach in NFL history; five of the greatest NBA basketball players and one of the most successful coaches in NBA history; and six internationally recognized automobile racing champions ... . sharing their life stories and demonstrating their skills in a very entertaining setting of upbeat music, three dimensional digital graphics and action footage

http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-mexfootball7-2008nov07,0,2888243.story
From the Los Angeles Times
FOOTBALL

Football's popularity soars in Mexico
The sport is no longer foreign to Mexico, where the NFL says it has 20 million fans, which is more fans than any country other than the U.S.

By Kevin Baxter

November 7, 2008

Reporting from Monterrey, Mexico — Frank Gonzalez's small, cluttered office is on the second floor of an abandoned concrete warehouse known simply, according to the sign out front, as "the cave."

It's an environment unbefitting the winner of 13 national college football championships. Stranger still is the building's location: on a street corner across from a park in Monterrey, Mexico, a place where football is spelled futbol and is played primarily with a round ball and a rectangular goal.

But futbol americano, despite its name, is no longer foreign to Mexico, where the NFL says it has 20 million fans -- more than anywhere else outside the U.S.

"We have a great fan base down there," says Mark Waller, the NFL's chief for international marketing. "There's just an increasing interest in things American."

Which may be why Mexicans are now angling for more than just a seat in front of the television set each Sunday. They want a place on the field too.

And that's where Gonzalez comes in.

With a 210-34 record in 22 seasons at Monterrey Tech, Gonzalez has turned a school that was already the country's most prestigious academic institution into Latin America's top football school as well. Three of his former players are among the five Mexicans on NFL practice squads this season. Another, Rolando Cantu, became the first Mexican citizen to appear in an NFL game at a position other than kicker when he played guard on an extra-point attempt for the Arizona Cardinals in 2005.

OK, so it's a humble start -- the University of Miami sent that many players to the NFL in just the first round of the draft one year. But for Mexicans it marks a major breakthrough, one that has them dreaming of bigger things ahead.

"I still think that there's a mark on the players, 'Oh yeah, he's from Mexico,' " Gonzalez says. "Until we end up with somebody really giving a kid a chance . . . it's going to take time. But we're getting closer."

There are 18 players of Latino heritage on active NFL rosters this season and nine have Mexican roots, including offensive lineman Roberto Garza of the Chicago Bears and quarterback Antonio Ramiro -- better known as Tony -- Romo of the Dallas Cowboys.

But those players grew up playing high school and college football in the U.S. And that, Gonzalez says, gave them a huge advantage.

"When you graduate junior high and you go into a football program in the United States, you're going into some of the best gyms or some of the best weight-training facilities that the city has," Gonzalez says. "You have full-time coaching staffs that are teaching these kids. And we didn't have that."

When Gonzalez first came to Tech as an assistant coach in the early 1980s, the program didn't even have weights. Players trained by lifting paint cans filled with cement.

On the field, the gap between Mexico and the U.S. was even wider, with the college team scheduling games across the border with junior varsity squads from Texas high schools.

"And we couldn't beat them," Gonzalez says. "We would beat three, four teams in Mexico, but we would lose against JV high school [teams] in the United States."

They couldn't beat them, but they learned from them. When a 29-year-old Gonzalez was hired as head coach at Tech before the 1986 season, he began copying what he'd been taught as a high school player and coach in Laredo, Texas.

He commandeered a squat building that used to house the school's printing office and turned it into a weight room. He began recruiting along the border for Mexican-born players and coaches, and sent his staff on fact-finding trips to major U.S. colleges or on summer internships to work with the likes of the Philadelphia Eagles and Minnesota Vikings.

He handed out inspirational slogans and thick playbooks, both written in English, and established a scholarship program -- at the time, a unique concept in Mexico -- that has become so ingrained that each player on Gonzalez's 65-man roster is getting up to 90% of Tech's $12,000 annual tuition.

There are also innovations outside the school. Tech coaches work with youth teams in the Monterrey area, helping that program grow to 32 clubs and more than 8,000 players. And a dozen years ago Gonzalez helped persuade Prepa Tech -- the blue-blood private high school affiliated with Monterrey Tech -- to field a football team as well.

A football team, the school's administrators are quick to make clear. Not a football factory.

"Academics should be the priority. Academics is the priority," says Prep principal Rafael Abrego from the sideline of the school's football field, which sits in the shadow of the Cerro de la Silla, the 6,000-foot saddle-shaped peak that has helped define Monterrey as "the City of Mountains."

But Abrego adds with a wink, "We're delighted to have the people in the States peek over south of the border and say, 'OK, there's some kids there playing good football.' "

They may be better than good. That first year, Prepa Tech was pounded, 42-7, by Del Rio High, a school two hours west of San Antonio. But by 2005, with Roberto Rodriguez, a Gonzalez assistant, running the program, Prepa was winning all three of its games in Texas by a combined score of 126-26.

Many of the players from that team are now playing for Rodriguez and Gonzalez at Monterrey Tech, which heads into Saturday's regular-season finale in Mexico City with a record of 9-0 and having won 26 consecutive games dating to 2006.

If Tech follows Saturday's game with two wins in the playoffs, Gonzalez will have his 14th national title and seventh in eight seasons.

Championships, though, aren't the big prize for Tech any more. They've become so common that the team lists the national title game on its schedule each season. So with most of Mexico no longer providing much competition, the coaches and their players now must validate themselves on a bigger stage: the NFL.

It won't happen overnight.

"They've improved a lot over the last 10 years," says John Beake, a former NFL general manager who is a consultant to the league in international player development. "The players are eager. They're getting better.

"[But] a player from Monterrey Tech going right to the NFL, that would be difficult."

In 20 years, Tech has gone from losing to high school JV teams to a level of play Gonzalez compares with that of top-level NCAA Division III teams in the U.S.

But the obstacles remain numerous. Mexicans aren't included in the NFL draft, for example. And even if they were, it's unlikely any would be taken since no teams scout in Mexico.

The demise of NFL Europe has cut off another proving ground, one that paved the way to the NFL for Cantu and fellow Tech alums Ramiro Pruneda and Salomon Solano.

"Is the NFL just kidding us?" says Ricardo Garcia, the Panamanian-born English-speaking, play-by-play man for Tech's football broadcasts, which can be seen nationwide as well as in parts of the U.S. "We don't see [Mexican players] on Sunday. And the kids need to see that.

"We have to break down that barrier. Or jump over it.

"We have to find a way to get the NFL to pay attention to Mexican college football and stop thinking that the only source of talent is the U.S. colleges."

The NFL's Waller said that has already happened, citing the league's five-year-old international practice squad program, which this year auditioned more than 100 players from Europe, Asia and the Americas for 16 spots in NFL camps.

But, he conceded, more can be done.

"We have a framework there. [But] I don't think it's robust enough," he said. "I'm not sure that you have to be two or three times as good [to get noticed]. I do think you have to be two or three times as passionate, committed and dedicated to finding a route forward.

"There's a system in the U.S. There's a clear progression for you through high school, college and into the NFL. That's a much harder route if you're a foreign player."

But it's one Cantu and others have successfully navigated over the last three years. And that's inspired others to follow.

"They're opening big doors for us," says Armando Villarreal, a 6-foot-5, 253-pound offensive lineman who played at Tech with the three players currently on NFL practice squads. "Obviously, that motivates us more. If our teammates can go, we have an opportunity to go too. We just have to prepare ourselves."

Baxter is a Times staff writer

kevin.baxter@latimes.com

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NBA to design, operate multipurpose arenas in Chinese cities

2008-10-12T12:58:00.000-07:00

NBA to design, operate multipurpose arenas in Chinese cities
The league, in a joint venture with AEG, says the 17,000-seat facilities will showcase basketball, other sports events, concerts and trade shows.

The multi-award winning "All Pro Sports Football Series" ... featuring Brett Favre, Jerry Rice, Ronnie Lott, Reggie White and seven other outstanding NFL players and Coach Don Shula ... is available at http://www.allprosportsfootball.com and 1 888 79 FOOTBALL ...

the most innovative football ... see http://www.allprosportsfootball.com ... , basketball and automobile racing series ever produced for home entertainment featuring: eleven of the greatest NFL football players and the most successful coach in NFL history; five of the greatest NBA basketball players and one of the most successful coaches in NBA history; and six internationally recognized automobile racing champions ... . sharing their life stories and demonstrating their skills in a very entertaining setting of upbeat music, three dimensional digital graphics and action footage

NBA to design, operate multipurpose arenas in Chinese cities
The league, in a joint venture with AEG, says the 17,000-seat facilities will showcase basketball, other sports events, concerts and trade shows.

By Broderick Turner

http://www.latimes.com/sports/basketball/nba/la-sp-nba12-2008oct12,0,1010734.story
From the Los Angeles Times
PRO BASKETBALL
NBA to design, operate multipurpose arenas in Chinese cities
The league, in a joint venture with AEG, says the 17,000-seat facilities will showcase basketball, other sports events, concerts and trade shows.
By Broderick Turner
Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

October 12, 2008

The NBA will announce today plans for a multibillion-dollar real estate venture to design and operate a dozen multipurpose arenas in major Chinese cities for a future affiliated basketball league.

The NBA is teaming with AEG, owned by billionaire Philip Anschutz, to operate arenas that will hold 17,000 spectators, with the primary funding coming from the Chinese government and Chinese banks.

"We think that it's a terrific partnership," NBA Commissioner David Stern told The Times. "And we think that not only will it be good for basketball that will be played in those places, but it will be very good for general entertainment in China."

Tim Leiweke, president and chief executive of AEG, said one of the new arenas might be in Shanghai. "The decision that we're going to have to make is which of the 12 do we chose, because there are so many cities that want to do this," he said.

The arenas will showcase basketball, other sporting events, concerts, cultural events and trade shows.

However, Leiweke downplayed the idea that the arenas are being built based on a guarantee of having an NBA-style league in China.

But eventually -- and Stern didn't offer a timetable -- the arenas will house some type of affiliated basketball league, he said. "The start of a league is not essential to the success of these buildings," Stern said.

The NBA and AEG see vast potential in China, and that's why they formed the partnership. "We think we've gotten ourselves the best and most knowledgeable partner available," Stern said.

AEG, a sports and entertainment conglomerate, owns the Kings, the Galaxy, the Staples Center and the Home Depot Center in Carson. It also operates arenas across the country and in London and Germany.

David Carter, executive director of the USC Sports Business Institute, said it's natural for the NBA and AEG to form a partnership to pursue the growing China market.

"I think for all of them, China represents the new frontier. . . . If you look at where AEG has gone the last several years, they've really begun to focus on facility ownership and operation and they've continued to focus on building their international presence," Carter said.

"And the NBA, looking to make sure they further penetrate China, certainly wants a partner like AEG to help them navigate new markets."

Basketball has become popular in much of Asia, including China.

During the Beijing Olympic Games, Kobe Bryant was mobbed and drew chants of "MVP" when the U.S. men's basketball team played. More than 1 billion people watched the U.S. play China, the biggest TV audience for a basketball game.

The NBA is so popular in China that American players have nine of the top 10 best-selling basketball jerseys, led by Bryant, LeBron James and Allen Iverson. Yao Ming's jersey is 10th.

The league also played a major role in helping China build the Beijing Olympic Basketball Arena, which housed the Olympic basketball tournament. In a separate deal, AEG now operates the Beijing facility.

There already is a pro league called Chinese Basketball Assn., and current NBA players Yao and Yi Jianlian established themselves as young stars there before coming to play in the U.S.

With the prospect of arenas being built, Stern said, "of course the promise that each building sponsor wants is that if there is a league, the potential building will have the team in the NBA [or] CBA partnership league that may be starting."

Overseas expansion for American sports leagues is nothing new.

The NFL, with great fanfare, opened a development league in Europe in 1991. It folded in 2007. NFL Europe was reportedly losing $30 million per season.

But for years Stern has talked of NBA expansion overseas, possibly adding franchises in Mexico or Europe, or sponsoring leagues in Asia, Latin America or Europe. His teams already play exhibitions in Europe and Asia.

During the Beijing Olympics, Stern said the NBA has plans to be involved with a pro league in China.

"That would be a separate league that would be NBA-affiliated or NBA-sponsored, but it would be independent," Stern said in August. "For a very long time to come it would be at a lower scale than the NBA. But as the sport develops in China, and as more players around the world recognize the opportunities of playing in China, we see that league growing and strengthening."

Stern plans to travel to China this week to watch the Milwaukee Bucks and Golden State Warriors play two exhibition games, including the first-ever game played in Guangzhou on Wednesday and in Beijing on Saturday.

Neither Leiweke nor Stern would give a timetable when construction on the arenas would start or when they would open.

Both have been encouraged by the Chinese government, sports ministry and CBA in the new venture. "They've been very supportive of these efforts," Stern said.

broderick.turner

@latimes.com

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Brett Favre has a huge day for Jets

2008-09-29T17:11:00.000-07:00

Brett Favre has a huge day for Jets
Quarterback throws six touchdown passes and outguns Arizona's Kurt Warner.

Brett Favre set a career-high and a Jets franchise record with six touchdown passes Sunday against Arizona.
Quarterback throws six touchdown passes and outguns Arizona's Kurt Warner.

September 29, 2008

http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-jets29-2008sep29,0,568980.story
From the Los Angeles Times

JETS 56, CARDINALS 35

Brett Favre has a huge day for Jets
Quarterback throws six touchdown passes and outguns Arizona's Kurt Warner.
September 29, 2008

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Brett Favre threw a career-high and Jets-record six touchdown passes, including three to Laveranues Coles, and New York took advantage of a series of mistakes by Arizona in a big second quarter before holding on to beat the Cardinals, 56-35.

New York's defense forced five turnovers -- three fumbles and two interceptions -- in the first half, and the Jets (2-2) set a franchise record by scoring 34 points in the second quarter.

Favre, showing no signs of a left ankle injury, completed 24 of 34 for 289 yards. Kurt Warner completed 40 of 57 for 472 yards for the Cardinals (2-2).

Arizona wide receiver Anquan Boldin was carted off the field after a helmet-to-helmet collision with Eric Smith in the end zone with 27 seconds remaining. He was alert and moving his extremities.

Quoteworthy: "He was just dialing it up and telling everybody, 'Hey, get ready. The ball is coming.' " -- Jerricho Cotchery, Jets receiver, on Brett Favre

From the Associated Press

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Brett Favre's arrival makes Jets prime-time players. Interest has soared in all areas since the former Green Bay Packers quarterback arrived in town t

2008-09-14T17:00:00.000-07:00

Brett Favre's arrival makes Jets prime-time players
Interest has soared in all areas since the former Green Bay Packers quarterback arrived in town this summer.

The multi-award winning "All Pro Sports Football Series" ... featuring Brett Favre, Jerry Rice, Ronnie Lott, Reggie White, Jack Del Rio, Brent Jones, Jim Lachey, Eric Allen, Rodney Hampton, Jeff Gossett and Jeff Jaeger and Coach Don Shula ... narrated by Emmy Award winning Roy Firestone ... is available at http://www.allprosportsfootball.com and 1 888 79 FOOTBALL ...

the most innovative football ... see http://www.allprosportsfootball.com ... , basketball and automobile racing series ever produced for home entertainment featuring: eleven of the greatest NFL football players and the most successful coach in NFL history; five of the greatest NBA basketball players and one of the most successful coaches in NBA history; and six internationally recognized automobile racing champions ... . sharing their life stories and demonstrating their skills in a very entertaining setting of upbeat music, three dimensional digital graphics and action footage.

http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-farmer14-2008sep14,0,3484740.story
From the Los Angeles Times
SAM FARMER / ON THE NFL

Brett Favre's arrival makes Jets prime-time players
Interest has soared in all areas since the former Green Bay Packers quarterback arrived in town this summer.

By Sam Farmer
ON THE NFL

September 14, 2008

NEW YORK -- On Brett Favre's first day with the New York Jets, Newsday devoted 17 pages of its newspaper to the quarterback's arrival.

When the pope visited, he got 12 pages.

J-E-T-S! Brett! Brett! Brett!

Reebok has shipped 60,000 Favre Jets jerseys into the marketplace, a record 3,800 of which sold within the first 24 hours. His is by far the No. 1-selling NFL jersey this season. And, as it happens, he's chasing himself. Ranked second in sales is his Green Bay jersey.

J-E-T-S! Brett! Brett! Brett!

According to StubHub, today's showdown between the Jets and New England Patriots at the Meadowlands is the most expensive NFL ticket of the week, with an average price of $237 -- and that's without Tom Brady.

Whereas the website's cheapest Jets ticket is going for $110, fans who want to see the Super Bowl champion New York Giants play at St. Louis could, as of Friday afternoon, buy a ticket for $5.

That's more of a commentary on how bad the Rams are, of course, but it also underscores the remarkable surge of interest in the Jets.

Even a former Giants great can appreciate and feel good about what this means for the Jets, the city's perennial second-fiddle franchise.

"It's good for football, it's good for New York, and it's good for the Jets," said Harry Carson, a Hall of Fame former linebacker for the Giants. "It's been a long time since they've had the spotlight shined on them to this degree."

Or as marketing executive Steve Rosner puts it: "The Jets aren't just on the back page these days, they're on the front page."

Chalk that up solely to Favre, whose decision to sign with the Jets instantly made them one of the most watchable teams in sports, regardless of their 4-12 record last season.

That was evident from Favre's first day of training camp at Hofstra University, where a crowd of 10,000 -- about triple the average -- showed up to catch a glimpse of him.

When he walked onto the field, the speakers blared Bruce Springsteen's "Glory Days," and the fans erupted, giving him a standing ovation.

Favre's second day made news too. After he fumbled a snap, the quarterback adhered to team rules and ran a penalty lap.

Actually, it was more like a home-run trot, allowing fans pressed along the fences to get an up-close look at their hero, who was jogging alongside lumbering center Nick Mangold. Within an hour, one of the spectators had posted the scene on YouTube.

Favre isn't just a 38-year-old quarterback, he's a cultural phenomenon.

"For an old man, he's doing pretty good," former New York mayor Ed Koch said. "Because he's past his prime, he's made old men all over the city feel good. In that way, he's really helped us. There are a lot of old men in this city -- of which I'm one."

Added Koch: "He's probably gotten more invitations for dinner parties than anybody in town."

Clearly, collecting invitations isn't a priority for Favre -- unless it's an invitation to the postseason.

"I'm here for one reason," he said shortly after arriving. "Not to do commercials, Broadway, all those things. I'm here to help the Jets win."

To some degree, the Jets have already won.

By signing Favre, they helped ease the sting of selling expensive personal-seat licenses to fans who never had to buy them before, PSLs that will help fund construction of the $1.6-billion stadium the Jets and Giants will share. To some, the Favre signing was an indication the Jets were willing to spend to compete at the elite level.

Lost in that logic was that the Jets had already handed out $140 million in contracts to newly acquired guard Alan Faneca, center Damien Woody, defensive tackle Kris Jenkins and linebacker Calvin Pace. It seemed no one paid a great deal of attention to that spending spree, not until the Jets brought Favre on board.

The renewed interest was instantly obvious in ticket sales. The day after the late-night trade for Favre, StubHub brokered more than $1 million in Jets ticket sales. Through August, Jets ticket sales have increased more than 100% from last year, the NFL's biggest jump.

Said StubHub spokesman Sean Pate: "The buying dynamics shifted to fifth gear from first gear."

Now, the Jets are hoping to do the same on the field.

Last Sunday, they won in Miami, 20-14. But the Dolphins won only one game last season, and there were signs Favre is working through some rough spots.

More than once, he stepped into the huddle, glanced around at his teammates and -- no doubt cracking a smile -- simply said, "Same play." Against the Dolphins that was enough; he threw two touchdown passes.

Same old freewheeling Favre? Yes.

Same old Jets? Not even close.

sam.farmer@latimes.com

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Jets pick Favre as one of their captains

2008-09-06T20:34:00.000-07:00

Jets pick Favre as one of their captains

The multi-award winning "All Pro Sports Football Series" ... featuring Brett Favre, Jerry Rice, Ronnie Lott, Reggie White, Jack Del Rio, Brent Jones, Jim Lachey, Eric Allen, Rodney Hampton, Jeff Gossett and Jeff Jaeger and Coach Don Shula ... narrated by Emmy Award winning Roy Firestone ... is available at http://www.allprosportsfootball.com and 1 888 79 FOOTBALL ...

the most innovative football ... see http://www.allprosportsfootball.com ... , basketball and automobile racing series ever produced for home entertainment featuring: eleven of the greatest NFL football players and the most successful coach in NFL history; five of the greatest NBA basketball players and one of the most successful coaches in NBA history; and six internationally recognized automobile racing champions ... . sharing their life stories and demonstrating their skills in a very entertaining setting of upbeat music, three dimensional digital graphics and action footage.

September 3, 2008

Jets pick Favre as one of their captains

The Associated Press
Brett Favre has made quite an impression on his new teammates.
The ballots are in, and the veteran quarterback was voted one of the New York Jets’ offensive captains despite being with the team for less than a month.

“I’m honored,” Favre said Wednesday before the Jets’ first practice at their new home in Florham Park, N.J. “I felt a little uncomfortable to be voted. I feel like I need to earn it.”

Well, that’ll start Sunday when the Jets open the regular season at Miami with Favre under center.

“I don’t want it to be based on past performances or longevity, whatever,” Favre said. “All those things are important, but what’s important is what I do here and how I carry myself as a teammate, what type of leader I am. But you have to vote a captain, as every team does, early in the year and I’m honored to represent this team.”

Favre, acquired from Green Bay on Aug. 6 after coming out of retirement, joined new left guard Alan Faneca as offensive captains. Defensive end Shaun Ellis and safety Kerry Rhodes were selected captains on defense in the vote by players Tuesday, while David Bowens and Leon Washington will represent the special teams unit.

“Obviously, he’s fitting in well to be voted on by his peers to be a captain,” coach Eric Mangini said of Favre. “I think the question of how he’s adjusting, how he’s fitting in with the guys has been clearly answered by the fact that his peer group — I don’t know how peer groups work with that age differential — but the kids voted for him.”

The 38-year-old, gray-stubbled quarterback has been lauded throughout his career for being one of the game’s ultimate leaders. His new teammates recognized that, and that he has started an NFL-record 253 consecutive games, showing a penchant for playing through pain. It also helps that he has the coach’s ear.

“You want a guy who has a hand in upper management,” Bowens said with a big laugh. “That was a no-brainer, I’m sure, for the offensive guys. Brett can go upstairs and talk to Eric pretty easily, but aside from all that, Brett is a good leader. He’s showed toughness and played about 1,000 games in a row or something like that. Anytime you’ve got a guy in that situation, you definitely look up to him for leadership.”

Favre will take on the Dolphins and Chad Pennington, the man he replaced, on Sunday and acknowledged he still has moments of anxiety before games, even after 17 seasons.

“If I didn’t, I wouldn’t be back,” Favre said. “I feel like a rookie in some respects because of the circumstances. Believe me, there will be some excitement and butterflies, but I’ve had that each and every year. There may be a few more this time than in years past.”

That’s because of the massive spotlight, not to mention pressure, that has followed Favre from Green Bay to New York.

“I understand that most people think the odds are against me, and that’s fine,” he said. “I’m not here to be a god. I’m not here to get trashed, either. I’m here to help this team win. I still think I can offer something to the game of football, to myself. That’s all I can do. I hope it works out, believe me.”

New York Jets quarterback Brett Favre (4) during the New York Jets training camp practice at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York, on August 11th

2008-08-14T19:43:00.000-07:00

New York Jets quarterback Brett Favre (4) during the New York Jets training camp practice at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York, on Monday, Aug. 11, 2008.

Favre gets first chance at 2-minute drill

The multi-award winning "All Pro Sports Football Series" ... featuring Brett Favre, Jerry Rice, Ronnie Lott, Reggie White, Jack Del Rio, Brent Jones, Jim Lachey, Eric Allen, Rodney Hampton, Jeff Gossett and Jeff Jaeger and Coach Don Shula ... narrated by Emmy Award winning Roy Firestone ... is available at http://www.allprosportsfootball.com and 1 888 79 FOOTBALL ...

the most innovative football ... see http://www.allprosportsfootball.com ... , basketball and automobile racing series ever produced for home entertainment featuring: eleven of the greatest NFL football players and the most successful coach in NFL history; five of the greatest NBA basketball players and one of the most successful coaches in NBA history; and six internationally recognized automobile racing champions ... . sharing their life stories and demonstrating their skills in a very entertaining setting of upbeat music, three dimensional digital graphics and action footage.

August 11, 2008

Favre gets first chance at 2-minute drill

By Rob Demovsky
rdemovsk@greenbaypressgazette.com
HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. — Chances are Brett Favre wasn’t watching the Green Bay Packers’ first preseason game without him Monday night.
Favre didn’t speak to reporters at New York Jets training camp on Monday, but Jets coach Eric Mangini said Favre probably wouldn’t have any free time to watch the Packers’ nationally televised game against the Cincinnati Bengals.

“He won’t be free tonight,” Mangini said during his pre-practice news conference.

Favre appears to be settling in. On his third day of practice with the Jets, Favre got his first crack at running the 2-minute drill. Starting at his 30-yard line, Favre completed 4-of-5 passes and capped the drive with a 31-yard touchdown pass to receiver Laveranues Coles.

Earlier in the practice, Favre threw his first interception since the one Giants cornerback Corey Webster picked off in overtime of the NFC title game at Lambeau Field. Trying to hit former Packers receiver David Clowney on a go route, Favre unleashed a deep ball, but Jets safety Kerry Rhodes broke to the ball and hauled in a one-handed interception. That was Favre’s first interception in three days of 11-on-11 drills in practice. He did throw an interception on Saturday, but it was during a 7-on-7 period.

Things seemingly have returned to normal for the Jets on Monday after a deluge of media and fans over the weekend. Less than a dozen beat writers and only a handful of camera crews were on hand.

“Back to the way things were,” Mangini said. “It’s nice.”

First practice a mental, physical test for Favre ... Jets training camp crowd swells for new QB

2008-08-14T19:41:00.000-07:00

First practice a mental, physical test for Favre ... Jets training camp crowd swells for new QB

The multi-award winning "All Pro Sports Football Series" ... featuring Brett Favre, Jerry Rice, Ronnie Lott, Reggie White, Jack Del Rio, Brent Jones, Jim Lachey, Eric Allen, Rodney Hampton, Jeff Gossett and Jeff Jaeger and Coach Don Shula ... narrated by Emmy Award winning Roy Firestone ... is available at http://www.allprosportsfootball.com and 1 888 79 FOOTBALL ...

the most innovative football ... see http://www.allprosportsfootball.com ... , basketball and automobile racing series ever produced for home entertainment featuring: eleven of the greatest NFL football players and the most successful coach in NFL history; five of the greatest NBA basketball players and one of the most successful coaches in NBA history; and six internationally recognized automobile racing champions ... . sharing their life stories and demonstrating their skills in a very entertaining setting of upbeat music, three dimensional digital graphics and action footage.

August 9, 2008

First practice a mental, physical test for Favre ... Jets training camp crowd swells for new QB

By Rob Demovsky
rdemovsk@greenbaypressgazette.com
HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. — Brett Favre’s first act in a New York Jets uniform was nothing more than taking a snap from Nick Mangold.
The 18th-year NFL quarterback and his new center, a third-year pro from Ohio State, repeated the drill over and over at the beginning of Saturday’s practice. Elsewhere on the field, the other 78 players and coaches went about their pre-practice routine, but make no mistake about it — all eyes in the overflow crowd were on Favre and Mangold.

“Oh, they weren’t on me,” Mangold said. “But it’s neat seeing all these people out here. It’s exciting.”

Jets’ officials estimated the crowd at Hofstra University’s practice field swelled to 10,500. For a normal Saturday training camp practice, the Jets typically attract about 2,500 to their remote Long Island location.

There was nothing normal about this.

Not for the Jets, who often play second fiddle in their own city to the reigning Super Bowl champion New York Giants.

Not for Favre, who donned something other than Green Bay Packers’ colors for the first time in more than 16 years.

Favre’s red, do-not-hit-the-quarterback No. 4 practice jersey was the same, but there he was wearing a white helmet with the Jets’ logo emblazoned on the side and white pants with green stripes.

“There were some times in practice today,” a sweat-soaked Favre said following the workout, “I wondered if I made the right move. But I knew it would be rough today.”

Only minutes after Jets coach Eric Mangini said Favre would start Saturday’s exhibition game against the Washington Redskins, Favre began practice with a series of individual drills. When the Jets went to team (11-on-11) periods, Favre took the first six snaps of each series. Still, he threw only nine passes during team periods, completing six of them. He did not take any snaps during a move-the-ball, live period at the end.

Earlier, during a 7-on-7 period, Favre completed three of his first four passes, but on his final throw, linebacker Matt Chatham intercepted a pass intended for tight end Chris Baker.

The crowd booed, but the sense was the jeers were directed at Chatham — not Favre.

Favre, who hadn’t taken a rep in an NFL practice since late January and last lined up with professional players on Jan. 20 in the NFC title game against the Giants, admitted he has a ways to go to get into football shape. Mangini said he didn’t know what Favre weighed in at, but he was listed at 222 pounds on the roster.

“My arm feels fine,” Favre said. “It’ll be tired tomorrow; it will be sore. I’ve been throwing (to high school kids in Mississippi), but there’s no substitute for getting the pads on. It’s the first time I put the pads on since the Giants game. It was warm, and I didn’t want to look too bad, so I tried to put as much into it, and I’ll pay for it tomorrow.”

Those who have seen Favre throughout his career would have been able to recognize he was feeling his way through the nearly two-hour practice and not slinging balls of fire. Yet Favre’s backup quarterback Kellen Clemens said Favre’s arm strength “is everything that you heard it would be and probably more,” and receiver Jerricho Cotchery said “all the rumors about him throwing hard, they’re true.”

But Bubba Franks — Favre’s teammate in Green Bay from 2000 to 2007 who signed with the Jets in the offseason — knew better.

“I think he was probably trying to feel his way out and get the receivers used to catching a ball from him,” Franks said. “But I don’t think he let it go yet. You’ve seen him just like I’ve seen him — they can go.”

Favre has barely a month to get ready for the regular-season opener on Sept. 7 against the Miami Dolphins. His opposing quarterback that day, Chad Pennington, probably will know the nuances of the Jets’ offense better than Favre. Pennington spent his first eight NFL seasons with the Jets but was released on Thursday, a day after the Jets traded for Favre, and signed with the Dolphins the next day.

“I’d be foolish to think that opening day I’d know this offense like I’ve known the offense I was in in the past,” Favre said. “I’ve always felt like within any offense or defense throughout the NFL, there’s way too much volume. Coaches have too much free time. All I’m saying with that is you don’t have to have 1,000 plays to be successful. You have to run five or 10 of them very well.

“We’ll condense it down. They’re throwing everything at me right now, and it’s a little overwhelming if you let it be. I was really surprised that I was as effective as I was. I’m not saying that was good, but I was able to take the snap, call the play. We were able to break the huddle, and I was able to complete passes in some sort of rhythm.”

Inevitably, questions for Favre turned to his decision to retire in March, then unretire and leave the Packers in a messy breakup.

“I never at any point felt like I never wanted to play,” Favre said. “March 3, when I made that announcement (to the team), I was not committed 100 percent. They wanted an answer at that time. No one held a gun to my head, but I was honest. At that time I was not 100 percent committed. I knew that a month later, two months later, I may be. I didn’t know, but I knew there was a good chance I would want to play again.”

When asked what made him decide to return, Favre said: “Just time.”

Favre stopped short of predicting how things will turn out.

“I hope at the end of this season that I’ll feel like I made the right decision, that people throughout the NFL world will feel like I made the right decision,” Favre said. “At this point, I think it was the right decision.”

Fans adjust to life after Favre ...How Packers perform likely will be a factor. How Packers perform likely will be a factor

2008-08-14T19:36:00.000-07:00

Fans adjust to life after Favre ...How Packers perform likely will be a factor

The multi-award winning "All Pro Sports Football Series" ... featuring Brett Favre, Jerry Rice, Ronnie Lott, Reggie White, Jack Del Rio, Brent Jones, Jim Lachey, Eric Allen, Rodney Hampton, Jeff Gossett and Jeff Jaeger and Coach Don Shula ... narrated by Emmy Award winning Roy Firestone ... is available at http://www.allprosportsfootball.com and 1 888 79 FOOTBALL ...

the most innovative football ... see http://www.allprosportsfootball.com ... , basketball and automobile racing series ever produced for home entertainment featuring: eleven of the greatest NFL football players and the most successful coach in NFL history; five of the greatest NBA basketball players and one of the most successful coaches in NBA history; and six internationally recognized automobile racing champions ... . sharing their life stories and demonstrating their skills in a very entertaining setting of upbeat music, three dimensional digital graphics and action footage.

August 10, 2008

Fans adjust to life after Favre ...How Packers perform likely will be a factor

By Tony Walter
twalter@greenbaypressgazette.com
A cure for the Green Bay Packers community hangover in the wake of Brett Favre's departure is at least a month away.
"What's going to matter to the psychological health of the fans is how the Packers do — if they win," said Kevin Quinn, associate professor of economics at St. Norbert College who has done extensive studies on pro sports. "I don't believe there's going to be a long-term hangover."
Favre's trade to the New York Jets Wednesday night ended the debate over his 2008 role with the Packers. It also left Packers fans to seek consolation someplace else, for some a remedy for the ill effects of Life After Favre.
Acceptance is a key ingredient, according to Cindy Bartel, a counselor with The American Foundation of Counseling Services in Green Bay.
"It's a willingness to understand, to let go, to forgive and to embrace additional views," Bartel said. "Things happen that we can't control, so moving ahead is to everyone's benefit."
It's difficult to let go of anger and other emotions by "ruminating on the what ifs," Bartel said. "There has to be a different way of thinking, that this is what took place, and having a belief that we can find some good out of it."
Some believe tensions will ease when the regular season begins.
"Once there's a kickoff (at the Sept. 8 season opener), people will get over it," said Mike Lambert of Manitowoc who toured the Lambeau Field atrium on Friday.
"I'm extremely excited for the season," said Shane Nelson of Belleville, Mich., who was taking photographs of his family in front of the Vince Lombardi statue.
Paul Jadin, president of the Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce, said he doesn't think it will be a problem moving past the Favre controversy.
"I don't know what's happened to the world," Jadin said. "This has been beyond what anyone could put in a movie. There will be a flurry of activity, but then Aaron (Rodgers) will be the man."
Green Bay Mayor Jim Schmitt said the Favre issue affected a lot of people.
"There are some people who now have a second favorite team," Schmitt said. "They'll be watching the Jets. But, at the end of the day, they'll realize that the Packers are bigger than one individual."
Quinn said debate will continue, but reason will prevail.
"I find it hard to believe that Mark Murphy, Mike McCarthy, Ted Thompson and the executive board are all idiots," Quinn said. "In the final analysis, this is what's interesting in sports. It's conversation fodder and it's the greatest thing in the world. In a few years, things will be forgotten. But if they lose to the Vikings …"
The Favre story lingered so long because of the unique relationship between fans here and Packers players, Quinn said.
"The thing that drives demand is that fans feel such a personal identification with these players and it's not just the numbers," he said.
Favre "represented small-town values and was like a member of the family in a sense."
However, getting over it is the dilemma for many.

What big city? Favre should feel at home in New Jersey

2008-08-14T19:33:00.000-07:00

New York Jets quarterback Brett Favre (4) visits with teammate Bubba Franks (88) during a training camp practice at Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y., on Sunday, Aug. 10, 2008. Franks, also a former Packers player, said he didn't have much trouble adjusting to the New York area and said Favre shouldn't, either. Evan Siegle/Press-Gazette

What big city? Favre should feel at home in New Jersey

The multi-award winning "All Pro Sports Football Series" ... featuring Brett Favre, Jerry Rice, Ronnie Lott, Reggie White, Jack Del Rio, Brent Jones, Jim Lachey, Eric Allen, Rodney Hampton, Jeff Gossett and Jeff Jaeger and Coach Don Shula ... narrated by Emmy Award winning Roy Firestone ... is available at http://www.allprosportsfootball.com and 1 888 79 FOOTBALL ...

the most innovative football ... see http://www.allprosportsfootball.com ... , basketball and automobile racing series ever produced for home entertainment featuring: eleven of the greatest NFL football players and the most successful coach in NFL history; five of the greatest NBA basketball players and one of the most successful coaches in NBA history; and six internationally recognized automobile racing champions ... . sharing their life stories and demonstrating their skills in a very entertaining setting of upbeat music, three dimensional digital graphics and action footage.

August 10, 2008

What big city? Favre should feel at home in New Jersey

By Rob Demovsky
rdemovsk@greenbaypressgazette.com
HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. – In 1991, when Ron Wolf was the assistant general manager for the New York Jets, he was ready to pull the trigger on a trade that he thought would bring Brett Favre to New York.
The Jets had the 34th pick in that draft and had all the parameters set for a trade with the Cardinals to move up just two spots to jump ahead of the Atlanta Falcons. But when the Cardinals were on the clock, they backed out of the trade and picked defensive end Mike Jones. That allowed the Falcons to take Favre at No. 33, leaving the Jets to take another quarterback, Browning Nagle.

Less than a year later, Favre fell out of Favor with the Falcons, Wolf came to Green Bay as the Packers’ GM and traded a first-round pick to pry Favre out of Atlanta.

That’s all well known, and the point isn’t to rehash what might have been for the Jets, who almost two decades years later finally acquired the 38-year old Favre in last week’s trade with the Packers.

Rather, it’s to wonder what might have been for Favre had he spent the majority of his career in the bright lights of the big city and to ponder how he will fit in here now that he’s a mega-star in the twilight of his career.

Back in 1997, Favre told the Newark (N.J.) Star-Ledger: “I don’t know if I would’ve been too good in New York. That’s too big a city for me.”

For better or worse, the small-town quarterback from Kiln, Miss., is about to find out whether that will prove correct. Since the trade was finalized Wednesday night, Favre’s image has been splashed across the covers of the New York tabloids and on the nightly news. Fans have flocked here in record numbers to watch his first few practices with the Jets.

His every move has been scrutinized so much so that Jets coach Eric Mangini only half-jokingly opened his news conference on Sunday by reporting that Favre’s breakfast earlier that morning included “two hard-boiled eggs, a little bit of orange juice. There was a garnish, I think, and some hashbrowns, and I can take you through minute by minute after that.”

The attention has wowed nearly every Jets player, even those used to the New York ways. Backup quarterback Kellen Clemens surveyed the throng of media at Favre’s first practice on Saturday and said: “This is a lot of people, even for New York.”

“I’m a South Mississippi boy, and it’s a little laid back there,” Favre said. “I know how tough it can be, and I know how great it can be in New York City. Am I ready to face it, handle it and deal with it? I think so. I think it’s a great opportunity.”

In some ways, even though Green Bay has long been the NFL’s smallest market, Favre’s new locale resembles his old one.

Favre got used to living in a fishbowl, where his every motive was noticed in the small city. As far as media coverage, the New York columnists might be more ruthless, the headlines more brash and the tabloids far more willing to exploit chinks in his personal life. But the scrutiny on football on the Packers’ beat is every bit as thorough – if not more so – than it is here in the Big Apple.

“Green Bay is a small market,” Favre said. “But is there a bigger team? I’ve been in front of a lot of media. I’ve been in big games. I’ve won big games. I’ve lost big games. I’ve had my share of criticism and glory. … It doesn’t matter what city it’s in. I’m here for one reason – not to do commercials, Broadway, all of those things. I’m here to help the Jets win. That’s why they got me.”

Favre’s wife, Deanna, has spent the last few days surveying the area for housing. In recent years in Green Bay, they lived in a modest house in Ashwaubenon, where Favre had a 5-minute commute to Lambeau Field, easy access to the airport, golf courses and plenty of land on which to hunt.

Here, they’re likely to settle in New Jersey, near the Jets’ new facility in Florham Park, which is scheduled to open next month. Most of the Jets’ players and staff also are moving from Long Island, where the Jets have been headquartered for the last 40 years.

“In New Jersey, he won’t really have to worry about the big-city thing,” said Jets tight end Chris Baker, a native New Yorker from Queens.

Former Packers tight end Bubba Franks, who signed with the Jets this offseason, also is small-town Southerner from Big Spring, Texas, but had little difficulty with the transition to New York.

“It didn’t take me long to adjust,” Franks said. “Brett’s still going to do what he loves to do, which is hunt and do stuff like that. With us moving to the new facility, he can do all that.”

Jets owner Woody Johnson owns acres of huntable land near Florham Park, and it was a selling point during the trade talks.

Other than Franks, though, Favre knows almost no one here. But he may have made a quick friend in Clemens, who is from a town of 3,500 in a remote part of southeastern Oregon.

“We started visiting a little bit about hunts and different stuff like that,” Clemens said. “I’ll pretty much hunt anything. I’ve gotten deer, elk, and coyote and got a cougar one time, which was pretty cool. I grew up on a ranch, and he told me about his land in Mississippi.”

Favre looks good in 2nd practice, then runs penalty lap; with video, photos

2008-08-14T19:31:00.000-07:00

Favre looks good in 2nd practice, then runs penalty lap; with video, photos

The multi-award winning "All Pro Sports Football Series" ... featuring Brett Favre, Jerry Rice, Ronnie Lott, Reggie White, Jack Del Rio, Brent Jones, Jim Lachey, Eric Allen, Rodney Hampton, Jeff Gossett and Jeff Jaeger and Coach Don Shula ... narrated by Emmy Award winning Roy Firestone ... is available at http://www.allprosportsfootball.com and 1 888 79 FOOTBALL ...

the most innovative football ... see http://www.allprosportsfootball.com ... , basketball and automobile racing series ever produced for home entertainment featuring: eleven of the greatest NFL football players and the most successful coach in NFL history; five of the greatest NBA basketball players and one of the most successful coaches in NBA history; and six internationally recognized automobile racing champions ... . sharing their life stories and demonstrating their skills in a very entertaining setting of upbeat music, three dimensional digital graphics and action footage.

August 10, 2008

Favre looks good in 2nd practice, then runs penalty lap; with video, photos

By Rob Demovsky
rdemovsk@greenbaypressgazette.com
HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. – In his second day of practice with the New York Jets on Sunday, Brett Favre looked far more comfortable than he did on Saturday.
He completed 10 of 14 passes during team periods in the morning full-pads practice and for the first time in two days showed off his arm strength.

From his 25-yard line, Favre unleashed a deep throw that went some 60 yards in the air. Receiver Jerricho Cotchery, who had a half step on cornerback David Barrett, caught the ball in stride and strolled into the end zone for a 75-yard touchdown.

“That was a heck of a throw,” Jets tight end Chris Baker said. “Obviously he can make every throw, as you say in practice today.”

That easily was the highlight of the day.

On the other end of the spectrum, Favre and center Nick Mangold botched the snap exchange on the first play of team drills.

Jets coach Eric Mangini has a policy that anyone who commits a major error such as a penalty or a fumble has to run a lap around the practice field. So there was Favre and Mangold jogging around the field while practice continued. The crowd cheered wildly for Favre.

“It’s weird because it was a penalty lap, and you’re running it because you’ve done something wrong and people are cheering,” Mangold said. “It was a little different, but it was neat.”

An 18-second video of the penalty lap was posted on YouTube less than an hour after practice ended.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJxTvyXOXjs">Video: Watch Favre run his penalty lap.
“Camera phones make it tough to do anything these days,” Mangini said.

Favre did not speak with reporters after practice, and a team spokesman said he wouldn’t talk again until Wednesday. Favre also has refused all one-on-one interview requests.

However, the team’s public relations department did ask the team when he last had to run a penalty lap.

“Maybe Little League, maybe,” Favre said in a statement released by the team. “Some coaches believe in doing things like that. It all serves its purpose in the end. You are trying to build unity. In our situation here, you are trying to build chemistry. … I’m not embarrassed by it. I think it is kind of funny, but yet it serves its purpose.”

Meanwhile, Jets officials estimated that 4,000 people attended the morning practice. That was considerably less than the 10,500 that came out on Saturday. However, it was significantly larger than the average Sunday morning crowd of about 1,700.

Brett Favre deal turns out to be a good one for Green Bay PackersAs a member of the New York Jets, quarterback is out of the Packers' conference.

2008-08-14T19:27:00.000-07:00

Brett Favre deal turns out to be a good one for Green Bay Packers
As a member of the New York Jets, quarterback is out of the Packers' conference.

The multi-award winning "All Pro Sports Football Series" ... featuring Brett Favre, Jerry Rice, Ronnie Lott, Reggie White, Jack Del Rio, Brent Jones, Jim Lachey, Eric Allen, Rodney Hampton, Jeff Gossett and Jeff Jaeger and Coach Don Shula ... narrated by Emmy Award winning Roy Firestone ... is available at http://www.allprosportsfootball.com and 1 888 79 FOOTBALL ...

the most innovative football ... see http://www.allprosportsfootball.com ... , basketball and automobile racing series ever produced for home entertainment featuring: eleven of the greatest NFL football players and the most successful coach in NFL history; five of the greatest NBA basketball players and one of the most successful coaches in NBA history; and six internationally recognized automobile racing champions ... . sharing their life stories and demonstrating their skills in a very entertaining setting of upbeat music, three dimensional digital graphics and action footage.

http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-favre8-2008aug08,0,5011654.story
From the Los Angeles Times
SAM FARMER / ON THE NFL

Brett Favre deal turns out to be a good one for Green Bay Packers
As a member of the New York Jets, quarterback is out of the Packers' conference.

By Sam Farmer
ON THE NFL

August 8, 2008

Still grasping the reality of what he is -- the newest member of the New York Jets -- Brett Favre focused Thursday on what he says he isn't.

"I'm not a traitor, I never will be," he said, less than 24 hours after his falling out with the Green Bay Packers led to a trade. "It's a business, that's how it works."

And for the Packers, it was a smart business move. They got a conditional fourth-round pick for Favre, a deal that could be sweeter depending on how he plays, and sidestepped the excruciating possibility of him playing for NFC North rival Minnesota.

Favre, speaking to reporters before an exhibition opener at Cleveland, conceded that all along the Vikings had been his team of choice.

"Maybe that was vindictive, competitive," he said, adding, "In the end, that was probably the wrong motive."

As it happened, Favre's new career chapter began the way the old one ended -- with an interception. The Jets stepped in front of a telegraphed pass -- one from Green Bay to Tampa Bay -- and picked off the 38-year-old quarterback to the surprise of just about everyone.

Trading Favre anywhere was fraught with peril for the Packers, but the Jets are about the closest thing to the other side of the moon from Green Bay.

That's not to say Favre can't win there. But he's heading to an AFC team that was 4-12 last season, losing eight of its first nine games, and plays in a division owned by the New England Patriots.

Had Favre gone to Tampa, which some reports called a near-done deal, he would have been reunited with Coach Jon Gruden on a team that won the NFC South last season and plays host to Green Bay in a Week 4 game.

After the deal was finished late Wednesday night, Green Bay General Manager Ted Thompson and Coach Mike McCarthy probably got their first bit of decent sleep in weeks. Not only did they finally move Favre and end this nightmarish saga, but they got a remarkably good deal for him. From Green Bay's standpoint, this is about as perfect as you can get.

The Packers will get a fourth-round pick for Favre that becomes a third-rounder if he plays 50% of the snaps, a second-rounder if he plays 70% of them and the Jets make the playoffs, and a first-rounder if he plays 80% and New York advances to the Super Bowl.

Then, there's the poison pill. If Favre were to be traded to any team in the NFC North, the Jets would have to give the Packers three first-round picks. There are also provisions that block the Jets from trading him to another team which, in turn, tries to trade him back into the Packers' division.

Favre's Green Bay days are over, a reality many people in that Wisconsin town are struggling to digest.

"We're sad, I guess that's the word I'd use," said Jim Schmitt, Green Bay's mayor. "Even though it's been bumpy these last few weeks with all the he said, she said, we do still respect him. . . . This community doesn't always embrace change real well, and this is a change. But I want the best for the Green Bay Packers, and I want the best for him."

It's a good deal for the Jets too, whose second-class-citizen status in New York figured to be even more pronounced this season in the wake of the New York Giants' Super Bowl victory.

New York had to release Chad Pennington to make room for its new quarterback. But Brett Favre is Brett Favre. The Jets just couldn't pass on a chance to add that future Hall of Famer to their roster, a guy who leaves Green Bay as the NFL's all-time leader in most major passing categories, including touchdowns (442), yards (61,655), completions (5,377) and attempts (8,758). He was coming off a season in which he led the Packers to within one victory of the Super Bowl, passed for 4,155 yards -- his most since 1998 -- and had 28 touchdowns with 15 interceptions.

Suddenly, the Jets are a must-watch team with an intriguing schedule that includes four West Coast games: at San Diego, Oakland, San Francisco and Seattle.

It's not as if Favre is heading to a place where he can't win. Just two years ago, the Jets rebounded from a 4-12 season to go 10-6, winning five of their last six games to clinch a playoff spot. Coach Eric Mangini was dubbed "Mangenius," and Brian Schottenheimer went from a young offensive coordinator to a legitimate head-coaching candidate.

The franchise -- bolstered by the addition of guards Alan Faneca and Damien Woody, linebacker Calvin Pace and first-round pick Vernon Gholston -- has potential.

Favre is moving on, and so is his old team.

"It's like a marriage that ends," Packers president Mark Murphy said. "It happens."

sam.farmer@latimes.com

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Just because Brett Favre has been traded to the New York Jets doesn’t mean the Green Bay Packers are off the hook.

2008-08-14T19:25:00.000-07:00

Just because Brett Favre has been traded to the New York Jets doesn’t mean the Green Bay Packers are off the hook.

The multi-award winning "All Pro Sports Football Series" ... featuring Brett Favre, Jerry Rice, Ronnie Lott, Reggie White, Jack Del Rio, Brent Jones, Jim Lachey, Eric Allen, Rodney Hampton, Jeff Gossett and Jeff Jaeger and Coach Don Shula ... narrated by Emmy Award winning Roy Firestone ... is available at http://www.allprosportsfootball.com and 1 888 79 FOOTBALL ...

the most innovative football ... see http://www.allprosportsfootball.com ... , basketball and automobile racing series ever produced for home entertainment featuring: eleven of the greatest NFL football players and the most successful coach in NFL history; five of the greatest NBA basketball players and one of the most successful coaches in NBA history; and six internationally recognized automobile racing champions ... . sharing their life stories and demonstrating their skills in a very entertaining setting of upbeat music, three dimensional digital graphics and action footage.

August 7, 2008

Mike Vandermause column: Thompson's legacy is on the line

Just because Brett Favre has been traded to the New York Jets doesn’t mean the Green Bay Packers are off the hook.

Quite the contrary, the fallout from the feud between Favre and the Packers is just beginning, and the spotlight here will shine brightly on General Manager Ted Thompson.

It was a bonus that the Packers were able to ship Favre to an out-of-sight AFC team and in the process receive a decent draft pick in return.

But that can’t disguise the fact Thompson will always be known as the man who ran a Hall of Fame quarterback out of town. Fair or not, that is the distinction Thompson must live with.

When asked at a press conference Thursday if he was comfortable with that, Thompson said: “No, I don’t think anybody would be comfortable with that. This is in many ways sad that this is where it came to.”

Thompson, and to a lesser degree coach Mike McCarthy, passed up a chance to retain Favre for a 17th season in Green Bay. Cut through the verbiage, semantics and public relations spin and one fact remains: Had the Packers organization pursued Favre more aggressively five months ago, he would be wearing a green and gold uniform today.

Forget about McCarthy’s five-hour huddle with Favre on Monday, or team president Mark Murphy’s lengthy meeting with the quarterback last week in Mississippi. The die was cast in March.

Thompson wanted to move forward. As head of the football operation, that’s his call to make and he’s taking major hits from the fan base for it.

Thompson’s stance on Favre will either go down as one of the gutsiest, shrewdest moves in franchise history. Or it will be viewed as one of the most lame-brained decisions in team annals.

Final judgment will arrive in the next couple years, maybe sooner, and the answer won’t be complicated.

If Aaron Rodgers blossoms into a solid starter this season and leads the Packers deep into the playoffs, while Favre shows his advanced age in the Big Apple, Thompson can rightly tell his critics to buzz off.

However, if Rodgers struggles or gets hurt while Favre shines, there will be no end to the flak awaiting Thompson. He will get berated unmercifully for allowing one of the greatest players in Packers history to slip away. The stakes are incredibly high.

“This is a high-risk business,” Thompson said. “This is the National Football League. We understand that when we sign on. Yeah, does that put us at risk? But there’s all kinds of risks in the NFL, there’s all kinds of risks in life. You make the best decisions you can based on what you believe is in the best interests of the Green Bay Packers.”

But this is no ordinary gamble, and if Thompson is wrong, his legacy will be forever tainted.

Packers, Favre begin a new era ...Team, star QB move on, but fans remain divided

2008-08-14T19:18:00.000-07:00

Packers, Favre begin a new era ...Team, star QB move on, but fans remain divided

The multi-award winning "All Pro Sports Football Series" ... featuring Brett Favre, Jerry Rice, Ronnie Lott, Reggie White, Jack Del Rio, Brent Jones, Jim Lachey, Eric Allen, Rodney Hampton, Jeff Gossett and Jeff Jaeger and Coach Don Shula ... narrated by Emmy Award winning Roy Firestone ... is available at http://www.allprosportsfootball.com and 1 888 79 FOOTBALL ...

the most innovative football ... see http://www.allprosportsfootball.com ... , basketball and automobile racing series ever produced for home entertainment featuring: eleven of the greatest NFL football players and the most successful coach in NFL history; five of the greatest NBA basketball players and one of the most successful coaches in NBA history; and six internationally recognized automobile racing champions ... . sharing their life stories and demonstrating their skills in a very entertaining setting of upbeat music, three dimensional digital graphics and action footage.

Packers, Favre begin a new eran ...Team, star QB move on, but fans remain divided

BY PETE DOUGHERTY
pdougher@greenbaypressgazette.com

Green Bay Packers fans surely were stunned and some appalled when they saw Brett Favre holding up his signature No. 4 jersey for the cameras Thursday in Cleveland, but for the New York Jets and not for the Packers franchise he’s come to embody over the past 16 years.
The Packers’ top management team – President and Chief Executive Officer Mark Murphy, General Manager Ted Thompson and coach Mike McCarthy – held a press conference earlier in the day to clean up some of the debris from the storm of the past two months and explain why Favre won’t be in a Packers uniform this season after ending his brief retirement.

But a 38?-minute session with reporters discussing Favre’s trade late Wednesday night failed to reveal any unvarnished reason or reasons for the disintegration of the team’s relationship with perhaps its all-time great player and his absence from training camp after he tried to return to the club this summer.

“It was never a matter of if Brett Favre can play,” McCarthy said. “He finished No. 2 in the league in MVP voting (last season) I think someone said. He's still in all of our (video) cut-ups. I'm very in tune with what his level of play is. That was never the factor. In my opinion, and based on our communication, and all the communication throughout all this process, I was never truly convinced that he was going to play. Now, he wants to play. He should play. We got to a tough spot, and this is why it ended up why we're here (Thursday).”

Thompson has full authority over the Packers’ football operations and ultimately determined the team’s course over the past two months, and those actions clearly demonstrated he didn’t want Favre back. The Packers tried hard to persuade Favre to remain retired, resisted his return until he was officially reinstated from the reserve/retired list this past Sunday, and then did nothing to assuage Favre’s concerns about their commitment to him in his long meetings Monday and Tuesday with McCarthy and Thompson.

Interviews with sources inside and outside the organization suggest Thompson might have had several reasons for wanting to move beyond Favre. Some said, notwithstanding McCarthy’s previous comment, that Thompson harbored serious doubts about Favre’s ability to take the Packers to a championship at age 38 after poor performances in ultra-frigid conditions last year against Chicago and the New York Giants. Others pointed to underlying reasons such as the feeling of being held hostage by the yearly drama of Favre’s possible retirement, and perceiving a growing aloofness in Favre as the quarterback became significantly older than almost all his teammates.

Thompson, though, with stated support Thursday from Murphy and McCarthy, gave only vague reasons for wanting to move beyond the Favre era in his first comments since the whirlwind of the past five days, which started with Favre flying into Green Bay on Sunday night.

“I do think you make commitments and you say, ‘OK, we're going to try to do this. It’s a difficult task but we’re going to try to do it,’” Thompson said of moving on after Favre’s retirement.

Both McCarthy and Thompson regularly used words such as “impasse” to describe the estrangement and said that while they were willing to open the starting quarterback job to a competition after Favre’s reinstatement, their face-to-face talks with Favre this week never got past rehashing the wounds from an acrimonious offseason. But the coach and GM never revealed why they didn’t try to get through that sticking point by offering Favre the olive branch he clearly was seeking.

“We both agreed that both parties could probably have done things better from a communication standpoint,” McCarthy said of his talks with Favre this week, “and that's what I stated the other day when I was up here. We agreed to disagree. We were on opposite sides of the fence of (perceiving) what happened, how we got to this spot, but we're into this spot.”

Favre acknowledged his differences with Thompson, though he didn’t mention Thompson by name, and disappointment at what he considered ungrateful treatment by the organization, at his introductory press conference with the Jets, who played at Cleveland on Thursday night.

“A lot of things happened in the offseason, a lot of shocking things,” he said. “I think we’re both at fault. Who’s at fault more is a matter of opinion.”

Back at the Lambeau Field auditorium, Murphy opened the press conference with a statement in which he thanked Favre and his family for all they’d done for the Packers and then threw his full public support behind Thompson’s and McCarthy’s handling of what’s been one the most divisive episodes in franchise history.

“I want to really stress, the three of us have been in complete agreement on every single decision that we have made in this process,” Murphy said. “I have tremendous respect for both Ted and Mike. Ted has been a true professional through this whole process. In my view, he has no ego. His thought process in every decision is what is in the best interest of this organization. I thought it was really masterful the way that Ted has handled this situation, particularly the trade, in unison with (team vice president) Russ Ball and (director-football operations) John Schneider.”

The Packers undoubtedly got what they wanted, considering Favre was set on returning this year. They didn’t want him playing for them, they didn’t want him in the NFC North, and then when it got down to trading him to the New York Jets or Tampa Bay, they wanted to send him to the relative oblivion of the Jets in the AFC, rather than to the team Favre next wanted to go to, the Bucs, who are in the NFC and on the Packers’ schedule this year.

But in the longer term, by trading Favre and going with fourth-year pro Aaron Rodgers at quarterback, Thompson’s legacy will in large part be defined by how this monumental decision pans out, because Favre wanted to return to a team that had advanced to the NFC championship game last season. Winning will keep Thompson’s job, but he always will be known as the man who ran Brett Favre out of Green Bay.

“I don't think anybody would be comfortable with that,” Thompson said. “This is in many ways sad that this is where it came to. At the end of the day though, I think all parties involved felt like (the trade) was the best solution to a very difficult situation. Hopefully we can do things going forward that maybe people will not remember that.”

One of the few things that Favre, McCarthy and Thompson appeared to agree on was a terrible communication gap throughout this standoff. Perhaps the Packers didn’t take seriously enough Favre’s stated desire to return, because they appeared to put him off from mid-June until he filed his reinstatement papers just before the start of training camp in late July. Favre, in turn, didn’t fully appreciate the organization’s desire to move on.

But there’s also questions about why it took so long to resolve these problems when they could have been addressed weeks ago. Favre first broached the subject of his release on June 20. If the sides conducted this week’s meetings back then, the Packers might have traded Favre well before the start of camp, thus saving the players from this divisive ordeal while at camp trying to get ready for the season.

Thompson pointed to Favre’s reinstatement as the move that proved the playing commitment the Packers had doubted, and that set all action in motion. But hoping to wait out Favre and trading anonymous-sourced stories in the media proved destructive to both the Packers and Favre. Thompson said he will conduct a post-mortem of the ordeal and acknowledged a “communication breakdown.”

“I don't have all of the answers in terms of what we could have done to have done this better,” Thompson said. “I do think that we tried to do the best that we could all of the time, but I'm not sure that we didn't make mistakes.”

Story, photos: Favre in New York, gets big-time welcome

2008-08-14T18:46:00.001-07:00

Story, photos: Favre in New York, gets big-time welcome

The multi-award winning "All Pro Sports Football Series" ... featuring Brett Favre, Jerry Rice, Ronnie Lott, Reggie White, Jack Del Rio, Brent Jones, Jim Lachey, Eric Allen, Rodney Hampton, Jeff Gossett and Jeff Jaeger and Coach Don Shula ... narrated by Emmy Award winning Roy Firestone ... is available at http://www.allprosportsfootball.com and 1 888 79 FOOTBALL ...

the most innovative football ... see http://www.allprosportsfootball.com ... , basketball and automobile racing series ever produced for home entertainment featuring: eleven of the greatest NFL football players and the most successful coach in NFL history; five of the greatest NBA basketball players and one of the most successful coaches in NBA history; and six internationally recognized automobile racing champions ... . sharing their life stories and demonstrating their skills in a very entertaining setting of upbeat music, three dimensional digital graphics and action footage.

August 8, 2008

Story, photos: Favre in New York, gets big-time welcome

The Associated Press
NEW YORK — Brett the Jet left the cheeseheads behind and got a few cheesecakes from the mayor in a big New York welcome.
Photos from mayor's welcome: http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/gallery?Avis=U0&Dato=20080808&Kategori=PKR01&Lopenr=808080801&Ref=PH" target="new" style="color:#72A440;">Click here

Brett Favre, the New York Jets’ newest quarterback, was introduced to the city by Mayor Michael Bloomberg at a packed City Hall news conference Friday.

“Just like home,” a wide-eyed Favre said as he walked into the Blue Room and was greeted by dozens of flashing camera lights. He also received a number of gifts from Bloomberg designed to help him with his transition to New York.
“The legendary No. 4 has now become Jet Favre,” Bloomberg said, “and we’re delighted to welcome him to City Hall.”

The Jets acquired Favre from the Green Bay Packers for a conditional draft pick late Wednesday night. He was with the team for its preseason-opening victory at Cleveland, flew into town early Friday morning and quickly popped in for a visit to City Hall.

“The pressure is just building,” said Favre, wearing a blue and white polo shirt and khaki slacks and sporting his familiar 5 o’clock shadow. “The attention I’ve gotten since I’ve been here has been overwhelming. The bottom line, as we all know, is to win games. That’s what I’m here to do.”

After a huddle with staff members, Bloomberg picked out a number of gifts to help Favre “make a quick adjustment” to the Big Apple. As part of the city’s initiative to plant a million trees by 2017, Bloomberg announced one would be planted in Favre’s name.

“I cannot tell you where the tree is going to be, for obvious reasons, because it’ll be stripped bare in about 30 seconds,” said Bloomberg, wearing a green tie in honor of the Jets.

Bloomberg then presented Favre with a MetroCard — with $4 fare on it, of course.

“If you had picked a number higher, you would’ve gotten more money on your MetroCard,” Bloomberg said, drawing laughs. “Let me warn you that when you get on and off the train during rush hours, just be sure to follow your blockers.”

He also gave Favre a huge “Broadway” street sign, a copy of his book, “Bloomberg by Bloomberg,” a key ring — “You win the Super Bowl and I promise you will get a key” — and a few cheesecakes from Junior’s Cheesecakes.

Favre, joined by Jets owner Woody Johnson and general manager Mike Tannenbaum, grabbed the bag with the boxed desserts, but Tannenbaum jokingly reminded him of his conditioning run for the team later in the day. The grinning quarterback then handed over the bag of treats to Tannenbaum.

Favre presented Bloomberg with a Favre No. 4 jersey, already a hit by fans who have snatched up over 3,000 of them since the trade. The 38-year-old Favre, who joked that his daughter asked if he was joining a college team because all the other players look much younger, won’t commit to playing for the Jets beyond this season.

“Let’s enjoy this year,” he said. “The future is now. I don’t have 17 more years to play, I don’t think. I want to give the New York Jets and the people of this city the best year possible. Believe me.”

Transplanted New Yorker thrilled at Jets' fortune with Favre

2008-08-14T18:39:00.001-07:00

Transplanted New Yorker thrilled at Jets' fortune with Favre

The multi-award winning "All Pro Sports Football Series" ... featuring Brett Favre, Jerry Rice, Ronnie Lott, Reggie White, Jack Del Rio, Brent Jones, Jim Lachey, Eric Allen, Rodney Hampton, Jeff Gossett and Jeff Jaeger and Coach Don Shula ... narrated by Emmy Award winning Roy Firestone ... is available at http://www.allprosportsfootball.com and 1 888 79 FOOTBALL ...

the most innovative football ... see http://www.allprosportsfootball.com ... , basketball and automobile racing series ever produced for home entertainment featuring: eleven of the greatest NFL football players and the most successful coach in NFL history; five of the greatest NBA basketball players and one of the most successful coaches in NBA history; and six internationally recognized automobile racing champions ... . sharing their life stories and demonstrating their skills in a very entertaining setting of upbeat music, three dimensional digital graphics and action footage.

August 8, 2008

Transplanted New Yorker thrilled at Jets' fortune with Favre

By Kate McGinty
Post-Crescent staff writer
APPLETON — One football fan found a surprise fairytale ending this week — about one hour before midnight and on ESPN.
Jerald Podair, a transplant from New York and lifelong Jets fan, turned on his TV late Wednesday and almost didn't believe his eyes: Brett Favre had been traded to the Jets.
"As a Jets fan, I'm used to defeat, I'm used to disappointment, I'm used to things going awry. So, finally, this is like Cinderella, like putting the slipper on and it fits. It's amazing for long-suffering Jets fans," he said.
Podair, 54, grew up in the Bronx and intensely followed the Jets. When he moved to Appleton a decade ago, he caught a mild case of Packers fever. He even called his friends in New York and told them they needed to catch Favre, his new favorite quarterback, live in action.
He missed his home team, though, which he resorted to following on the Internet because of limited televised coverage in the Midwest.
Now, he hopes the star quarterback will boost his team's success — and that the trade means he will finally be able to catch games on TV again.
"It was frustrating to me. … I was sort of at the mercy of when they would televise Jet games. Usually, I'm not able to see them, but I have a feeling they are going to be televised in this market now pretty much whenever the Packers are not playing," he said.
Podair actually rooted for Favre to return to the Packers this season, and never imagined his favorite quarterback would play for his favorite team.
"You feel like they don't deserve him," Podair said. "It's almost like Brett Favre is slumming with the Jets."

ormer Packers QB Brett Favre: 'I'm not a traitor'

2008-08-14T18:34:00.000-07:00

Former Packers QB Brett Favre: 'I'm not a traitor'

The multi-award winning "All Pro Sports Football Series" ... featuring Brett Favre, Jerry Rice, Ronnie Lott, Reggie White, Jack Del Rio, Brent Jones, Jim Lachey, Eric Allen, Rodney Hampton, Jeff Gossett and Jeff Jaeger and Coach Don Shula ... narrated by Emmy Award winning Roy Firestone ... is available at http://www.allprosportsfootball.com and 1 888 79 FOOTBALL ...

the most innovative football ... see http://www.allprosportsfootball.com ... , basketball and automobile racing series ever produced for home entertainment featuring: eleven of the greatest NFL football players and the most successful coach in NFL history; five of the greatest NBA basketball players and one of the most successful coaches in NBA history; and six internationally recognized automobile racing champions ... . sharing their life stories and demonstrating their skills in a very entertaining setting of upbeat music, three dimensional digital graphics and action footage.

August 8, 2008

Former Packers QB Brett Favre: 'I'm not a traitor'

Jets QB takes part of blame for rough end

By Rob Demovsky
Gannett Wisconsin Media
CLEVELAND — Just as Brett Favre was being whisked out of the visitors' interview room at Cleveland Browns Stadium on Thursday, a member of the New York media tried to get in one last question.
"Is this a one-year thing?" the reporter said.
It's the question fans of the New York Jets — Favre's new team — probably want answered more than anything.
Halfway out the door, Favre's only response was: "We'll see."
Those who follow the Green Bay Packers — and those who wonder why his old team could not work things out and ultimately traded him to the Jets on Wednesday — probably wanted answers to different questions. Favre provided a few in his introductory news conference with the Jets shortly before their exhibition opener against the Browns.
More than five hours after the Packers' top brass told its side in the Lambeau Field media auditorium, Favre sat in a cramped room some 550 miles away and offered bits of his side but not before he posed for pictures with his new Jets' No. 4 jersey.
Before he discussed how and why things went sour in Green Bay, he proclaimed: "I'm not a traitor; never will be. It's a business. That's the way it works. I gave everything I possibly could give while I was there, and I don't think people would question that."
For his part, Favre shared some of the fault in what once seemed like the most unlikely of endings to his storied, 16-year Packers career.
"I think we're probably both at fault," Favre said. "I'm not going to sit here and blame it all on one side or the other.
"They're probably tired of talking about it. I know it's great for the media. It's a great soap opera, but it's one that does nothing for the guys in (the Jets') locker room and does nothing for the guys in Green Bay.
"I've got a lot of respect for the guys in Green Bay. I said last year, and I said the year before, that was the most talented team I've ever played on. Everyone thought I was crazy. I still think the same."
Though Favre didn't mention anyone in the Packers organization by name, the feeling since Favre first expressed a desire to unretire and then was rebuffed was that general manager Ted Thompson was the biggest reason Favre felt animosity toward the franchise and could not return. However, Favre on Thursday hinted that there may have been more than one person involved in that.
"We had some differences between I and a couple of other people," Favre said.
He didn't elaborate and then quickly added: "That team is going to be good with or without me, and it really serves no purpose to continue talking about it."
Favre admitted that he was reluctant to speak with Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum throughout his unretirement process in part because he knew if he went to the Jets, he wouldn't have an opportunity to play against the Packers.
"I was never not interested in the Jets," Favre said. "I think my interest at first, as we all know, was to stay within our division. Maybe that was a little bit of vindictive nature or competitive nature or whatever. I think in the end that was probably the wrong motive, and I realized that was not going to happen. That's only one or two games a year playing against your old team."
At one point during the news conference, Tannenbaum chimed in and said: "I think we're all looking forward to getting past this stuff and going out there and playing some football."
It was a whirlwind 24 hours for Favre leading up to his arrival in Cleveland. The trade was completed late Wednesday night. On Thursday, the Jets sent a plane to Mississippi to pick up Favre and his wife, Deanna. They flew to New York and took an aerial tour via helicopter of the Jets' new facility, which will open next month in New Jersey. They then boarded another plane with Tannenbaum and Jets owner Woody Johnson and met the team in Cleveland.
Favre was scheduled to fly back to New York after Thursday's game and will take a physical and a conditioning test today at the Jets' facility. The Jets don't have a practice scheduled for today. Their next practice is Saturday at 12:30 p.m. (CDT).
"I'm a little bit out of shape compared to the other guys," Favre said. "But I'm so excited about the opportunity. My family and everybody involved have been just treated unbelievably by everyone in the organization. I never looked forward to doing a conditioning test as much as I have to this point. I'm so tired of doing interviews. Hopefully after the mad rush is over, we can have a conditioning test at noon (today). I'm looking forward to that, and we go on."

Brett Favre headed to New York Jet. Packers were doing everything possible not to trade quarterback within their division.

2008-08-14T18:13:00.000-07:00

Brett Favre headed to New York Jets
Packers were doing everything possible not to trade quarterback within their division.

The multi-award winning "All Pro Sports Football Series" ... featuring Brett Favre, Jerry Rice, Ronnie Lott, Reggie White, Jack Del Rio, Brent Jones, Jim Lachey, Eric Allen, Rodney Hampton, Jeff Gossett and Jeff Jaeger and Coach Don Shula ... narrated by Emmy Award winning Roy Firestone ... is available at http://www.allprosportsfootball.com and 1 888 79 FOOTBALL ...

the most innovative football ... see http://www.allprosportsfootball.com ... , basketball and automobile racing series ever produced for home entertainment featuring: eleven of the greatest NFL football players and the most successful coach in NFL history; five of the greatest NBA basketball players and one of the most successful coaches in NBA history; and six internationally recognized automobile racing champions ... . sharing their life stories and demonstrating their skills in a very entertaining setting of upbeat music, three dimensional digital graphics and action footage.

the Los Angeles Times
NFL

Brett Favre headed to New York Jets
Packers were doing everything possible not to trade quarterback within their division.

By Sam Farmer
Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

August 7, 2008

It looks like Brett Favre will wind up in green after all -- New York Jets green.

Green Bay traded the future Hall of Fame quarterback to the Jets for an undisclosed draft pick. The development, first reported by Foxsports.com, ends weeks of speculation about where Favre would land after ending his short-lived retirement.

After determining they were moving on with Aaron Rodgers as their starting quarterback, the Packers made it clear they had no intention of trading Favre within the division.

As late as Wednesday afternoon, Tampa Bay was also in the running for Favre, a three-time NFL most valuable player who nearly led Green Bay to the Super Bowl last season.

!-- Begin BlogToplist voting code -->

Jets' interception of Brett Favre makes them a must-watch team

2008-08-13T19:30:00.001-07:00

Jets' interception of Brett Favre makes them a must-watch team
And what a relief for the Packers! The only way they'll play against former teammate Favre this season is in a Super Bowl showdown.

The multi-award winning "All Pro Sports Football Series" ... featuring Brett Favre, Jerry Rice, Ronnie Lott, Reggie White, Jack Del Rio, Brent Jones, Jim Lachey, Eric Allen, Rodney Hampton, Jeff Gossett and Jeff Jaeger and Coach Don Shula ... narrated by Emmy Award winning Roy Firestone ... is available at http://www.allprosportsfootball.com and 1 888 79 FOOTBALL ...

the most innovative football ... see http://www.allprosportsfootball.com ... , basketball and automobile racing series ever produced for home entertainment featuring: eleven of the greatest NFL football players and the most successful coach in NFL history; five of the greatest NBA basketball players and one of the most successful coaches in NBA history; and six internationally recognized automobile racing champions ... . sharing their life stories and demonstrating their skills in a very entertaining setting of upbeat music, three dimensional digital graphics and action footage.

http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-spw-favre8-2008aug08,0,313724.story
From the Los Angeles Times
SAM FARMER / ON THE NFL

Jets' interception of Brett Favre makes them a must-watch team
And what a relief for the Packers! The only way they'll play against former teammate Favre this season is in a Super Bowl showdown.

By Sam Farmer
Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

8:48 AM PDT, August 7, 2008

Brett Favre's new career began just the way his old one ended.

With an interception.

The New York Jets stepped in front of a telegraphed pass -- one from Green Bay to Tampa Bay -- and, with a generous trade offer, picked off the 38-year-old quarterback to the surprise of just about everyone.

That had to be a huge relief for the Packers. Trading Favre anywhere is fraught with peril, but the Jets are about the closest thing to the other side of the moon for Green Bay.

That's not to say Favre can't win there. But he's heading to an AFC team that was 4-12 last season, losing eight of its first nine games, and plays in a division owned by the New England Patriots.

Had Favre gone to Tampa, which some reports called a near-done deal, he would have been reunited with Coach Jon Gruden on a team that won the NFC South last season and plays host to Green Bay in a Week 4 game.

Seeing Favre in Buccaneers red wouldn't have been as excruciating for the Packers as envisioning him in Minnesota Vikings purple, but it wouldn't have been easy.

Wednesday night, Green Bay General Manager Ted Thompson and Coach Mike McCarthy probably got their first bit of decent sleep in weeks. Not only did they finally move Favre and end this nightmarish saga, but they got a remarkably good deal for him. From Green Bay's standpoint, this is about as perfect as you can get.

According to the NFL Network, the Packers will get a fourth-round pick for Favre that becomes a third-rounder if he plays 50% of the snaps, a second-rounder if he plays 70% of them, and a first-rounder if he plays 80% and the Jets make it to the Super Bowl.

It's a good deal for the Jets, too, whose second-class-citizen status in New York figured to be even more pronounced this season in the wake of the New York Giants' Super Bowl victory.

To make room for Favre and his $12.7-million salary, the Jets almost certainly will dump oft-injured quarterback Chad Pennington, who showed flashes of promise earlier in his career. In a statement released by the team early today, Jets General Manager Mike Tannenbaum said parting ways with Pennington would be "a bittersweet moment for us."

"I have not had an opportunity to talk to Chad as of this call," he said. "I know [Coach Eric Mangini] has. I have all the respect in the world for Chad as a person and a player. We have accomplished great things with Chad, including winning playoff games, which is very hard to do. He gave his heart and soul to this organization for a long, long time."

But Brett Favre is Brett Favre. The Jets just couldn't pass on a chance to add that future Hall of Famer to their roster, a guy who leaves Green Bay as the NFL's all-time leader in most major passing categories, including touchdowns (442), yards (61,655), completions (5,377) and attempts (8,758).

Suddenly, the Jets are a must-watch team with an intriguing schedule that includes four West Coast games: at San Diego, Oakland, San Francisco and Seattle.

Surely, Favre has eyeballed New York's schedule and noticed that it's bookended with games against Miami, which nearly lost every game last season. But things get much more interesting in Week 2 against the Patriots, who pulverized the Packers, 35-0, when Favre last faced them in 2006. (Then again, he was knocked out of that game with an elbow injury late in the first half when Tedy Bruschi body-slammed him.)

It's not as if Favre is heading to a place where he can't win. Just two years ago, the Jets rebounded from a 4-12 season to go 10-6, winning five of their final six games to clinch a playoff spot. Mangini was dubbed "Mangenius," and Brian Schottenheimer went from a young offensive coordinator to a legitimate head coach candidate. The franchise -- bolstered by the addition of guards Alan Faneca and Damien Woody, linebacker Calvin Pace and first-round pick Vernon Gholston -- has potential.

As for the Packers, the only way they'll see Favre again this season is if their teams meet in the Super Bowl. Somehow, they can live with that.

sam.farmer@latimes.com

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!-- Begin BlogToplist voting code -->

Favre popular? Fans say yes; poll says no

2008-08-13T19:25:00.000-07:00

Favre popular? Fans say yes; poll says no

The multi-award winning "All Pro Sports Football Series" ... featuring Brett Favre, Jerry Rice, Ronnie Lott, Reggie White, Jack Del Rio, Brent Jones, Jim Lachey, Eric Allen, Rodney Hampton, Jeff Gossett and Jeff Jaeger and Coach Don Shula ... narrated by Emmy Award winning Roy Firestone ... is available at http://www.allprosportsfootball.com and 1 888 79 FOOTBALL ...

the most innovative football ... see http://www.allprosportsfootball.com ... , basketball and automobile racing series ever produced for home entertainment featuring: eleven of the greatest NFL football players and the most successful coach in NFL history; five of the greatest NBA basketball players and one of the most successful coaches in NBA history; and six internationally recognized automobile racing champions ... . sharing their life stories and demonstrating their skills in a very entertaining setting of upbeat music, three dimensional digital graphics and action footage.

http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080805/PKR01/80805217/1058/PKR01

August 5, 2008

Favre popular? Fans say yes; poll says no

By Tony Walter and Sarah Kloepping
twalter@greenbaypressgazette.com, skloepping@greenbaypressgazette.com
Packers fans’ feelings about the drawn-out negotiations between the team and quarterback Brett Favre change quickly.
Green Bay fans who gathered Tuesday at Lambeau Field hoped to see and cheer Favre, but participants in a poll taken Sunday and Monday indicated the veteran quarterback’s approval rating has taken a significant plunge.

The poll conducted by the Wisconsin Policy Research Institute of Thiensville revealed that Favre’s favorable rating in the state, as high as 73 percent last December, is now just 47 percent. The telephone poll of 600 Wisconsin residents has a margin of error of 4 percent.

“The numbers shocked me,” institute president Jim Miller said.

Favre’s desire to continue to play football and the Packers’ decision to neither release him nor give him his starting job back has been a major topic locally, nationally and statewide. Two questions about Favre were part of a longer poll on the presidential candidates; the group has not released those results.

Many fans who roamed the Lambeau Field parking lot or watched the Packers’ practice Tuesday afternoon were in Favre’s corner.

Layna Alex, 23, and Jessica Schneider, 24, said they drove from Milwaukee to see training camp because they couldn’t wait for an announcement about Favre’s future. The girls brought “Welcome Back” balloons and a sign that said “Let Brett Start.”

“We came to support Brett,” Alex said. “We really want the Packers to know that the fans really want to see him as our quarterback.”

Jesse Pfaff, 17, of Green Bay saw Favre at Lambeau Field on Tuesday, but not the way he wanted — suited up and playing.

“I saw him leave,” he said. “I was pretty mad. Favre has done so much and coming back from one of the best seasons, why wouldn’t you want to go with him?”

Laura Fritz of Iola was among a group of fans who showed up early Tuesday morning in hopes of seeing Favre.

Brett Favre is “why I got out here so early,” she said. “I hope he’s coming back.”

But the Wisconsin Policy Research Institute poll showed considerable support for Packers management.

One poll question asked about Favre’s rating. The lowest favorable rating came from the Green Bay area — 31 percent favorable, 43 percent unfavorable. The most favorable rating for Favre came from Waukesha County, where 56 percent said favorable and 31 percent said unfavorable.

The second Favre-related question asked who was most concerned about the long-term future of the Packers, Favre and his supporters, or General Manager Ted Thompson and coach Mike McCarthy.

Statewide, only 16 percent gave the nod to Favre, while 60 percent named Thompson and McCarthy. In the Green Bay area, 71 percent sided with Thompson and McCarthy and 15 percent backed Favre.

“Clearly Brett Favre’s popularity in Wisconsin has taken an enormous hit over the last several weeks,” Miller said. Those polled seemed to indicate that the team is more important than one individual, he said.

!-- Begin BlogToplist voting code -->

Done with Packers, Favre going to Bucs?

2008-08-13T19:23:00.000-07:00

Done with Packers, Favre going to Bucs?

The multi-award winning "All Pro Sports Football Series" ... featuring Brett Favre, Jerry Rice, Ronnie Lott, Reggie White, Jack Del Rio, Brent Jones, Jim Lachey, Eric Allen, Rodney Hampton, Jeff Gossett and Jeff Jaeger and Coach Don Shula ... narrated by Emmy Award winning Roy Firestone ... is available at http://www.allprosportsfootball.com and 1 888 79 FOOTBALL ...

the most innovative football ... see http://www.allprosportsfootball.com ... , basketball and automobile racing series ever produced for home entertainment featuring: eleven of the greatest NFL football players and the most successful coach in NFL history; five of the greatest NBA basketball players and one of the most successful coaches in NBA history; and six internationally recognized automobile racing champions ... . sharing their life stories and demonstrating their skills in a very entertaining setting of upbeat music, three dimensional digital graphics and action footage.

http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080805/PKR01/80805144/1058

August 5, 2008

Done with Packers, Favre going to Bucs?

By Pete Dougherty
pdougher@greenbaypressgazette.com
After two days of meetings made it clear Brett Favre will not play again for the Green Bay Packers, his agent embarked on trade talks with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New York Jets.
Talks with the Bucs heated up Tuesday night, a source with knowledge of the negotiations said.

The Tampa Tribune reported early today on its Web site that Favre would agree to a trade to Tampa Bay and that a deal would be completed within 24 hours. The newspaper cited no source for its report.

For most of this week, Favre showed little interest in a trade to the Bucs. However, he became open to playing for them after he met with coach Mike McCarthy and General Manager Ted Thompson for much of Monday and Tuesday.

In those unexpectedly protracted talks, which included about six hours with McCarthy over the two days, Favre and McCarthy determined a quarterback competition with Aaron Rodgers would be divisive. Favre ultimately felt unwelcome and too much animosity for Thompson to return to the team he led for the last 16 years.

So after Favre’s second round of talks with McCarthy finished Tuesday, Favre left the Packers’ facilities in the early afternoon to meet at his Ashwaubenon home with his agent, Bus Cook, along with Thompson and Packers President and Chief Executive Officer Mark Murphy. That hour-long meeting was to discuss possible trade partners.

Thompson again rejected the possibility of trading Favre to NFC North Division rival Minnesota, and Favre apparently is unwilling to try to leverage that deal by staying at training camp and causing a major disruption to the team.

So while the Packers were practicing on Clarke Hinkle Field, Favre turned his sights to the two teams that have shown a keen interest in acquiring him for the past week or more, the Bucs and Jets.

The source said the Bucs and Cook were making progress in their talks and that Favre is considering playing for Tampa Bay, though the Jets couldn’t be ruled out. The salary cap shouldn’t be an issue for Tampa Bay because the Bucs are $26 million under this year’s cap; Favre is scheduled to make a $12 million salary.

ESPN’s Chris Mortensen reported that both the Bucs and Jets spoke directly to Favre on Tuesday evening, though the source familiar with the negotiations couldn’t confirm that.

If Cook comes to an agreement with the Bucs or Jets, the Packers then would have to settle on trade compensation before a deal goes through.

One factor in the deal could be how much less the Packers would take for trading Favre to the Jets in the AFC rather than to Tampa Bay, which not only plays in the NFC but also is on the Packers’ schedule this year. Any trade most likely would consist of a draft pick that possibly could escalate depending on Favre’s and the team’s performance.

Favre apparently finds the Bucs more attractive than the Jets for several reasons: Their coach, Jon Gruden, is a former Packers assistant and runs a version of the West Coast offense, which is the base offense Favre has played in the past 16 years; the Bucs were a playoff team last year; and Tampa is a short plane or car trip from Favre’s home in Hattiesburg, Miss.

The trade talks Tuesday culminated a two-day whirlwind in which Favre spent about 5? hours meeting mostly with McCarthy but also an hour with Thompson on Monday, and then another session with McCarthy on Tuesday morning.

The meeting Monday was supposed to be relatively short but became a marathon that McCarthy described as “brutally honest.”

In the end, even though the sides briefly raised the possibility of Favre competing for the starting job with Aaron Rodgers, Favre apparently has come to feel so unwelcome after arriving in Green Bay on Monday and so personally injured by everything that had happened between him and the club over the past couple of months that he no longer wanted to play for the Packers.

“That’s where we concluded in our conversation,” McCarthy said in a 26-minute press conference after the Packers’ practice on Tuesday afternoon, “that basically he was not in the right mindset to play here because of all of the things that went on.”

Favre came to Green Bay on Sunday night after NFL commissioner Roger Goodell reinstated him from the reserve/retired list. A source close to Favre said he was excited about a chance to compete with Rodgers for the starting quarterback job. If the Packers weren’t willing, then he wanted a trade to an NFC North team, presumably Minnesota.

However, sources said Favre’s feelings of animosity for the club that have built in recent weeks were stoked when he arrived in Green Bay before the Packers’ Family Night scrimmage on Sunday and was unable to get Thompson or McCarthy to return his phone calls.

The sources said that when Favre showed up at Lambeau Field, he wasn’t allowed into the locker room or onto the field, and he watched part of the scrimmage from a luxury box.

During his long and candid conversations with McCarthy, Favre either determined himself or was convinced by the Packers that competing for the starting job was too costly because of the potential divisions it could cause on the team.

That, combined with his anger over the Packers’ efforts to keep him retired, plus what he considered false stories leaked by the team about his offseason waffling, made it impossible for him to play for the Packers again after his talks with McCarthy and Thompson failed to bridge those differences.

“Mike told me, ‘Hey, we're a better team with you on it’ but wanted to know if I have a problem with an open competition,” Favre told ESPN. “I don't have a problem with competing – you know that, but Aaron should be the starter right now because he's been out here all this time. This is more than about an open competition, and I can do that, absolutely, but this is going to be mass confusion (if there’s a competition) and that's not good for this team.

“I'll practice my butt off, if it comes to that, and I think we all know what the end result will be, but this probably isn't going to work. And I truly understand that if I was in Mike's shoes, I'd see it basically the same way he sees it, I'm sure. And I think if he was in my shoes, he'd see it my way. I think we both agree on that. They want to know if I'm committed, but I want to know if they're 100 percent committed. The problem is that there's been a lot of damage done and I can't forget it. Stuff has been said, stories planted, that just aren't true. Can I get over all that? I doubt it.”

McCarthy’s meeting with Favre made clear the intensity of Favre’s resentment toward the Packers and Thompson for what’s happened this offseason.

Some of that came out in Favre’s interviews on Fox News in mid-July, when he said he didn’t trust Thompson because he thought Thompson had lied about several personnel matters they discussed. He also said the Packers mischaracterized his misgivings about retirement in late March, and that when he began to press his return to the team in June and July, the Packers leaked a distorted version of that story that made it look like he reneged after telling the team he was coming out of retirement. Favre said in the Fox News interview he never said he was coming back at that time, but only thinking about it.

McCarthy, on the other hand, said he told Favre that all offseason he never thought the quarterback would follow through with coming back and that he didn’t think Favre’s heart was in playing anymore.

McCarthy said the two discussed all their grievances and points of agreement and disagreement on what transpired this offseason in their “extremely healthy” conversation.

But McCarthy said the two never got past that point to seriously discuss having Favre compete with Rodgers for the starting job.

“It's not as simple as No. 4 running out there playing football,” McCarthy said. “He's a great football player. I loved coaching him, loved seeing him play. We talked about all of those things, but it's a situation that is extremely personal for him. The path to get to where we are has done some damage. That's where he is.”

Favre, McCarthy huddle deep into the night

2008-08-13T19:17:00.000-07:00

Favre, McCarthy huddle deep into the night

The multi-award winning "All Pro Sports Football Series" ... featuring Brett Favre, Jerry Rice, Ronnie Lott, Reggie White, Jack Del Rio, Brent Jones, Jim Lachey, Eric Allen, Rodney Hampton, Jeff Gossett and Jeff Jaeger and Coach Don Shula ... narrated by Emmy Award winning Roy Firestone ... is available at http://www.allprosportsfootball.com and 1 888 79 FOOTBALL ...

the most innovative football ... see http://www.allprosportsfootball.com ... , basketball and automobile racing series ever produced for home entertainment featuring: eleven of the greatest NFL football players and the most successful coach in NFL history; five of the greatest NBA basketball players and one of the most successful coaches in NBA history; and six internationally recognized automobile racing champions ... . sharing their life stories and demonstrating their skills in a very entertaining setting of upbeat music, three dimensional digital graphics and action footage.

August 4, 2008

Favre, McCarthy huddle deep into the night

By Pete Dougherty
pdougher@greenbaypressgazette.com
Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy wondered aloud Sunday night whether Brett Favre was fully committed to playing football this year, and perhaps Brett Favre was wondering Monday night whether the coach is committed to him as well.
The two began a crucial meeting to determine Favre’s future with the Packers at 6 p.m. Monday, and at 8:40 p.m., they still were talking. So, the Packers canceled a press conference scheduled for 8:15 p.m. to announce whether they were going to open the starting quarterback job to a competition between Favre and Aaron Rodgers.

It’s unclear how long the meeting lasted, but the two undoubtedly had much to discuss after a tumultuous month in which animosity between the quarterback and franchise escalated day by day.

“They’re still talking, and I don’t know how much longer it’s going to go,” Jeff Blumb, the Packers’ director of public relations, told a large crowd of local and national reporters at the Packers’ media auditorium.

“What does it mean? It just means that they’re still talking. Rather than keeping everyone here until we don’t know how long, as a courtesy to you guys, we’ve decided we’re just going to try again tomorrow.”

It appeared the meeting went well into the night. Favre’s SUV remained parked at Lambeau Field until at least 10:30 p.m., though there were indications the meeting might have ended about 10:15 p.m. Favre and McCarthy left Lambeau Field in separate vehicles at 11:22 p.m.

Blumb said the rescheduled press conference likely would be before the Packers’ 2 p.m. practice on Tuesday.

Favre and McCarthy could have been discussing any number of issues in their protracted meeting, most notably their commitments to each other after Favre was reinstated to the Packers’ roster from the reserve/retired list on Monday.

They also are likely to have addressed their grievances after a drawn-out confrontation that began when McCarthy and General Manager Ted Thompson told Favre in June he could not compete for his old job if he returned to the club and Favre asked for his release. There were recriminations and negotiations before Favre decided to return to the team Sunday night.

Since McCarthy became the Packers’ coach in 2006, he's said several times that conflict and confrontation can be productive when running a football team, so it’s not hard to see him and Favre having a long and candid conversation about all that’s transpired this offseason.

One of McCarthy’s concerns was whether Favre was fully committed to playing football. Favre had struggled with whether or not to retire the past three years. He announced his retirement in March, but shortly thereafter began sending signals to the Packers that he was having second thoughts.

McCarthy and Thompson wanted Favre to remain retired and had been steadfast all offseason and through the weekend that Rodgers was their starter regardless of whether Favre ended his retirement.

But a source said that when Favre forced the team’s hand by chartering a flight to Green Bay to report to training camp on Sunday evening, the team at least was open to having Favre and Rodgers compete.

After the Packers’ Family Night scrimmage on Sunday, McCarthy had a slight edge to his comments when he talked about the need to speak to Favre face to face before deciding whether to open up the job to a competition.

Asked whether he thought Favre was fully committed to playing this year, McCarthy said: “That’s a great question. That will be one of the topics of our conversation (Monday). We just need to make sure — I think it’s important for people to sit down face to face and answer those types of questions. We’re going to do that (Monday).”

There’s a good chance Favre has similar concerns about McCarthy’s commitment to him if the Packers keep him on the roster rather than trade him. The Packers did all they could to convince Favre to remain retired, including offering him a personal-services contract worth as much as $25 million.

Favre could be seeking assurances that if he’s allowed to compete for the starting job, that McCarthy will give him an equal chance and not slant the competition to Rodgers, who has been working as the starting quarterback all offseason and through the first week of training camp.

If McCarthy and Favre are going to work together this year, the coach also probably wanted to address the growing enmity between the quarterback and upper management of the team — specifically, the animosity between Favre and Thompson — and any problems that might have arisen between coach and player over the past month or two.

For instance, sources close to Favre have said Favre was upset when the Packers leaked a story about his possible return in late March. The story, which was reported in July, said Favre told the Packers he wanted to play this season, and McCarthy and Thompson were set to take a chartered flight to Mississippi to finalize Favre’s return, only to have Favre call and cancel the meeting.

The sources close to Favre have said that’s not what happened. They said the quarterback told offensive line coach James Campen only in March he was thinking about returning, and that the team didn’t arrange for a special flight to Mississippi. Instead, they say, the Packers chartered the plane to attend the spring NFL owners meetings in Florida, and that they were going to stop by Mississippi on the way home. Favre, though, told them he wasn’t committed to playing and not to waste their time with a meeting.

When that story came out in July, Favre was so upset he decided to do an interview with Greta Van Susteren of Fox News to tell his side of his desire to end his retirement. In so doing, he gave part of his version of that story.

In the same interview, he was sharply critical of Thompson. He in essence called Thompson a liar regarding several personnel matters they’d discussed and said he didn’t trust the GM.

It’s unclear how much, if any, tension has built up between Favre and McCarthy over the past month or so. McCarthy might have wanted to address all those issues to determine whether the sides could move past them and avoid a poisonous working atmosphere.

There are other issues they also might have been discussing — a possible trade, or perhaps Favre reconsidering signing a $25 million personal-services contract — so it’s all speculation. But considering McCarthy’s willingness to confront problems, the possibility that they were having a forthright conversation about all that’s happened the past month is as likely as any.

“Guess they’re airing it out,” speculated a source close to Favre.

Fans ignore storm to welcome Favre

2008-08-13T19:09:00.001-07:00

Fans ignore storm to welcome Favre

The multi-award winning "All Pro Sports Football Series" ... featuring Brett Favre, Jerry Rice, Ronnie Lott, Reggie White, Jack Del Rio, Brent Jones, Jim Lachey, Eric Allen, Rodney Hampton, Jeff Gossett and Jeff Jaeger and Coach Don Shula ... narrated by Emmy Award winning Roy Firestone ... is available at http://www.allprosportsfootball.com and 1 888 79 FOOTBALL ...

the most innovative football ... see http://www.allprosportsfootball.com ... , basketball and automobile racing series ever produced for home entertainment featuring: eleven of the greatest NFL football players and the most successful coach in NFL history; five of the greatest NBA basketball players and one of the most successful coaches in NBA history; and six internationally recognized automobile racing champions ... . sharing their life stories and demonstrating their skills in a very entertaining setting of upbeat music, three dimensional digital graphics and action footage.

August 3, 2008

http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080803/PKR01/80803077/1058/PKR01

Fans ignore storm to welcome Favre

By Tony Walter
twalter@greenbaypressgazette.com
ASHWAUBENON -- It was an “only in Green Bay” experience. Dozens of Green Bay Packers fans stood in the middle of a lightning storm gripping a metal fence to welcome Brett Favre back to town on Sunday evening.
Ignoring the intermittent rain and constant flashes of lightning, fans began showing up outside the Executive Air terminal more than three hours before Favre, accompanied by his wife, Deanna, arrived to cheers and chants shortly after 7 p.m. on a charter flight from Hattiesburg, Miss.

“I had tears running down my face when I heard about it,” said Paula Piton of Ashwaubenon. “I am so excited.”

“I think this is what the majority of Green Bay wants,” said Lindi Scholtz of Green Bay.

There were false alarms. A private jet landed and pulled up to the door outside the terminal shortly before 6 p.m., causing fans to rush to the fences bordering the tarmac, only to be disappointed when it wasn’t Favre who deplaned.

Some fans monitored the flight of Favre’s jet through the Internet while others brought out their signs of support.

“Brett Welcome Home,” was the sign held by Tom Dudzik of Green Bay.

Barb Schire of Wausau killed some of the waiting time in the main terminal where she purchased a pink No. 4 jersey.

When the jet landed from the northwest at 7:06 p.m., cheers rang out. When Favre followed his wife down the steps of the jet and into the waiting Escalade, the fans chanted, “We Want Brett,” drawing a wave from Favre.

Favre took the wheel and Deanna Favre rode shotgun and they drove to an airport exit east of the main terminal, followed high above by a Milwaukee television station’s helicopter that gave the entire episode an O.J. Simpson flavor.

“It’s the most we can ask for,” said Perry Bovee of Appleton, referring to Favre’s return to Green Bay.

Fans ignore storm to welcome Favre

2008-08-12T21:12:00.000-07:00

Fans ignore storm to welcome Favre

The multi-award winning "All Pro Sports Football Series" ... featuring Brett Favre, Jerry Rice, Ronnie Lott, Reggie White, Jack Del Rio, Brent Jones, Jim Lachey, Eric Allen, Rodney Hampton, Jeff Gossett and Jeff Jaeger and Coach Don Shula ... narrated by Emmy Award winning Roy Firestone ... is available at http://www.allprosportsfootball.com and 1 888 79 FOOTBALL ...

the most innovative football ... see http://www.allprosportsfootball.com ... , basketball and automobile racing series ever produced for home entertainment featuring: eleven of the greatest NFL football players and the most successful coach in NFL history; five of the greatest NBA basketball players and one of the most successful coaches in NBA history; and six internationally recognized automobile racing champions ... . sharing their life stories and demonstrating their skills in a very entertaining setting of upbeat music, three dimensional digital graphics and action footage.

August 3, 2008

Fans ignore storm to welcome Favre

By Tony Walter
twalter@greenbaypressgazette.com
ASHWAUBENON -- It was an “only in Green Bay” experience. Dozens of Green Bay Packers fans stood in the middle of a lightning storm gripping a metal fence to welcome Brett Favre back to town on Sunday evening.
Ignoring the intermittent rain and constant flashes of lightning, fans began showing up outside the Executive Air terminal more than three hours before Favre, accompanied by his wife, Deanna, arrived to cheers and chants shortly after 7 p.m. on a charter flight from Hattiesburg, Miss.

“I had tears running down my face when I heard about it,” said Paula Piton of Ashwaubenon. “I am so excited.”

“I think this is what the majority of Green Bay wants,” said Lindi Scholtz of Green Bay.

There were false alarms. A private jet landed and pulled up to the door outside the terminal shortly before 6 p.m., causing fans to rush to the fences bordering the tarmac, only to be disappointed when it wasn’t Favre who deplaned.

Some fans monitored the flight of Favre’s jet through the Internet while others brought out their signs of support.

“Brett Welcome Home,” was the sign held by Tom Dudzik of Green Bay.

Barb Schire of Wausau killed some of the waiting time in the main terminal where she purchased a pink No. 4 jersey.

When the jet landed from the northwest at 7:06 p.m., cheers rang out. When Favre followed his wife down the steps of the jet and into the waiting Escalade, the fans chanted, “We Want Brett,” drawing a wave from Favre.

Favre took the wheel and Deanna Favre rode shotgun and they drove to an airport exit east of the main terminal, followed high above by a Milwaukee television station’s helicopter that gave the entire episode an O.J. Simpson flavor.

“It’s the most we can ask for,” said Perry Bovee of Appleton, referring to Favre’s return to Green Bay.

Rodgers: 'It's going to be a dogfight'

2008-08-12T21:09:00.000-07:00

Rodgers: 'It's going to be a dogfight'

The multi-award winning "All Pro Sports Football Series" ... featuring Brett Favre, Jerry Rice, Ronnie Lott, Reggie White, Jack Del Rio, Brent Jones, Jim Lachey, Eric Allen, Rodney Hampton, Jeff Gossett and Jeff Jaeger and Coach Don Shula ... narrated by Emmy Award winning Roy Firestone ... is available at http://www.allprosportsfootball.com and 1 888 79 FOOTBALL ...

the most innovative football ... see http://www.allprosportsfootball.com ... , basketball and automobile racing series ever produced for home entertainment featuring: eleven of the greatest NFL football players and the most successful coach in NFL history; five of the greatest NBA basketball players and one of the most successful coaches in NBA history; and six internationally recognized automobile racing champions ... . sharing their life stories and demonstrating their skills in a very entertaining setting of upbeat music, three dimensional digital graphics and action footage.

August 3, 2008

Rodgers: 'It's going to be a dogfight'

By Rob Demovsky
rdemovsk@greenbaypressgazette.com
If there’s going to be a competition for the Green Bay Packers’ starting quarterback job, Aaron Rodgers believes he’s ready for it.
His play during Sunday’s annual Family Night scrimmage might suggest otherwise.

On the same day in which Brett Favre left his Mississippi compound and landed in Green Bay to officially end his retirement and begin his return to the NFL, Rodgers faced a crowd of 56,600 that had to sit through an hour-long rain delay before it watched a shaky performance by the man who since March believed he was about to begin his tenure as Favre’s successor.

Playing with the No. 1 offense, Rodgers completed just seven of 20 passes for 84 yards and ended his only crack at the two-minute drill by throwing an interception in the end zone on a ball that badly missed receiver Greg Jennings. A handful of plays before safety Aaron Rouse picked off Rodgers, some in the crowd began to boo.

“They’re booing all of us, probably me mostly,” Rodgers said. “So, yeah, I take it personally. But it’s not the first time, and it probably won’t be the last time.”

The question now – and one Rodgers surely wants answered – is this: Was that the last time this season that Rodgers will walk onto Lambeau Field as the Packers’ starting quarterback?

For his part, Rodgers said after the scrimmage that he had not been told how things would work when Favre takes the practice field for the first time, presumably on Tuesday. He said he hasn’t been told that there will be a head-to-head competition for the starting job but expects that to be the case.

“I’m a competitor. I’m going to compete,” Rodgers said. “This isn’t going to be easy. It’s going to be a dogfight. I know if they do open up the competition, not a lot of people will give me a chance. But I believe in myself, and I’m going to be the best I can be, and coach will decide from there.”

Though Rodgers’ stats were hurt by several dropped passes, at one point he suffered through a stretch with nine straight incompletions. Six of those came against the second-string defense. What’s more, Rodgers never faced the Packers’ top cornerbacks because Al Harris and Charles Woodson were held out of the scrimmage.

“I thought Aaron was solid,” Packers coach Mike McCarthy said. “The production wasn’t there, whether it was on the front or the back end of the pass play.”

“It a scrimmage,” McCarthy added. “It’s nice to stand up here and say when the offence scores four touchdowns in the scrimmage, boy we feel good about it. Then you watch the film, and it goes both ways. It’s never as good as you think it is, and it’s usually not as bad as you think it is. I’ll just say this, it’s quality film.”

Later in his news conference after the scrimmage, McCarthy said: “If we played a game tomorrow, Aaron Rodgers would be the starting quarterback. I’m not going to take any direction we’ve gone with this football team based on the information I have here today. That’s part of our conversation we’ll have (today), but we have all the confidence in the world in Aaron. I think he’s a player that’s on time. He’s earned this opportunity three years preparing for it, and I’ve very comfortable with him as our starting quarterback.”

In answering a group of reporters’ questions at his locker after the scrimmage, Rodgers said he held no ill feelings toward Favre for returning or toward the organization for possibly reneging on its statement that Rodgers was the starting quarterback.

“I think the organization has been put in a tough spot,” Rodgers said. “It’s a difficult situation when Brett decided to change his mind, but we’re going to welcome him back to the team. … I’ve got an opportunity. If I don’t win the competition, then I’ll support Brett, and we’ll move forward together.”

Behind the scenes, however, a source close to Rodgers painted a different picture of the quarterback’s mindset.

“If Favre comes back, Aaron is going to be hot,” the source said earlier Sunday.

The source suggested that if the Packers plan to give Favre his starting job back, they might be able to placate Rodgers by offering him a contract extension. His current deal, the one he signed after the Packers made him a first-round draft pick in 2005, runs through the 2009 season.

However, Rodgers told the Press-Gazette that the Packers haven't approached him about a contract extension, and that he’s not interested in one at this time.

“Not until I play,” Rodgers said. “There’s no point in extending my contract until I play.”

McCarthy to meet with QBs today

2008-08-12T21:05:00.000-07:00

McCarthy to meet with QBs today

The multi-award winning "All Pro Sports Football Series" ... featuring Brett Favre, Jerry Rice, Ronnie Lott, Reggie White, Jack Del Rio, Brent Jones, Jim Lachey, Eric Allen, Rodney Hampton, Jeff Gossett and Jeff Jaeger and Coach Don Shula ... narrated by Emmy Award winning Roy Firestone ... is available at http://www.allprosportsfootball.com and 1 888 79 FOOTBALL ...

the most innovative football ... see http://www.allprosportsfootball.com ... , basketball and automobile racing series ever produced for home entertainment featuring: eleven of the greatest NFL football players and the most successful coach in NFL history; five of the greatest NBA basketball players and one of the most successful coaches in NBA history; and six internationally recognized automobile racing champions ... . sharing their life stories and demonstrating their skills in a very entertaining setting of upbeat music, three dimensional digital graphics and action footage.

August 3, 2008

McCarthy to meet with QBs today

By Pete Dougherty
pdougher@greenbaypressgazette.com
Updated 10:50 P.M.
If all goes well in Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy’s meeting with Brett Favre on Monday, the quarterback competition can begin.
Favre arrived in Green Bay on Sunday night ready to play football, and the Packers appear open to changing course and holding a competition between him and Aaron Rodgers for the starting job, a source said Sunday.

McCarthy said he talked to Favre by phone on Sunday but will wait until meeting face to face with the quarterback before making a decision about an open competition.

McCarthy suggested Sunday night that after Favre wavered for most of the offseason about whether to return from retirement, he’s waiting for Favre to tell him in person that he’s fully committed to football before announcing an open competition.

“There’s been no promises,” McCarthy said after the team’s Family Night scrimmage at Lambeau Field. “There’s been indecision throughout Brett’s path back here to Green Bay. It’s important for us to sit down, communicate. There’s some things we need to go through and the information that comes out of that will be used to move forward in the decision.”

If McCarthy is satisfied with Favre’s answers and the job is opened as expected, the stalemate between Favre and the team will end. McCarthy is scheduled to address reporters at 8:15 p.m. Monday to announce whether there he will hold the open competition.

“This was the goal from Day 1, to play for the Packers,” a source close to Favre said on Sunday.

Provided the Packers don't alter course and trade Favre, the battle will draw enormous attention.

Favre, 38, has been the Packers' starting quarterback for the past 16 seasons and holds almost every major NFL passing record. Rodgers, 24, a first-round draft choice in 2005, is in his fourth season with the Packers but has never started a game.

But McCarthy and General Manager Ted Thompson apparently determined it was best to change their minds on the open competition and welcome back a revered player who, though he’s 38, is coming off a season in which he finished second in the voting for the NFL’s most valuable player award.

Thompson’s only other short-term alternatives are unappealing: Going through a tumultuous training camp with Favre at every practice getting little or no work behind Rodgers, or trading Favre to the only team he apparently was willing to join, bitter NFC North Division rival Minnesota.

McCarthy acknowledged that Favre’s return to camp will be disruptive, but he and Thompson have been preparing for that possibility ever since Favre sought reinstatement from the NFL’s reserve/retired list last Monday.

“This was not planned,” McCarthy said, “but you have to have a plan that has the ability to adjust. We’re doing that. Brett’s path here has been different, but he’s earned the right. He wants to play football, he should be allowed to play football, I don’t have any problem with that. But I just want to make sure he’s clear on the direction our football team has gone before we move forward.”

Mark Murphy, the Packers' president and chief executive officer, released a written statement earlier Sunday that suggested the change in course, however reluctant.

“Brett’s change of mind put us in a very difficult spot,” Murphy said in the statement. “We now will revise many actions and assumptions about our long-term future, all predicated on Brett’s decision last March to retire. As a result of his decision, we invested considerably in a new and different future without Brett, and we were obviously moving in that direction. That’s why this wasn’t easy. Having crossed the Rubicon once when Brett decided to retire, it’s very difficult to reorient our plans and cross it again in the opposite direction — but we’ll put this to our advantage.”

The source close to Favre said the quarterback is an excellent physical shape and will be ready to practice on Tuesday afternoon, when the Packers practice next. On Monday, Favre will have to pass a physical and a running test.

“That will be no problem,” the source said.

This summer, Favre didn’t work out with the personal trainer he'd used the previous three offseasons, and didn’t take part in any of the team’s offseason practices because he was retired.

But the source said that since late May, Favre was on a workout program similar to his offseason training of the early and mid-1990s, which consisted of extensive running of stadium steps, sprint work and lifting weights. He also added some of the core work from the past three years.

Favre also has been working with players from Oak Grove High School in Hattiesburg, Miss., three days a week since late May or early June. Those sessions were mostly throwing to receivers and running conditioning sprints.

Favre will have to rely heavily on his 17 years of NFL experience, because Rodgers has been working all offseason and in the first week of training camp as the starting quarterback.

“(Favre) probably did a little more throwing this offseason (than previous years),” the source said. “He started a little later, but you’ll see. He’s still got that arm. He even said he can still make all the throws.”

Until this potential end to the bitter stalemate, Favre had been pressing the Packers to allow him to compete for his old job or release him, while Thompson did all he could to convince Favre to remain retired because the Packers had committed to Rodgers as their quarterback.

Favre forced the issue by getting on a plane late Sunday afternoon with his wife, Deanna, and agent, Bus Cook, to travel to Green Bay to report for training camp. They landed in Green Bay shortly after 7 p.m. after a 2-hour, 18-minute flight from Hattiesburg.

Though Favre faxed his petition for reinstatement from the reserve/retired list last Monday, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell didn’t act on it all week because Favre and the Packers were negotiating a personal-services contract worth up to about $25 million over 10 years. But that deal would have included the expectation Favre stay retired, and after considering accepting the offer, Favre determined over the weekend he still wants to play.

Goodell reinstated Favre on Sunday and gave the Packers until noon today to put him on their roster, release him or trade him.

“(Favre) wanted to play more than anything,” the source said. “He couldn’t do that deal. He’d been working this long to come back, and that was his goal.”

In recent weeks, Thompson and McCarthy told Favre repeatedly he’d come in as a backup and wouldn’t be allowed to compete for the starting job because the Packers had taken major steps over the offseason to move on to Rodgers as their new quarterback.

But after Favre rejected the personal-services offer and pressed his return by flying to Green Bay on Sunday, Thompson and McCarthy reconsidered -- even though Murphy's statement said Favre had put club officials “in a very difficult spot.”

Thompson and McCarthy had been planning recently for the possibility Favre would return, so they might have determined this was the best course if Favre showed up.

Assuming there are no changes after Favre meets with McCarthy on Monday, the Packers will spend much of the next few weeks evaluating Favre and Rodgers in their battle for the starting job.

The imbroglio with Favre has been a public-relations nightmare for the Packers, especially after Favre revealed about a week ago that Thompson and McCarthy rebuffed his request to compete for his old job.

So the team recently sought help by hiring former White House spokesman Ari Fleisher as a consultant for the next month, McCarthy confirmed Sunday night. McCarthy brought Fleisher in as a guest speaker for the team last week.
If Favre’s arrival in Green Bay is any indication, his return will exponentially increase interest in the Packers’ training camp.

About 200 fans waving signs and chanting “We want Brett, we want Brett,” greeted him Sunday when his chartered flight arrived at Austin Straubel International Airport at 7:06 p.m. Sunday.

Favre waved to the crowd before getting into a car on the tarmac. He proceeded to Lambeau Field where he watched part of the team scrimmage.

Teammates 'moving forward' with Favre

2008-08-12T20:59:00.000-07:00

Teammates 'moving forward' with Favre

The multi-award winning "All Pro Sports Football Series" ... featuring Brett Favre, Jerry Rice, Ronnie Lott, Reggie White, Jack Del Rio, Brent Jones, Jim Lachey, Eric Allen, Rodney Hampton, Jeff Gossett and Jeff Jaeger and Coach Don Shula ... narrated by Emmy Award winning Roy Firestone ... is available at http://www.allprosportsfootball.com and 1 888 79 FOOTBALL ...

the most innovative football ... see http://www.allprosportsfootball.com ... , basketball and automobile racing series ever produced for home entertainment featuring: eleven of the greatest NFL football players and the most successful coach in NFL history; five of the greatest NBA basketball players and one of the most successful coaches in NBA history; and six internationally recognized automobile racing champions ... . sharing their life stories and demonstrating their skills in a very entertaining setting of upbeat music, three dimensional digital graphics and action footage.

August 3, 2008

Teammates 'moving forward' with Favre

By Tom Pelissero
tpelisse@greenbaypressgazette.com
Donald Driver got the text message from Brett Favre shortly before Sunday’s Family Night scrimmage: I’m on the plane, getting ready to come that way.
“I just started smiling,” Driver said. “Texted him back and started laughing. I said, ‘Will I see you tonight?’ He said, ‘Probably tomorrow.’”

Like everyone else in the locker room, Driver said he was taking a wait-and-see approach to what the legendary quarterback’s return means for the Green Bay Packers.

But Driver has spoken out as favorably as any player as Favre’s comeback has progressed — slowly — over the past month.

“I love him,” said Driver, who has made three Pro Bowls with Favre throwing him the ball.

“That’s one thing I’ve always said. We have a very, very close relationship, so it’s good to have a close friend around, and that’s the biggest thing to me. He knows that I love him. He loves me the same.”

Few other Packers have as tight of a relationship with Favre, who at 38 is at least a decade older than all but six players in the locker room. Coach Mike McCarthy noted last week that 21 percent of the roster never had met Favre; five of the 10 receivers on the roster and three of the five tight ends never have taken the field with him.

“Everyone back home’s saying, ‘Have you met Brett?’” rookie tight end Jermichael Finley said. “I’m like, ‘Nah, man. He hasn’t showed up.’ It’s going to be great to meet him.”

Driver said he doesn’t think pulling everyone together will be a problem.

“I don’t think we ever separated, and that’s the good thing,” Driver said. “I think we kept our chemistry together, and that’s what we wanted to be able to keep. And right now, it’s just moving forward, and that’s the good thing about us right now, is that we can just continue moving forward.”

That phrase — moving forward — has been used often by members of the organization when speaking about Aaron Rodgers taking over as the starting quarterback.

With Favre apparently on course to take the field for practice on Tuesday afternoon, the connotations have changed.

“The only person I really worry about is Aaron, and I think he’s handling it real well,” receiver James Jones said. “However they play it out, they play it out. Aaron’s a man. He’ll handle whatever situation. If he’s the starter, he’s going to handle that as the starter. Something comes up where Brett is the starter, then (Rodgers) will handle it that way. He’ll be fine.”

Green Bay Packers' Brett Favre debacle has morphed into a traveling circus

2008-08-12T19:29:00.000-07:00

Green Bay Packers' Brett Favre debacle has morphed into a traveling circus
The Wisconsin team just needs to trade Favre, 38, for as much as it can get. Remember what trading quarterback Drew Bledsoe did for the New England Patriots?

The multi-award winning "All Pro Sports Football Series" ... featuring Brett Favre, Jerry Rice, Ronnie Lott, Reggie White, Jack Del Rio, Brent Jones, Jim Lachey, Eric Allen, Rodney Hampton, Jeff Gossett and Jeff Jaeger and Coach Don Shula ... narrated by Emmy Award winning Roy Firestone ... is available at http://www.allprosportsfootball.com and 1 888 79 FOOTBALL ...

the most innovative football ... see http://www.allprosportsfootball.com ... , basketball and automobile racing series ever produced for home entertainment featuring: eleven of the greatest NFL football players and the most successful coach in NFL history; five of the greatest NBA basketball players and one of the most successful coaches in NBA history; and six internationally recognized automobile racing champions ... . sharing their life stories and demonstrating their skills in a very entertaining setting of upbeat music, three dimensional digital graphics and action footage.

http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-spw-favre1-2008aug01,0,2808679.story
From the Los Angeles Times
NFL

Green Bay Packers' Brett Favre debacle has morphed into a traveling circus
The Wisconsin team just needs to trade Favre, 38, for as much as it can get. Remember what trading quarterback Drew Bledsoe did for the New England Patriots?

By Sam Farmer
Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

12:06 PM PDT, July 31, 2008

The Green Bay Packers were determined not to let the Brett Favre fiasco become a distraction to their young team.

So much for their good intentions.

Not only has the situation become a circus, but a traveling one.

Instead of dealing from a position of strength, the Packers buckled. Three days into training camp, team president Mark Murphy flew to Mississippi to plead with the unretiring quarterback not to show up to practice. According to various reports, Murphy even offered Favre $20 million to hang it up for good.

Clearly, there are no easy answers. These are the decisions that define careers. But the Packers' brass should never have let it get this far, allowing this debacle to drift past Monday's start of training camp.

The difficulty is this: Once Favre is granted his reinstatement by the NFL, which could happen today, the Packers have 24 hours to decide whether to a) welcome him back to the team, b) trade him -- and Favre has the right to nix any deal -- or c) cut him loose. Forget the third option, because Green Bay has said it has no intention of letting him walk.

Rule out bringing him back, too. The Packers say they're moving forward with Aaron Rodgers as the leader of their offense. Sure, Favre is probably the better option to win games right away, but he's a short-term solution. At 38, he has one, maybe two seasons left. Bring him back and there's no way Rodgers doesn't bolt the first chance he gets -- which would be after the 2009 season.

Ted Thompson, Green Bay's beleaguered general manager, needs to give up the idea of trying to keep Favre out of the NFC North and instead trade him to Minnesota or Chicago for as much as he can get. Yes, there are Packers fans who will forever despise Thompson -- some already do -- but this situation has already forced fans to pick a side. Thompson needs to take a stand, end this, and move forward. With each passing hour, the Packers look weaker and less decisive.

There's talk in some circles that Favre would damage his legacy by playing for another franchise. Well, that legacy is already dented by the way he and his agent have jerked around the Packers to this point. It was dinged when he admitted he was miffed that the front office had ignored his instructions to interview Steve Mariucci or sign Randy Moss.

Favre was the quarterback, and a phenomenal one. But he wasn't the GM. Those decisions weren't his to make. He wasn't the Green Bay Packers, he was a part of the Green Bay Packers.

Now, Thompson is in an unenviable position, but not a unique one. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones was loathed by Dallas fans when he fired Tom Landry, but the team went on to win three more Super Bowls.

In San Diego, Chargers GM A.J. Smith fired Coach Marty Schottenheimer after a 14-2 season, having tired of winning a lot of games during the regular season only to gag when it really counted. In a move that at the time was a head-scratcher, Smith hired Norv Turner. In Turner's debut as Chargers coach last season, the team collected its first postseason victory since January 2005, and went on to reach the AFC championship game.

Everyone thought New England owner Robert Kraft was crazy for hiring Bill Belichick, whose 36-44 record as Cleveland's coach was as bland as his personality. Everyone knows how Kraft's decision turned out.

And here's a parallel to Green Bay's situation: In a risky move, the Patriots followed their first Super Bowl victory by trading quarterback Drew Bledsoe within the division, to Buffalo, for a first-round pick. New England cast its lot with Tom Brady, the out-of-nowhere phenom who stepped in for an injured Bledsoe the prior season and wound up hoisting the Lombardi Trophy.

Well, in the opening "Monday Night Football" game of the 2003 season, Bledsoe's second season in Buffalo, the Bills beat the Patriots, 31-0. (Perhaps coincidentally, the Packers play host to the Vikings in one of the two opening-week Monday night games.) In a twist of synchronicity, the Patriots ended that regular season with a 31-0 victory over Buffalo.

With Bledsoe -- a guy who seemed destined to spend his entire career with New England -- watching from afar, the Patriots somehow found the strength to go on. And they have the rings to prove it.

sam.farmer@latimes.com

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Q and A with NASCAR legend Richard Petty.Richard Petty talks about his start 50 years ago in NASCAR, what is better now, what is worse ...

2008-07-12T19:03:00.000-07:00

Q & A with NASCAR legend Richard Petty
Richard Petty talks about his start 50 years ago in NASCAR, what is better now, what is worse, and why he decided to sell control of his racing team.

the most innovative automobile racing series ever produced for home entertainment featuring six internationally recognized automobile racing championsL Richard Petty; Emerson Fittipaldi; Danny Sullivan; Lyn St. James; Ivan "Ironman" Stewart; and Johnny Rutherford sharing their life stories and demonstrating their driving skills and safe driving techniques and the wonder of classic automobiles in a very entertaining setting of upbeat music, three dimensional digital graphics and automobile racing action footage.

http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-petty12-2008jul12,0,7873336.story
From the Los Angeles Times
MOTOR RACING

Q & A with NASCAR legend Richard Petty
Richard Petty talks about his start 50 years ago in NASCAR, what is better now, what is worse, and why he decided to sell control of his racing team.

By Jim Peltz
Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

July 12, 2008

Before NASCAR became one of America's most popular sports with national expansion and Fortune 500 sponsors, stock-car racing for many fans boiled down to one driver: Richard Petty.

He's simply called "The King," owing to his 200 victories in a career that spanned from 1958 to 1992. It's a record unlikely to be broken because the sport is much more competitive today. No current driver has half that number of wins.

Petty recently turned 71, but he never seems to change much: Tall, lanky, with his signature cowboy hat, wrap-around sunglasses, ever-present grin and his unwavering willingness to sign autographs and pose for pictures with fans.

But much has changed. Petty and his family recently sold control of their team -- which struggled since Petty stopped driving -- to the investment firm Boston Ventures. Petty had little choice; he needed the cash to stay competitive in today's NASCAR.

Tonight, when the NASCAR Sprint Cup series races at Chicagoland Speedway, it will be 50 years since Petty's first race. Petty -- son of Lee Petty, one of NASCAR's early driving greats -- drove a 1957 Oldsmobile in NASCAR's old Convertible Division at Columbia (S.C.) Speedway. He finished sixth.

Petty recently spoke to The Times about that day and what has happened since:

Question: What do you remember about that first race?

Answer: It was Thursday night. The reason they run on Thursday night in South Carolina was they had an Army base down there and they paid [the soldiers] on Thursday night.

Q: Did you know you wanted to be a driver?

A: I knew I wanted to try. I'd never done it. I'd been going [to races] since I was 11 years old, so I knew how the program worked. I'd done everything there was as far as working on the car. We run the race and I told Dale [Inman, his cousin and future crew chief], "You know, I think I'm going to like this."

Q: Did you talk to your dad after the race?

A: I talked to him before. Basically he said, "Just don't drive over your head."

Q: NASCAR has changed so much since then. What's one change you like, one you don't like?

A: The big thing that's changed is there's a lot of money in it. The big thing I don't like is there's too much money in it.

Now it's so technical . . . the teams got so big. But it's a necessary evil; it needs to do that for us to grow. It couldn't stay like what it was 20 years ago or five years ago. It has to change to keep up with what the market wants to sell.

Q: What was it like before?

A: You lived off the purse. Sponsorship didn't come about until 1971-72. Up until that time you lived off what you made at the race track. We were the first ones to have a nationwide sponsor with STP.

Q: Skirmishes between drivers, on and off the track, are a big part of NASCAR's appeal today. How prevalent was it in your day?

A: There's not near as much of it goes on now as what used to go on. The [TV] cameras are catching it now. There wouldn't have been enough cameras [before].

Over a period of time society's kind of cleaned it up. Instead of having 5,000 people [attend a race] we've got 105,000 [and] the big deal is sponsors. You can't have a sponsor and then be hitting somebody with a jackhammer or something.

Q: But you always seemed to keep smiling after a race no matter the outcome. How did you handle disputes with other drivers?

A: If I had a problem with you, I come and said something about it and I walked off. That was it. I wasn't there for you to make an excuse or for me to make an excuse. I got it off my mind and the party was over.

Q: If you were in your 20s again, do you think you'd be successful as a driver in today's NASCAR?

A: It's hard to say; too hypothetical to even go there.

Q: It's been estimated that you've signed more than 1 million autographs over your career. True?

A: I don't know if I've signed that many. I've signed a bunch.

Q: Why is that important to you?

A: When I first went to the races, they might have 4,000 seats and when the race was over there might be 100, 150 [people] come down, so you signed autographs.

You didn't have a sponsor or nothing, and they bought the tickets. If they didn't buy a ticket, this guy who runs the track ain't gonna pay me because he's got no money. The fans give it to the promoter, and then the promoter gives it to me. These people walking around are the ones who pay the bills. Even if you've got a sponsor, [the fans] still got to buy your product or they don't sponsor. Fans make it work.

Q: Your team struggled for years before selling to Boston Ventures. Why did you wait until now?

A: Stubbornness, I guess. We stayed in the same shop for 60 years. One of them deals where eventually you get hit upside the head enough times you finally feel it.

We played with this for the last five or six years, talked to a lot of people. We thought the Boston Ventures was the best fit of any that had come down the pike.

Q: You've said you'll stay involved in the team. What does that mean?

A: As long as it's got that [Petty] name on it, I'm going to be involved. Now if we change it to Joe Blow, I'm liable to say, "See ya'll, guys."

james.peltz@latimes.com

TONIGHT'S RACE
* LifeLock.com 400, 5 p.m., TNT

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Brett Favre wants to come back. Quarterback asks for release, putting the Packers in a no-win situation.

2008-07-12T18:58:00.000-07:00

Brett Favre wants to come back
Quarterback asks for release, putting the Packers in a no-win situation.

The multi-award winning "All Pro Sports Football Series" ... featuring Brett Favre, Jerry Rice, Ronnie Lott, Reggie White, Jack Del Rio, Brent Jones, Jim Lachey, Eric Allen, Rodney Hampton, Jeff Gossett and Jeff Jaeger and Coach Don Shula ... narrated by Emmy Award winning Roy Firestone ... is available at http://www.allprosportsfootball.com and 1 888 79 FOOTBALL ...

the most innovative football ... see http://www.allprosportsfootball.com ... , basketball and automobile racing series ever produced for home entertainment featuring: eleven of the greatest NFL football players and the most successful coach in NFL history; five of the greatest NBA basketball players and one of the most successful coaches in NBA history; and six internationally recognized automobile racing champions ... . sharing their life stories and demonstrating their skills in a very entertaining setting of upbeat music, three dimensional digital graphics and action footage.

http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-farmer12-2008jul12,0,2370627.story
From the Los Angeles Times

SAM FARMER / ON THE NFL

Brett Favre wants to come back
Quarterback asks for release, putting the Packers in a no-win situation.

By Sam Farmer
ON THE NFL

July 12, 2008

Brett Favre probably will play football this fall, but it won't be for the Green Bay Packers.

It will be for the Baltimore Ravens, or the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, or maybe even the hated rival Minnesota Vikings.

Favre asked Friday for his unconditional release from Green Bay and the team's response said it all. Like a bride at the altar with a new husband, the Packers have moved on.

"The finality of his decision to retire was accepted by the organization," the club said in a statement. "At that point, the Green Bay Packers made the commitment to move forward with our football team. . . .

"As with all Packers greats, Brett's legacy will always be celebrated by our fans and the organization, regardless of any change in his personal intentions."

Friday's development, first aired by ESPN, came three months after The Times reported Favre's agent, Bus Cook, was checking around with other teams about their interest in trading for the player.

At the time, Cook called that story "absolutely false."

But what Cook was telling teams was this: Brett still wants to play. He was disappointed that the Packers didn't make a bigger effort to talk him out of retiring, especially after his terrific performance last season, and he was frustrated the Packers didn't try to sign All-Pro receiver Randy Moss -- also a client of Cook's -- when they twice had the chance.

So what happens now?

The Packers have several options, none of them appetizing.

They can bring Favre back, but that would mean derailing the Aaron Rodgers era -- and just try re-signing Rodgers when he becomes a free agent after the 2009 season -- and paying Favre his entire $12-million salary, even if they were to release him after one day of training camp. The prospect of Favre backing up Rodgers is unthinkable.

The Packers can grant Favre's request and release him, knowing that might mean they'll face him twice a season as a member of the Vikings or Chicago Bears.

With a running back like Adrian Peterson, and a defense bolstered by the addition of Jared Allen, the Vikings are a lot of people's Super Bowl team, anyway. Replace young quarterback Tarvaris Jackson with Favre, and Minnesota would have a dream team of talent.

A couple things to consider, though: The Vikings have only about $5 million in salary cap space -- and that's without signing their draft picks -- and Jackson had an outstanding off-season. That said, the franchise probably would do whatever was necessary to sign Favre if he were on the open market.

Surely, the Packers want value in the form of draft picks for Favre and don't want to see him playing for an NFC North rival. The two most obvious landing spots are Tampa Bay and Baltimore.

Buccaneers Coach Jon Gruden, who has a history of stockpiling quarterbacks and loves veterans and star players, is a huge admirer of Favre and coached him as an assistant in Green Bay. Tampa Bay has the cap room to sign Favre, a modified West Coast offense that fits him, and it's geographically desirable for a quarterback whose family lives in Mississippi.

The Ravens would be a logical fit for Favre too, because they're an AFC team, they're coming off the retirement of Steve McNair, and they're looking to groom first-round pick Joe Flacco. Favre could be an ideal mentor for him, far better than the current Kyle Boller or Troy Smith.

There is always a chance Favre and the Packers could somehow hash out their differences and find a way for him to finish his career in Green Bay. But, as training camp nears, that's becoming less likely by the day.

Although no one knows just where No. 4 will be taking snaps in September, Favre and Green Bay now find themselves miles apart philosophically, yet sharing the same ZIP code.

In Splitsville.

sam.farmer@latimes.com

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Brett Favre's No. 4 will be retired at the Packers season opener Sept. 8 against the Minnesota Vikings.

2008-04-18T17:09:00.000-07:00

"It's hard to say goodbye."

2008-03-13T17:51:00.000-07:00

Legislature passes resolution honoring Favre

The multi-award winning "All Pro Sports Football Series" ... featuring Brett Favre, Jerry Rice, Ronnie Lott, Reggie White, Jack Del Rio, Brent Jones, Jim Lachey, Eric Allen, Rodney Hampton, Jeff Gossett and Jeff Jaeger and Coach Don Shula ... narrated by Emmy Award winning Roy Firestone ... is available at http://www.allprosportsfootball.com and 1 888 79 FOOTBALL ...

the most innovative football ... see http://www.allprosportsfootball.com ... , basketball and automobile racing series ever produced for home entertainment featuring: eleven of the greatest NFL football players and the most successful coach in NFL history; five of the greatest NBA basketball players and one of the most successful coaches in NBA history; and six internationally recognized automobile racing champions ... . sharing their life stories and demonstrating their skills in a very entertaining setting of upbeat music, three dimensional digital graphics and action footage.

Legislature passes resolution honoring Favre

Bill commends charity work, career
By TODD RICHMOND
The Associated Press March 12, 2008
MADISON — The state Legislature officially bid farewell to Brett Favre on Tuesday, passing a resolution honoring the former Green Bay Packers quarterback and the NFL's only three-time most valuable player.

The resolution honors Favre for leading the Packers to a victory in Super Bowl XXXI and breaking the league records for passing touchdowns, completions, attempts and quarterback victories.

"Brett Favre's legacy will live on beyond his many impressive records and statistics, as his leadership and love of football embody the heart of America's favorite game, earning him the respect and admiration of his fellow players, coaches and fans," the resolution said.

The resolution also commends Favre for his charity work through the Favre Fourward Foundation, which he set up in 1996 to help poor and disabled children in Wisconsin and Mississippi, Favre's home state. It also mentions the Deanna Favre Hope Foundation, which his wife created to help women fight breast cancer.

Both the state Assembly and Senate adopted the resolution on unanimous voice votes. Favre did not attend either proceeding.

Rep. Phil Montgomery, R-Ashwaubenon, was the resolution's chief sponsor in the Assembly. Montgomery praised Favre for getting the Packers in the playoffs repeatedly and providing an economic boom to the state. Some Republicans in the chamber applauded that remark.

Montgomery told the chamber he met Deanna Favre for the first time in 1998, when he was going door-to-door campaigning.

He came to the Favres' home, but no one answered the door. He left a brochure and was turning around to leave when he saw Deanna Favre come out to get the garbage cans.

He introduced himself as a candidate for the state Assembly, but she told him "'No, thank you. I vote in Mississippi,'" Montgomery said, imitating her southern drawl.

The lawmaker said he met Brett Favre during a push for a referendum for public money for Lambeau Field renovations. Favre would go to high school football games and hand out leaflets about the renovations and signed autographs on "everything" people gave him, he said.

"They (the Favres) will be tremendously missed, not only in my community but throughout the state," Montgomery said.

Favre: It was a perfect fit

2008-03-09T16:36:00.000-07:00

Brett Favre Retirement Press Conference: March 6, 2008

Favre: It was a perfect fit

The multi-award winning "All Pro Sports Football Series" ... featuring Brett Favre, Jerry Rice, Ronnie Lott, Reggie White, Jack Del Rio, Brent Jones, Jim Lachey, Eric Allen, Rodney Hampton, Jeff Gossett and Jeff Jaeger and Coach Don Shula ... narrated by Emmy Award winning Roy Firestone ... is available at http://www.allprosportsfootball.com and 1 888 79 FOOTBALL ...

the most innovative football ... see http://www.allprosportsfootball.com ... , basketball and automobile racing series ever produced for home entertainment featuring: eleven of the greatest NFL football players and the most successful coach in NFL history; five of the greatest NBA basketball players and one of the most successful coaches in NBA history; and six internationally recognized automobile racing champions ... . sharing their life stories and demonstrating their skills in a very entertaining setting of upbeat music, three dimensional digital graphics and action footage.

Quarterback revitalized team; united fans, Green Bay, state
By Tony Walter
twalter@greenbaypressgazette.com March 9, 2008
The reaction to Brett Favre's retirement this week was final proof that the union of a Midwestern community and a southern Mississippi athlete had become more than a marriage of convenience.

It was a sports phenomenon.When a Green Bay Packers quarterback announces that he will end his playing career after 16 seasons with the team and many of his devotees respond with tears, it is obvious that new ground has been broken in a region that has made professional football part of its identity, and Favre part of its family.

"Green Bay became cool again because of him," said Kevin Quinn, St. Norbert College associate professor of economics.

But it was more than that.

Winning was a major ingredient to Favre's popularity, particularly when his arrival and eventual success ended the two-decade Packers existence in the NFL wilderness. So was his support of charities, one of the ways he gave back to a community that provided his riches.

But it was still more than that.

Other quarterbacks have been winners, and other football players have done community service. But none seemed to capture such national attention when he retired, and it's hard to find a player who resonated with a community of fans as well as Favre did.

Favre's success led to economic success for many.

"When you consider that Brett's play translated to victories and more playoff games, that put money in the coffers," said former Green Bay Mayor Paul Jadin, now president of the Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce. "He was a significant part of the economy here."

Bruce Hawley turned Tanner's Grill & Bar in Kimberly into a sports bar in 1992, the same year Favre was traded to the Packers.

"The fact that he was here definitely helped our business," Hawley said. "We rode that wave up."

Without Favre, there might not have been any Super Bowls for the Packers in the '90s, and that would have had an impact on the Brown County referendum seeking a sales-tax hike to renovate Lambeau Field in 2000.

But voters agreed to fund the renovation and Lambeau Field became The House That Favre Built. The team's following swelled too, with the waiting list for season tickets increasing from 12,000 in 1992 to about 78,000 today.

The team's exposure exploded on the national scene, with Favre's No. 4 jersey becoming the top-selling NFL jersey of all-time, according to NFL Properties. The Packers were chosen for more nationally televised games as Favre's fame grew.

The Wisconsin Department of Tourism benefited.

"Brett Favre and the legendary Green Bay Packers are a part of what Wisconsin is all about," said Sarah Klavas, director of integrated communications and marketing for the department. "He helped put Wisconsin on the national tourism map and gave us many reasons to roll out the green and gold carpet for fans from other states."

But the Favre phenomenon was even more than that, and it was Favre who put his finger on it at the news conference to announce his retirement on Thursday.

When asked to explain his unique relationship with fans, he said: "If I had to guess, I would say, and I hear this from time to time, he's like one of us. Well, I am. I just play professional football. …

"When I laughed and when my family laughed, they (fans) laughed. When I cried, they cried. When I cheered, they cheered … it was a perfect fit for me."

It was a fit that didn't go unnoticed here.

"From Brett's perspective, rural Mississippi was like rural Wisconsin, except for the crops, the accents and the poisonous snakes," said Kelly Wolff, vice president of Georgia-Pacific Corp. in Green Bay. "He was treated as if he lived in the same community. That's why it's like we've lost our community high school's athletic star."

Favre's personality played well here — the playfulness and the resistance to stardom's trappings.

"You can find gifted athletes in a lot of different sports," said Susan Finco, who runs a Green Bay public relations firm and is a member of the board of directors of the Green Bay Packers.

"But it's hard for them to relate and be one of the regular Joes. They (fans) feel Favre is one of them and say 'come over and sit in the backyard and look at the lawn mower I bought.' He's a star but he has never lived or acted in a way people usually attribute to stars. People have grown up with him."

That growth included speed bumps both on the field and off. There were interceptions that had many grinding their teeth, and there was the addiction to a painkiller that reminded everyone of Favre's vulnerability.

Quinn said Favre's fame reminded him of golfer Arnold Palmer, who was known for his skills but also for his charisma that included taking chances, and sometimes failing.

"Everyone in the country has some sense of ownership with him because of that," Quinn said.

Favre also went through family tragedies and illnesses that gave him an "everyman" quality, showing that he was hardly exempt from life's problems just because he could throw a football. The death of his father and brother-in-law as well as his wife's battle against breast cancer gave the Packers community reasons to wrap its arms around Favre.

Favre's commitment to his job and his toughness earned him the respect of everyone in this blue-collar community — from management to laborers. People here believe in a strong work ethic and like to be associated with a quarterback who starts 253 consecutive regular-season games and gave each play his all.

"I never took a play off," he said Thursday.

Carol Denil, a former Green Bay resident now living in Boulder City, Nev., said Favre will forever be connected to Green Bay and Lambeau Field.

"His name is synonymous with Green Bay," she wrote in an e-mail. "No matter where we've been with our Packer hats, jackets, T-shirts or sweatshirts, we are greeted with 'Hey, go Green Bay and Brett Favre.'"

Favre rules out return to football

2008-03-09T16:34:00.000-07:00

Favre rules out return to football

The multi-award winning "All Pro Sports Football Series" ... featuring Brett Favre, Jerry Rice, Ronnie Lott, Reggie White, Jack Del Rio, Brent Jones, Jim Lachey, Eric Allen, Rodney Hampton, Jeff Gossett and Jeff Jaeger and Coach Don Shula ... narrated by Emmy Award winning Roy Firestone ... is available at http://www.allprosportsfootball.com and 1 888 79 FOOTBALL ...

the most innovative football ... see http://www.allprosportsfootball.com ... , basketball and automobile racing series ever produced for home entertainment featuring: eleven of the greatest NFL football players and the most successful coach in NFL history; five of the greatest NBA basketball players and one of the most successful coaches in NBA history; and six internationally recognized automobile racing champions ... . sharing their life stories and demonstrating their skills in a very entertaining setting of upbeat music, three dimensional digital graphics and action footage.

http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-favre7mar07,0,5235848.story
From the Los Angeles Times

Favre rules out return to football

From the Associated Press

11:19 AM PST, March 6, 2008

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Brett Favre made it clear today that he's finished with football.

"I know I can play but I don't think I want to," a teary Favre said in a news conference at Lambeau Field two days after he announced his retirement. "It's been a great career for me, but it's over."

"As they say, all good things must come to an end. I look forward to whatever the future may hold for me."

With that, Favre walked away from a 17-year NFL career, taking with him a Super Bowl victory, virtually every quarterback record worth having and the widespread admiration of his peers and fans.

The 38-year-old Favre also leaves with graying hair and a deliberate gait -- signs that the years were quietly taking a toll on the man who was celebrated for playing a serious and precise game with the carefree joy of a little boy.

He cried this morning as he discussed his decision.

"I promised I wouldn't get emotional," he said. But as the tears flowed, he added, "I've watched hundreds of players retire and you wonder what that would be like. You think you're prepared ..."

Favre thanked the Green Bay Packers for letting him play.

"I hope that with every penny they've spent on me, they know it was money well spent," he said. "It wasn't about the money or fame or records. I hear people talk about your accomplishments and things. It was never my accomplishments, it was our accomplishments."

Favre is the NFL's only three-time MVP, and leads the league with 442 touchdown passes, 61,655 yards passing and 160 career victories. He started 253 consecutive regular-season games, more than any other quarterback in history.

Favre also holds the more dubious mark of 288 interceptions -- an indication of the wild streak that only made him more human to the fans who adored him.

The same was true of Favre's highly publicized struggles with an addiction to prescription painkillers, his support of his wife, Deanna, through a battle with breast cancer, and a memorable Monday night game against Oakland after he lost his father.

Favre's exit comes after a remarkable 2007 season, but his final pass was one to forget: An interception in overtime of the NFC championship game, a mistake that set up the New York Giants' field goal that sent the Packers home instead of to the Super Bowl.

Most folks figured Favre couldn't exit the stage that way, especially when he had at least one more good year left in him.

But barring a change of heart in the upcoming weeks, months or years, the final chapter in his storied football career began Monday night.

Favre called Packers coach Mike McCarthy and told him he planned to retire, then finalized his decision in a conversation with Packers general manager Ted Thompson on Tuesday morning.

But until today's news conference, Favre hadn't explained his decision to his fans. His only public comment was a short voicemail to an ESPN reporter in which he cited fatigue as the main reason for his retirement. Sure, he said, he could come back. But anything less than a Super Bowl victory would be considered a failure.

Favre said today there was nothing left to prove.

"I'm going out on top," he said. "Believe me, I could care less what other people think. It's what I think, and I'm going out on top."

Favre's retirement came as a surprise to Packers executives, coaches and teammates, virtually all of whom expected him to return. And it was a shock to fans who sat patiently, year after year, while Favre flirted openly with retirement -- because, of course, he never really meant it.

To a generation of fans who watched Favre start every game since taking over as the Packers' starting quarterback during the 1992 season, it didn't make sense. He wouldn't just decide he was too tired to play and walk away.

Would he?

Recent comments by Favre's agent, Bus Cook, stirred suspicions about the "real" reason Favre was retiring.

Had the Packers' front office not done enough to talk him into coming back?

Was Favre's retirement a knee-jerk reaction to the fact that wide receiver Randy Moss, a player Favre lobbied the Packers to sign a year ago, had re-signed with the New England Patriots without an apparent effort from the Packers?

Favre's comments today indicated the decision was much simpler.

"I did it, but it got hard," he said. "I don't think it would get easier next year or the following year. It hasn't up until this point. It's only gotten tougher and something told me 'You know it's gotten too hard for you.' I could probably come back and do it. Suck it up. But what kind of a toll would that take on me, my family or my teammates? At some point it would affect one of those if not all of them. Maybe it has already. I don't know."

Some who know Favre have doubts that he will be able to spend Sundays on the couch when he still has the ability to play.

"As the season gets closer, I wouldn't be surprised at all if he changes his mind," Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman said.

A bearded Favre said today he had no definite plans for the future and did not know whether he would be involved in football or with the Packers.

"I don't even want to think about next year," he said. "Will I watch games? I'm sure I will. Will I be involved? I always made the joke I'd be here for an honorary coin toss. Well, that time may come, so I may be back for something like that. But as far as giving advice, I don't think that will happen."

Packers chairman emeritus Bob Harlan said it would be a shame to see Favre try a halfhearted comeback, as late Packers defensive end Reggie White did with Carolina in 2000.

"I've always felt badly that Reggie came back and played that year at Carolina because he wasn't the same Reggie White," Harlan said. "And I think it'd be very sad to see that this wasn't the same Brett Favre. He has been so magnificent. He went out on top: great season, great team record. It's a great way for him to exit and add to his legacy."

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Tired' Brett Favre Ends Dazzling Career

2008-03-09T16:30:00.000-07:00

Tired' Brett Favre Ends Dazzling Career

The multi-award winning "All Pro Sports Football Series" ... featuring Brett Favre, Jerry Rice, Ronnie Lott, Reggie White, Jack Del Rio, Brent Jones, Jim Lachey, Eric Allen, Rodney Hampton, Jeff Gossett and Jeff Jaeger and Coach Don Shula ... narrated by Emmy Award winning Roy Firestone ... is available at http://www.allprosportsfootball.com and 1 888 79 FOOTBALL ...

the most innovative football ... see http://www.allprosportsfootball.com ... , basketball and automobile racing series ever produced for home entertainment featuring: eleven of the greatest NFL football players and the most successful coach in NFL history; five of the greatest NBA basketball players and one of the most successful coaches in NBA history; and six internationally recognized automobile racing champions ... . sharing their life stories and demonstrating their skills in a very entertaining setting of upbeat music, three dimensional digital graphics and action footage.

Tired' Brett Favre Ends Dazzling Career

By CHRIS JENKINS
AP Sports Writer

1:34 AM PST, March 5, 2008

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Another Super Bowl, another record, another roar from the crowd -- none of it was enough. Brett Favre couldn't stomach the thought of forcing his battered body and mind through another year of tedious practices and merciless hits, only to have another chance at a championship yanked away in an instant. So the 38-year-old icon turned his back on a promising young team Tuesday, telling the Green Bay Packers he finally is tired enough to retire.

"I know I can still play, but it's like I told my wife, I'm just tired mentally," Favre told ESPN. "I'm just tired."

With that, Favre walked away from a wild 17-year ride marked by fist-pumping highs and head-shaking lows owning every quarterback record worth having.

But he's leaving on a sour note: His interception in overtime of the NFC Championship game, a mistake that set up the New York Giants' field goal that sent the Packers home instead of to the Super Bowl.

And he leaves most folks feeling he had at least another good year left in him.

"I think he could have played again at the level that he just played this past season," Packers coach Mike McCarthy said. "The film reflects that. The statistics reflect that. I thought he played at a very high level this year and definitely had a lot left in his tank."

This certainly isn't Favre's first flirtation with retirement. He's made speculation about his football future an annual rite of winter in Wisconsin for several years running.

So is Favre just crying wolf, only to get the itch to return this summer?

"He seemed to be pretty good, at peace with his decision," Packers general manager Ted Thompson said. "But as I've also said, it's a very complicated decision process that he has go to through on this. I guess you never say never, but I wouldn't anticipate that."

Favre talked to McCarthy by telephone twice Monday night, indicating he intended to retire, then spoke to Thompson to finalize his decision Tuesday morning. Word then leaked out via a Fox Sports report, leading to widespread speculation about the reason for Favre's decision.

Thompson and McCarthy insisted it was clear the team wanted Favre back.

However, Favre's agent, Bus Cook, said: "Nobody pushed Brett Favre out the door, but then nobody encouraged him not to go out that door, either." He spoke to the AP by phone from his Hattiesburg, Miss., office.

The Packers also said their lack of interest in wide receiver Randy Moss -- a player Favre publicly lobbied the Packers to sign last offseason but who re-signed with the New England Patriots -- wasn't a factor.

Thompson and McCarthy spoke at a news conference Tuesday afternoon, but the team has not said when Favre will address reporters.

Favre accompanied his youngest daughter on a field trip to Jackson, Miss., according to a woman who identified herself as someone who works for Favre. She spoke to an Associated Press reporter through a security intercom.

"I know the fans are absolutely devastated today," Thompson said. "The Packers will move forward, but certainly we have all been blessed to see this man play this game the way he played it."

The three-time MVP walks away with most of the NFL's significant passing records -- most career touchdown passes, most career yards passing and most career victories by a starting quarterback -- and a victory in the 1997 Super Bowl.

Favre retires with 5,377 career completions in 8,758 attempts, with 61,655 yards and 442 touchdowns. He 160 career victories.

He also holds the more dubious mark of 288 interceptions.

"Brett's career accomplishments will be measured among the greats of the game for the balance of time," said Seattle Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren, Favre's former coach in Green Bay. "He truly was as gifted a player as I have ever seen, and as proud and amazed as I am of what Brett has accomplished on the playing field. The thing that impresses me the most is what kind of a man and leader he has become off the field since I have known him."

But perhaps Favre's most telling legacy will be his quarterback-record streak of 253 consecutive regular-season starts -- illustrating his trademark toughness. Add in the playoffs, and Favre's streak stands at 275.

"Of all the records he holds, and he holds some magnificent records, the one that impresses me the most is he was there every single Sunday to play," Packers chairman emeritus Bob Harlan said. "I think that's huge."

And it made his departure all the more surprising.

"I was surprised when I heard it this morning," former Packers general manager Ron Wolf said. "He played with such a great passion. He must have figured he no longer had that passion, and it was time to get out."

Even Favre's teammates didn't see it coming.

"He played at such a high level this year, I think everybody to a man thought he was coming back," McCarthy said.

Former Packers coach Mike Sherman, now the head coach at Texas A&M, said he always figured Favre would go out with more fanfare.

"I always envisioned his teammates carrying him off the field, Sherman said, "and his arm falling off as he left."

___

Associated Press Writer Ron Harrist in Jackson, Miss. and sports writers Arnie Stapleton in Denver, John Wawrow in Buffalo, N.Y., and Brett Martel in Hattiesburg, Miss., contributed to this report.

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Face time Everyone knows about Brett Favre, but the rest of the unknown Green Bay Packers have introduced themselves to the country with their stella

2008-01-20T12:41:00.000-08:00

Face time Everyone knows about Brett Favre, but the rest of the unknown Green Bay Packers have introduced themselves to the country with their stellar play this season

The multi-award winning "All Pro Sports Football Series" ... featuring Brett Favre, Jerry Rice, Ronnie Lott, Reggie White, Jack Del Rio, Brent Jones, Jim Lachey, Eric Allen, Rodney Hampton, Jeff Gossett and Jeff Jaeger and Coach Don Shula ... narrated by Emmy Award winning Roy Firestone ... is available at http://www.allprosportsfootball.com and 1 888 79 FOOTBALL ...

the most innovative football ... see http://www.allprosportsfootball.com ... , basketball and automobile racing series ever produced for home entertainment featuring: eleven of the greatest NFL football players and the most successful coach in NFL history; five of the greatest NBA basketball players and one of the most successful coaches in NBA history; and six internationally recognized automobile racing champions ... . sharing their life stories and demonstrating their skills in a very entertaining setting of upbeat music, three dimensional digital graphics and action footage.

http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-nflcol18jan18,1,799066.story?coll=la-headlines-sports
From the Los Angeles Times
SAM FARMER / ON THE NFL

Face time
Everyone knows about Brett Favre, but the rest of the unknown Green Bay Packers have introduced themselves to the country with their stellar play this season

January 18, 2008

Quick quiz: Name two Green Bay Packers.

There's Brett Favre, of course, then . . .

Yes, Packers fans can rattle off most of the roster, but much of the country would be hard pressed to name many current players beyond the team's future Hall of Fame quarterback.

No team has come further than the Packers this season, going from a 75-to-1 shot to win the Super Bowl to a team that lived and died by the pass to a well-balanced winning machine, one that will play host to the New York Giants on Sunday in the NFC championship game.

For the second consecutive season, 38-year-old Favre is the quarterback of the youngest team in the NFL. But instead of frustrating him, this year's infusion of youth has reinvigorated him. Sometimes, he has to remind himself that he's been around as long as he has.

"I was getting some treatment yesterday, and James Jones was getting some treatment beside me," he said, referring to the rookie receiver. "And he asked me, 'So how many championship games is this you played in?' I said, 'This will be three.' "

But the trainer was quick to inform Favre he was one off; in fact, it's his fourth championship game. It's easy to understand how the quarterback might be losing track of time. He is having more fun this season than he's had in years.

So many Packers have made big strides over the last three months. There's the rise of running back Ryan Grant, who rushed for 201 yards and three touchdowns in last weekend's victory over Seattle.

Then there's receiver Greg Jennings, who overcame the ankle injury that slowed him last season to emerge as one of the league's best -- and most unheralded -- deep threats.

From the ability of tight end Donald Lee to stretch the field, to the reliability of rookie kicker Mason Crosby, to the toughness of safety Atari Bigby, to the tackling of linebacker Nick Barnett, the Packers are the most unheralded team in the league. Defensive end Aaron Kampman, who led the NFC in sacks in 2006, had a dozen this season. Yet even Packers fans would have a tough time picking him out of a crowd.

For that matter, Coach Mike McCarthy could probably walk unnoticed down any street in America.

The way the Packers have been playing lately, however, their anonymity might not last long.

Some people think the San Diego Chargers have almost no chance to upset the New England Patriots in Foxborough. Those people are flat wrong.

Far worse teams -- namely Philadelphia and Baltimore -- have given New England all it could handle this season. And San Diego is a much different team in terms of confidence and chemistry than it was when it was blown out at Gillette Stadium in Week 2.

But there's no catching these Patriots off guard. Maybe the most impressive thing about their so-far perfect season is the players' ability to focus on the task at hand. To go that many games without a major mental letdown is remarkable, and the hallmark of a team loaded with veteran leadership.

All the talk this week has been about the health of San Diego's offensive stars. Philip Rivers, LaDainian Tomlinson and Antonio Gates are in various states of disrepair, and those are significant issues. But the Chargers have shown they can move the ball with or without them, and New England's defense has not been as dominating as the season has progressed.

This game will hinge on turnovers -- San Diego led the league this season with a plus-24 turnover differential -- and how much pressure the Chargers can put on Tom Brady, while covering the Patriots' array of offensive weapons, particularly slot receiver Wes Welker and running back Kevin Faulk.

Just blanketing the receivers won't get the job done. Jacksonville tried that and it didn't work. The Jaguars devoted a lot of bodies to coverage, almost never blitzed, and gave Brady what felt like an eternity to pick them apart. When they finally did try a blitz, Brady spotted it and threw over the top to Donte Stallworth for one of the few big gains of the game. In the end, Brady wound up setting an all-time playoff record for completion percentage.

"They do struggle when [Brady] takes a lot of hits back there; he hasn't taken many this year," Chargers cornerback Drayton Florence said. "I think that's key: Getting to Brady, make him throw the ball quick, make him not be able to read the field as quickly as he'd like to to Wes Welker over the middle, and Stallworth and [Randy] Moss on the outside."

That requires San Diego to mix in lots of different defensive formations, and for players to do the best they can to disguise what they're doing until the ball is snapped. No quarterback is better than Brady at sniffing out a defensive scheme and reacting to it. That, coupled with the airtight pocket his offensive line provides, makes it seem like he's playing a leisurely game of backyard catch.

"We definitely are going to bang him up a bit and try to slow him up so he doesn't get to make those quick decisions," said Chargers safety Clinton Hart.

Because really, San Diego would love to give Brady all the time he wants.

Ideally for them, the whole off-season.

sam.farmer@latimes.com

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Favre named USSA male athlete of year

2007-12-26T17:05:00.000-08:00

Favre named USSA male athlete of year

The multi-award winning "All Pro Sports Football Series" ... featuring Brett Favre, Jerry Rice, Ronnie Lott, Reggie White, Jack Del Rio, Brent Jones, Jim Lachey, Eric Allen, Rodney Hampton, Jeff Gossett and Jeff Jaeger and Coach Don Shula ... narrated by Emmy Award winning Roy Firestone ... is available at http://www.allprosportsfootball.com and 1 888 79 FOOTBALL ...

the most innovative football ... see http://www.allprosportsfootball.com ... , basketball and automobile racing series ever produced for home entertainment featuring: eleven of the greatest NFL football players and the most successful coach in NFL history; five of the greatest NBA basketball players and one of the most successful coaches in NBA history; and six internationally recognized automobile racing champions ... . sharing their life stories and demonstrating their skills in a very entertaining setting of upbeat music, three dimensional digital graphics and action footage.
posted by Packersnews Blogs at 10:22 AM 12/26/07 | 0 comments

Favre named USSA male athlete of year

Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre has been named the 2007 male athlete of the year by the United States Sports Academy.

The Academy Athlete of the Year is presented by msnbc.com and USATODAY.com and is the culmination of the yearlong Athlete of the Month program, which recognizes the accomplishments of men and women in sports around the globe.

In his 16th season with the Packers, Favre was named to his ninth Pro Bowl last week and has broken numerous records this season. He has thrown for more touchdown passes and more yards than anyone else at quarterback. He also has more victories at quarterback than anyone else.

Belgian tennis star Justin Henin was named the female athlete of the year.

Voting was online from Dec. 1-25. Golfer Tiger Woods finished second to Favre; New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady finished in third place. For the women, tennis star Venus Williams took second, just ahead of swimmer Natalie Coughlin.

-- Julie Riebe, jriebe@greenbaypressgazette.com

Favre Receives Most Fan Votes For 2008 NFL Pro Bowl

2007-12-18T17:09:00.000-08:00

Favre Receives Most Fan Votes For 2008 NFL Pro Bowl

The multi-award winning "All Pro Sports Football Series" ... featuring Brett Favre, Jerry Rice, Ronnie Lott, Reggie White, Jack Del Rio, Brent Jones, Jim Lachey, Eric Allen, Rodney Hampton, Jeff Gossett and Jeff Jaeger and Coach Don Shula ... narrated by Emmy Award winning Roy Firestone ... is available at http://www.allprosportsfootball.com and 1 888 79 FOOTBALL ...

the most innovative football ... see http://www.allprosportsfootball.com ... , basketball and automobile racing series ever produced for home entertainment featuring: eleven of the greatest NFL football players and the most successful coach in NFL history; five of the greatest NBA basketball players and one of the most successful coaches in NBA history; and six internationally recognized automobile racing champions ... . sharing their life stories and demonstrating their skills in a very entertaining setting of upbeat music, three dimensional digital graphics and action footage.

Favre Receives Most Fan Votes For 2008 NFL Pro Bowl

www.packers.com

Original URL:
http://www.packers.com/news/releases/2007/12/13/1/

Favre Receives Most Fan Votes For 2008 NFL Pro Bowl

posted 12/13/2007

Green Bay Packers quarterback BRETT FAVRE received 1,140,863 votes to lead all NFL All-Stars in balloting for the 2008 NFL Pro Bowl, NFL.com announced Thursday. Presented by Sprint, 2008 NFL Pro Bowl voting on NFL.com and on wireless phones with Sprint service ended on Tuesday, December 11.

There was a record 83.7 million votes cast on NFL.com and on wireless phones with Sprint service using more than 2,262,000 ballots. There were nearly 14 million more votes cast this year than last year.

New England Patriots quarterback TOM BRADY (1,037,608 votes) ranks second overall while Indianapolis Colts quarterback PEYTON MANNING (991,418 votes), Dallas Cowboys quarterback TONY ROMO (830,789 votes) and New England Patriots wide receiver RANDY MOSS (806,455 votes) round out the top five on NFL.com. TONY ROMO received the highest number of votes from voters using Sprint's service.

The AFC and NFC All-Star squads are made up of the consensus votes of fans, players and coaches. Each group's vote counts one-third towards determining the 43-man rosters that represent the American Football Conference and National Football Conference in the Pro Bowl. NFL players and coaches are casting their votes December 13-14.

The NFL is the only sports league that combines voting by fans, coaches and players to determine its all-star teams. It was the first professional sports league to offer online all-star voting in 1995.

The teams will be announced at 4 p.m. (ET) Tuesday, December 18 on a special NFL Total Access 2008 NFL Pro Bowl Selection Show on NFL Network. The Pro Bowl will be played at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii on Sunday, February 10 and will be televised by FOX.

In addition to casting ballots on NFL.com/probowl, fans cast their Pro Bowl ballot by sending the text message "PRO" to 7777 from a phone with Sprint wireless service and voting for their favorite players at select positions.

Fans who voted for their Pro Bowl players were able to enter for a chance to win a trip to Hawaii to attend the NFL Pro Bowl in the 2008 NFL Pro Bowl Sweepstakes sponsored by Sprint. The Grand Prize includes an all-expense paid 5-day, 4-night trip for the winner and one guest to the 2008 NFL Pro Bowl in Honolulu. In addition to air transportation, ground transportation, hotel accommodations and two game tickets, the winner and guests will experience an insider tour of the sidelines and locker room at Aloha Stadium.

Listed below are the top 10 offensive and defensive vote-getters, the top five rookie vote-getters and the players with the most votes at each position:

NFL ALL-STAR TOP VOTE-GETTERS

TOP TEN OFFENSIVE
QB Brett Favre, Packers -- 1,140,863
QB Tom Brady, Patriots -- 1,037,608
QB Peyton Manning, Colts -- 991,418
QB Tony Romo, Cowboys -- 830,789
WR Randy Moss, Patriots -- 806,455
RB Adrian Peterson, Vikings -- 753,294
WR Terrell Owens, Cowboys -- 700,779
RB Joseph Addai, Colts -- 698,484
RB LaDainian Tomlinson, Chargers -- 606,381
TE Jason Witten, Cowboys -- 596,867

**

TOP TEN DEFENSIVE
DE Dwight Freeney, Colts -- 413,999
CB Champ Bailey, Broncos -- 410,567
OLB DeMarcus Ware, Cowboys -- 385,031
OLB A.J. Hawk, Packers -- 355,420
DE Osi Umenyiora, Giants -- 350,148
CB Charles Woodson, Packers -- 348,063
OLB Shawne Merriman, Chargers -- 337,150
CB Al Harris, Packers -- 329,745
ILB Brian Urlacher, Bears -- 325,073
OLB Mike Vrabel, Patriots -- 321,742

**

NFL ALL-STAR TOP FIVE ROOKIE VOTE-GETTERS
RB Adrian Peterson, Vikings -- 753,294
K Nick Folk, Cowboys -- 263,635
T Tony Ugoh, Colts -- 187,802
K Mason Crosby, Packers -- 174,038
T Joe Thomas -- 166,599

**

NFC LEADING VOTE-GETTERS
Offense
QB Brett Favre, Packers -- 1,140,863
RB Adrian Peterson, Vikings -- 753,294
FB Tony Richardson, Vikings -- 204,168
WR Terrell Owens, Cowboys -- 700,779
TE Jason Witten, Cowboys -- 596,867
T Flozell Adams, Cowboys -- 370,073
G Leonard Davis, Cowboys -- 330,942
C Andre Gurode, Cowboys -- 321,511
K Nick Folk, Cowboys -- 263,635
KR Devin Hester, Bears -- 607,075

Defense
DE Osi Umenyiora, Giants -- 350,148
IL Tommie Harris, Bears -- 207,686
OLB DeMarcus Ware, Cowboys -- 385,031
ILB Brian Urlacher, Bears -- 325,073
CB Charles Woodson, Packers -- 348,063
SS Roy Williams, Cowboys -- 271,505
FS Sean Taylor, Redskins -- 258,544
P Mat McBriar, Cowboys -- 224,345
ST Brendon Ayanbadejo, Bears -- 226,962

**

AFC LEADING VOTE-GETTERS
Offense
QB Tom Brady, Patriots -- 1,037,608
RB Joseph Addai, Colts -- 698,484
FB Lorenzo Neal, Chargers -- 450,571
WR Randy Moss, Patriots -- 806,455
TE Antonio Gates, Chargers -- 465,239
T Matt Light, Patriots -- 430,981
G Eric Steinbach, Browns -- 450,284
C Jeff Saturday, Colts -- 379,438
K Adam Vinatieri, Colts -- 155,853
KR Joshua Cribbs, Browns -- 164,096

Defense
DE Dwight Freeney, Colts -- 413,999
IL Albert Haynesworth, Titans -- 261,260
OLB Shawne Merriman, Chargers -- 337,150
ILB Tedy Bruschi, Patriots -- 283,128
CB Champ Bailey, Broncos -- 410,567
SS Troy Polamalu, Steelers -- 301,341
FS Ed Reed, Ravens -- 287,611
P Chris Hanson, Patriots -- 125,272
ST Larry Izzo, Patriots -- 250,130

SI names Favre Sportsman of the Year

2007-12-07T18:43:00.000-08:00

SI names Favre Sportsman of the Year

2007-12-04T22:28:00.000-08:00

Favre homage: on bended, creaky knee

2007-11-30T18:11:00.000-08:00

Favre: Record-setting day vs. Lions 'nothing spectacular'

2007-11-23T11:29:00.000-08:00

Favre: Record-setting day vs. Lions 'nothing spectacular'

The multi-award winning "All Pro Sports Football Series" ... featuring Brett Favre, Jerry Rice, Ronnie Lott, Reggie White, Jack Del Rio, Brent Jones, Jim Lachey, Eric Allen, Rodney Hampton, Jeff Gossett and Jeff Jaeger and Coach Don Shula ... narrated by Emmy Award winning Roy Firestone ... is available at http://www.allprosportsfootball.com and 1 888 79 FOOTBALL ...

the most innovative football ... see http://www.allprosportsfootball.com ... , basketball and automobile racing series ever produced for home entertainment featuring: eleven of the greatest NFL football players and the most successful coach in NFL history; five of the greatest NBA basketball players and one of the most successful coaches in NBA history; and six internationally recognized automobile racing champions ... . sharing their life stories and demonstrating their skills in a very entertaining setting of upbeat music, three dimensional digital graphics and action footage.

Favre: Record-setting day vs. Lions 'nothing spectacular'

By Larry Lage
The Associated Press November 22, 2007
Brett Favre sported a white T-shirt, carpenter’s pants and a scruffy beard. It was the only time he looked like just another guy on Thanksgiving.

Favre set a Green Bay record with 20 consecutive completions and finished with a season-high 381 yards and three touchdowns in the Packers’ 37-26 victory over the slumping Detroit Lions.

“I threw it. They caught it,” he said simply. “Nothing spectacular.”

Yeah, right.

The three-time MVP put together another sensational performance that made the 38-year-old quarterback look as if he’s back in his prime. Favre’s seventh 300-yard game of the season matched a team mark he set in 1995.

“He’s the greatest ever,” Lions quarterback Jon Kitna said.

Green Bay (10-1) matched its best 11-game record since 1929 and the NFC North leaders have a four-game lead with five games left in the regular season.

The Packers can improve their chances of earning home-field advantage in a week if they win at Dallas.

“One game is not going to define us,” Favre said. “It may have some implications for the playoffs, but we can’t worry about that right now.

“We’re going to enjoy this one today.”

The Lions would love to forget it.

Detroit (6-5) lost its third straight game, making its playoff picture bleak because it would lose wild-card tiebreakers against the New York Giants, Washington, Philadelphia and Arizona.

“We aren’t where we want to be, but we are where we need to be,” Kitna said. “We have to get to 10. Ten gets you in.”

Kitna said before the season he would be disappointed if Detroit didn’t win at least 10 games. Now, the Lions might struggle to finish .500 with tough games left including matchups with Dallas at home and on the road against Green Bay and San Diego.

“There’s no panic in my life,” Detroit coach Rod Marinelli insisted. “This is a tough challenge, but I believe in these players.”

Green Bay overcame a six-point deficit in the first quarter and Favre’s pinpoint passes helped it lead 34-12 early in the fourth.

Just when Detroit looked as if it was going to be routed for the fourth straight time in its marquee game, Kitna connected with Calvin Johnson in the end zone and Kevin Jones scored to pull the Lions within eight.

Green Bay got the ball back with 6:34 left and took time off the clock, setting up Mason Crosby’s third field goal to put the game out of reach with 1:44 to go.

Favre completed 31 of 41 passes, and his streak of 20 straight spanned the first and second halves to surpass the team record of 18 set by Lynn Dickey in 1983 and matched by Don Majkowski in 1989.

At one point, Green Bay called 17 straight pass plays.

“You never think he’s going to miss one,” Green Bay coach Mike McCarthy said.

The streak ended when Koren Robinson was just out of bounds on a catch in the end zone.

“We blew it,” Greg Jennings said.

Jennings caught two TD passes and Donald Driver had 10 receptions for 147 yards, enjoying another day that Favre is his quarterback.

“When I came in 1999, he was playing the same way he’s playing now,” Driver said.

Like a kid, Favre was fired up when he saw an available ice cream sandwich on a table after walking away from his news conference.

“Oh yeah,” he said.

The only glaring mistake Favre made came after the first snap when a guard tripped him as he was trying to hand the ball off.

“Maybe I was a little slow coming out, but that’s never happened,” he said with a grin.

Ryan Grant had 101 yards rushing and a score after running for just 7 yards in the first half, helping Green Bay take time off the clock.

Kitna was 19-of-40 for 224 yards with a TD and an interception. Johnson had 83 yards receiving and a score. Jones added 93 yards rushing and a TD.

Too often, the Lions had to settle for field goals and Jason Hanson made each of his four attempts. They drove to the Packers 23 twice and their 32 on their first three drives, but came away with just two field goals.

“We didn’t make plays in the red zone early in the game, and that was the difference,” Kitna said.

The Lions finally played a game on Thanksgiving that meant something, but ended up losing for the fourth straight time to match their worst skid on the holiday in four decades. Under team president Matt Millen, they are 1-6 in the only game each season that the nation can watch on TV and have fallen to 33-33-2 overall.

“I don’t have all the answers, but we have to get better,” Jones said.

Noteworthy

Cornerback Charles Woodson sustained a toe injury on a 34-yard punt return late in the first quarter. He jogged off the field and underwent X-rays. He also did not return.

“It’s not broken, but it hurts,” he said. “It’s my big toe on my right foot. I did the same thing on my other foot once in Oakland.”

Woodson said it was too early to determine his status for Thursday’s game at Dallas.

Defensive end Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila sustained an ankle injury in the first half and did not return. He had two tackles, including a sack.

Defensive tackle Colin Cole injured a forearm.

Safety Nick Collins was among the Packers' inactive players because of a knee injury. He was replaced in the starting lineup by Aaron Rouse, who came up with an interception.

Favre hits milestone on way to victory. He joins Dan Marino as the only quarterbacks in NFL history to throw for 60,000 yards.

2007-11-12T15:15:00.000-08:00

Favre hits milestone on way to victory. He joins Dan Marino as the only quarterbacks in NFL history to throw for 60,000 yards.

The multi-award winning "All Pro Sports Football Series" ... featuring Brett Favre, Jerry Rice, Ronnie Lott, Reggie White, Jack Del Rio, Brent Jones, Jim Lachey, Eric Allen, Rodney Hampton, Jeff Gossett and Jeff Jaeger and Coach Don Shula ... narrated by Emmy Award winning Roy Firestone ... is available at http://www.allprosportsfootball.com and 1 888 79 FOOTBALL ...

the most innovative football ... see http://www.allprosportsfootball.com ... , basketball and automobile racing series ever produced for home entertainment featuring: eleven of the greatest NFL football players and the most successful coach in NFL history; five of the greatest NBA basketball players and one of the most successful coaches in NBA history; and six internationally recognized automobile racing champions ... . sharing their life stories and demonstrating their skills in a very entertaining setting of upbeat music, three dimensional digital graphics and action footage.

http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-packers12nov12,1,3918326.story?coll=la-headlines-sports
From the Los Angeles Times
PACKERS 34, VIKINGS 0
Favre hits milestone on way to victory
He joins Dan Marino as the only quarterbacks in NFL history to throw for 60,000 yards.

November 12, 2007

GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Brett Favre passed another milestone and the Green Bay Packers roughed up rookie running back Adrian Peterson in a 34-0 victory over the Minnesota Vikings.

Favre joined Dan Marino as the only quarterbacks in NFL history to throw for 60,000 yards, and the Packers (8-1) returned to their short passing game after winning their previous two games on deep passes by Favre.

The Packers led, 27-0, late in the third quarter when Peterson caught a pass from Brooks Bollinger and was tackled low by cornerback Al Harris.

Peterson, whose knee was injured on the play, left the game and did not return.

It was another tough blow for the Vikings (3-6), who had hoped to carry over some momentum from Peterson's NFL-record 296-yard rushing performance in a victory over San Diego the previous Sunday. He finished with 45 yards in 11 carries.

Quoteworthy: "I don't expect to go out there and rush for almost 300 yards every week. You've got your best game one week and your worst game the next." -- Adrian Peterson, Vikings running back

From the Associated Press

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Favre reaches another milestone

2007-11-06T11:10:00.000-08:00

Packers 33, Chiefs 22
Favre reaches another milestone
Quarterback throws for 360 yards and now has a victory over each of the other NFL teams.

The multi-award winning "All Pro Sports Football Series" ... featuring Brett Favre, Jerry Rice, Ronnie Lott, Reggie White, Jack Del Rio, Brent Jones, Jim Lachey, Eric Allen, Rodney Hampton, Jeff Gossett and Jeff Jaeger and Coach Don Shula ... narrated by Emmy Award winning Roy Firestone ... is available at http://www.allprosportsfootball.com and 1 888 79 FOOTBALL ...

the most innovative football ... see http://www.allprosportsfootball.com ... , basketball and automobile racing series ever produced for home entertainment featuring: eleven of the greatest NFL football players and the most successful coach in NFL history; five of the greatest NBA basketball players and one of the most successful coaches in NBA history; and six internationally recognized automobile racing champions ... . sharing their life stories and demonstrating their skills in a very entertaining setting of upbeat music, three dimensional digital graphics and action footage.

http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-chiefs5nov05,1,6100595.story?coll=la-headlines-sports
From the Los Angeles Times
Packers 33, Chiefs 22
Favre reaches another milestone
Quarterback throws for 360 yards and now has a victory over each of the other NFL teams.

November 5, 2007

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Brett Favre connected with Greg Jennings on a 60-yard touchdown pass with 3 minutes 5 seconds to go and Green Bay beat Kansas City, 33-22, giving Favre victories over each of the other 31 teams in the NFL.

It's a career milestone that Peyton Manning and Tom Brady achieved the previous week.

The Chiefs (4-4) had taken a 22-16 lead with 5:18 left on Damon Huard's 17-yard pass to Tony Gonzalez and a two-point conversion run by Priest Holmes, who came in when Larry Johnson injured his foot a few minutes earlier.

Jennings, whose 82-yard touchdown catch on the first play of overtime lifted Green Bay (7-1) past Denver six days earlier, went streaking down the middle of the field to help give the Packers their sixth consecutive victory on the road.

Favre threw for 360 yards and two touchdowns with two interceptions.

Quoteworthy: "They've got a Hall of Fame quarterback. He made the plays when he had to and we didn't." -- Tony Gonzalez, Chiefs tight end

From the Associated Press

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PARTNERS:

All Pro Sports Football Series

2007-10-30T09:15:00.000-07:00

Green Bay 19, Denver 13 (OT). Packers' Favre performs Monday magic in overtime
His 82-yard touchdown pass to Jennings beats the Broncos.

The multi-award winning "All Pro Sports Football Series" ... featuring Brett Favre, Jerry Rice, Ronnie Lott, Reggie White, Jack Del Rio, Brent Jones, Jim Lachey, Eric Allen, Rodney Hampton, Jeff Gossett and Jeff Jaeger and Coach Don Shula ... narrated by Emmy Award winning Roy Firestone ... is available at http://www.allprosportsfootball.com and 1 888 79 FOOTBALL ...

the most innovative football ... see http://www.allprosportsfootball.com ... , basketball and automobile racing series ever produced for home entertainment featuring: eleven of the greatest NFL football players and the most successful coach in NFL history; five of the greatest NBA basketball players and one of the most successful coaches in NBA history; and six internationally recognized automobile racing champions ... . sharing their life stories and demonstrating their skills in a very entertaining setting of upbeat music, three dimensional digital graphics and action footage.

http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-nflgame30oct30,1,2677715.story?coll=la-headlines-sports
From the Los Angeles Times
Green Bay 19, Denver 13 (OT)
Packers' Favre performs Monday magic in overtime
His 82-yard touchdown pass to Jennings beats the Broncos.
From the Associated Press

October 30, 2007

DENVER -- It was another signature play in a career that is full of them.

On the first play following the kickoff in overtime, Brett Favre connected on an 82-yard touchdown pass with Greg Jennings and the Green Bay Packers defeated the Denver Broncos, 19-13, on Monday night.

Denver had tied the score at 13-13 on Jason Elam's 21-yard field goal as time ran out in regulation, setting the stage for Favre.

"I feel like I've been on some better teams, but it's hard to doubt this team," Favre said. "That was fun. I can't wait to watch the tape."

It was the second-longest touchdown pass in NFL overtime history. On Nov. 10, 1985, Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Ron Jaworski and wide receiver Mike Quick combined on a 99-yard play.

Green Bay (6-1) won the coin toss and on the first play, Jennings was matched up in man-to-man coverage on the left side. Favre, who threw a 79-yard touchdown pass to James Jones in the first half, hit Jennings in stride at the Denver 40. Cornerback Dre' Bly had no shot at catching the speedy wide receiver, who trotted into the end zone as Favre rushed to celebrate Green Bay's first 6-1 start in five years.

The Broncos (3-4) sent it into overtime with a drive that began at their seven-yard line with 2:27 left.

Out of timeouts, the field-goal unit scrambled onto the field and Elam calmly nailed the kick, just as he did two months ago when the Broncos ran the same fire drill to beat Buffalo as time expired in the opener.

Some of Favre's best moments have come on Monday night, from his incredible game in Oakland following the death of his father to his game-winner to Antonio Freeman in overtime against Minnesota.

Now he's 6-1 for the third time in his career.

Favre completed 21of 27 passes for 331 yards.

Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler was 21 of 34 for 264 yards.

Favre also drove Green Bay 98 yards for a field goal, and the Packers, last in the league in rushing, found a ground game against the NFL's worst run defense.

Ryan Grant came in when DeShawn Wynn went down early because of an injured shoulder and gained 104 yards in 22 carries.

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Favre passes Marino with 421st career touchdown toss

2007-09-30T15:10:00.000-07:00

Brett Favre (420 career TDs) needs just one more to surpass Hall of Famer Dan Marino for the all-time record.

2007-09-30T15:03:00.000-07:00

The multi-award winning "All Pro Sports Football Series" ... featuring Brett Favre, Jerry Rice, Ronnie Lott, Reggie White, Jack Del Rio, Brent Jones, Jim Lachey, Eric Allen, Rodney Hampton, Jeff Gossett and Jeff Jaeger and Coach Don Shula ... narrated by Emmy Award winning Roy Firestone ... is available at http://www.allprosportsfootball.com and 1 888 79 FOOTBALL ...

the most innovative football ... see http://www.allprosportsfootball.com ... , basketball and automobile racing series ever produced for home entertainment featuring: eleven of the greatest NFL football players and the most successful coach in NFL history; five of the greatest NBA basketball players and one of the most successful coaches in NBA history; and six internationally recognized automobile racing champions ... . sharing their life stories and demonstrating their skills in a very entertaining setting of upbeat music, three dimensional digital graphics and action footage.

Fitting Favre into history
Evaluating Packers QB, Bush, Rivers, Barber and more
Posted: Friday September 28, 2007 10:16AM; Updated: Friday September 28, 2007 2:09PM

Brett Favre (420 career TDs) needs just one more to surpass Hall of Famer Dan Marino for the all-time record.
AP

With a landmark record about to fall this weekend, and I'm talking about Dan Marino's mark for career touchdown passes, we'll designate our leadoff hitter as Steve of Germantown, Md., who says, "It seems an appropriate time to ask if you would rank Brett Favre among the 10-best quarterbacks of all time."
I want to be fair about this. I've been repeatedly accused of being anti-Favre, and I think the reason for my grumpiness is the announcers and fans have fallen so much in love with him during his career that they've been blind to his failings, such as the careless interceptions. How many times have I heard, "Well, at least he's having fun out there," as the offense trudges off the field, following still another pick?
But placing him in the pantheon of the all-timers, well, I'm going to have to think it through; and why not right now? To me, his most remarkable record is never having missed a contest since he became a starter in the fourth game of the 1992 season. That's 16 years worth! Strictly on a skill level, I can't think of any other Hall of Fame quarterback who had a stronger arm, with the possible exception of Terry Bradshaw, who was a national schoolboy record holder in the javelin. Emotionally, Favre is a wild stallion who, at best, in the Super Bowl seasons, inspired all those around him ... at worst, drove his coaches crazy.
He's the kind of player who needed a periodic restraining order ... hey, why am I past-tensing him? Who needs -- present -- a periodic restraining order, and let's face it, coaches have been afraid of him. Mike Holmgren wasn't. Maybe Mike McCarthy, the current edition, isn't, since I keep reading how he's telling him to choke it off and play it safe. Now, how does he compare with the all-timers?
John Unitas and Joe Montana, my twin No. 1s? Both better than him. Otto Graham, my No. 3? Ditto. How about the moderns, Steve Young, John Elway, Troy Aikman, Marino? Hmmm, more careful from an interception standpoint, Aikman and Young, higher-percentage passers, all except Aikman higher in yards per completion -- which is a very telling stat in my book. Victories? Super Bowls? Uh uh, I don't count those in. They're team stats, not QB stats.
How about the old timers, Luckman and Sammy Baugh, for instance? No, I can't do it ... Sid Luckman, who played a full game on defense vs. Brett Favre? No, forget it. I forgot Norm Van Brocklin and Bradshaw and Y.A. Tittle, and the ultra moderns, such as Peyton Manning and Tom Brady, and ... OK, I'm cutting it off right here. That record of 16 years without missing a game does it for me ... Favre goes into my top 10, all time, probably around eight or nine, when I get it all worked out. OK?
Progressing in regimental fashion, we'll stay with the quarterback questions for a while. Rick of Boulder, Colo., thinks one of the most overrated statistics for QBs is fourth-quarter comebacks, a big hoo-ha out there in Elway country; but Rick feels that maybe it was some earlier screwups that can put a team in a comeback mode to begin with. Yep, I sure agree with that; in fact, I think trying to isolate any one stat (except Favre's durability) is a mistake. My least favorite stat is passer-rating points, a system keyed almost entirely to completion percentage. Step right up, dinkers, and collect your reward.

1 of 2

Fitting Favre into history
Evaluating Packers QB, Bush, Rivers, Barber and more
Posted: Friday September 28, 2007 10:16AM; Updated: Friday September 28, 2007 2:09PM

Brett Favre (420 career TDs) needs just one more to surpass Hall of Famer Dan Marino for the all-time record.
AP

With a landmark record about to fall this weekend, and I'm talking about Dan Marino's mark for career touchdown passes, we'll designate our leadoff hitter as Steve of Germantown, Md., who says, "It seems an appropriate time to ask if you would rank Brett Favre among the 10-best quarterbacks of all time."
I want to be fair about this. I've been repeatedly accused of being anti-Favre, and I think the reason for my grumpiness is the announcers and fans have fallen so much in love with him during his career that they've been blind to his failings, such as the careless interceptions. How many times have I heard, "Well, at least he's having fun out there," as the offense trudges off the field, following still another pick?
But placing him in the pantheon of the all-timers, well, I'm going to have to think it through; and why not right now? To me, his most remarkable record is never having missed a contest since he became a starter in the fourth game of the 1992 season. That's 16 years worth! Strictly on a skill level, I can't think of any other Hall of Fame quarterback who had a stronger arm, with the possible exception of Terry Bradshaw, who was a national schoolboy record holder in the javelin. Emotionally, Favre is a wild stallion who, at best, in the Super Bowl seasons, inspired all those around him ... at worst, drove his coaches crazy.
He's the kind of player who needed a periodic restraining order ... hey, why am I past-tensing him? Who needs -- present -- a periodic restraining order, and let's face it, coaches have been afraid of him. Mike Holmgren wasn't. Maybe Mike McCarthy, the current edition, isn't, since I keep reading how he's telling him to choke it off and play it safe. Now, how does he compare with the all-timers?
John Unitas and Joe Montana, my twin No. 1s? Both better than him. Otto Graham, my No. 3? Ditto. How about the moderns, Steve Young, John Elway, Troy Aikman, Marino? Hmmm, more careful from an interception standpoint, Aikman and Young, higher-percentage passers, all except Aikman higher in yards per completion -- which is a very telling stat in my book. Victories? Super Bowls? Uh uh, I don't count those in. They're team stats, not QB stats.
How about the old timers, Luckman and Sammy Baugh, for instance? No, I can't do it ... Sid Luckman, who played a full game on defense vs. Brett Favre? No, forget it. I forgot Norm Van Brocklin and Bradshaw and Y.A. Tittle, and the ultra moderns, such as Peyton Manning and Tom Brady, and ... OK, I'm cutting it off right here. That record of 16 years without missing a game does it for me ... Favre goes into my top 10, all time, probably around eight or nine, when I get it all worked out. OK?
Progressing in regimental fashion, we'll stay with the quarterback questions for a while. Rick of Boulder, Colo., thinks one of the most overrated statistics for QBs is fourth-quarter comebacks, a big hoo-ha out there in Elway country; but Rick feels that maybe it was some earlier screwups that can put a team in a comeback mode to begin with. Yep, I sure agree with that; in fact, I think trying to isolate any one stat (except Favre's durability) is a mistake. My least favorite stat is passer-rating points, a system keyed almost entirely to completion percentage. Step right up, dinkers, and collect your reward.

1 of 2

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Brett Favre Named FedEx Air Player Of The Week

2007-09-30T14:55:00.001-07:00

Brett Favre Named FedEx Air Player Of The Week

The multi-award winning "All Pro Sports Football Series" ... featuring Brett Favre, Jerry Rice, Ronnie Lott, Reggie White, Jack Del Rio, Brent Jones, Jim Lachey, Eric Allen, Rodney Hampton, Jeff Gossett and Jeff Jaeger and Coach Don Shula ... narrated by Emmy Award winning Roy Firestone ... is available at http://www.allprosportsfootball.com and 1 888 79 FOOTBALL ...

the most innovative football ... see http://www.allprosportsfootball.com ... , basketball and automobile racing series ever produced for home entertainment featuring: eleven of the greatest NFL football players and the most successful coach in NFL history; five of the greatest NBA basketball players and one of the most successful coaches in NBA history; and six internationally recognized automobile racing champions ... . sharing their life stories and demonstrating their skills in a very entertaining setting of upbeat music, three dimensional digital graphics and action footage.

www.packers.com

Original URL:
www.packers.com/news/releases/2007/09/27/2/

return to site

Brett Favre Named FedEx Air Player Of The Week

posted 09/27/2007

Quarterback BRETT FAVRE of the Green Bay Packers and running back BRIAN WESTBROOK of the Philadelphia Eagles are the FedEx Air & Ground NFL Players of the Week for games played on September 23 - 24, the NFL announced Thursday.

Green Bay's BRETT FAVRE completed 28 of 45 passes for 369 yards and three touchdowns in the Packers' 31 - 24 victory over San Diego. Favre's third touchdown tied Dan Marino's record of 420 career passing touchdowns, the most in NFL history.

Philadelphia's BRIAN WESTBROOK ran for 110 yards over just 14 carries and posted two rushing touchdowns in the Eagles' 56-21 win over the Detroit Lions. Westbrook recorded the Eagles' first two touchdowns including a 25-yard first-quarter run and helped Philadelphia gain 536 total yards.

Favre and Westbrook were selected from among finalists in air and ground categories. The other FedEx Express NFL Player of the Week finalists were quarterbacks TOM BRADY of the New England Patriots and DONOVAN MC NABB of the Philadelphia Eagles, while running backs DE SHAUN FOSTER of the Carolina Panthers and LA MONT JORDAN of the Oakland Raiders were the other finalists for the FedEx Ground NFL Player of the Week.

Fans voted for more than their favorite players. The weekly FedEx Air & Ground NFL Players of the Week Awards are also a win for the local community. Along with the player awards, FedEx is awarding Children's Hospital of Wisconsin Foundation and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, the children's hospitals in each winning market, a check for $5,000.

The children's hospitals in the two season-long winner's markets, announced at Super Bowl XLII in Arizona, will be awarded $25,000 each. That means that FedEx will deliver nearly $250,000 to local children's hospitals around the country in recognition of the FedEx Air & Ground NFL Players of the Week Award winners.

FedEx, the premier global provider of transportation, e-commerce and supply-chain management services, is the Official Delivery Service Sponsor of the NFL, Super Bowl and Pro Bowl. Through the weekly FedEx Air and Ground awards, FedEx recognizes those NFL players who represent the same speed, precision and teamwork that their customers have come to expect from the full range of FedEx air, ground, freight and international shipping services.

**

2007 FEDEX AIR & GROUND NFL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK:
Wk 1
Tony Romo, DAL. - Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children in Dallas
Chris Brown, TEN. - Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt

Wk 2
Derek Anderson, CLE. - Cleveland Clinic Children's Hospital
Jamal Lewis, CLE. - Cleveland Clinic Children's Hospital

Wk 3
Brett Favre, GB - Children's Hospital of Wisconsin Foundation
Brian Westbrook, PHI. - Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

Favre ties TD record in Packers' win

2007-09-24T12:01:00.001-07:00

the multi-award winning "All Pro Sports Football Series" ... featuring Brett Favre, Jerry Rice, Ronnie Lott, Reggie White, Jack Del Rio, Brent Jones, Jim Lachey, Eric Allen, Rodney Hampton, Jeff Gossett and Jeff Jaeger and Coach Don Shula ... narrated by Emmy Award winning Roy Firestone ... is available at http://www.allprosportsfootball.com and 1 888 79 FOOTBALL ...

the most innovative football ... see http://www.allprosportsfootball.com ... , basketball and automobile racing series ever produced for home entertainment featuring: eleven of the greatest NFL football players and the most successful coach in NFL history; five of the greatest NBA basketball players and one of the most successful coaches in NBA history; and six internationally recognized automobile racing champions ... . sharing their life stories and demonstrating their skills in a very entertaining setting of upbeat music, three dimensional digital graphics and action footage.

http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/recap?game_id=29228&displayPage=tab_recap&season=2007&week=REG3

Favre ties TD record in Packers' win
Associated Press

GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Brett Favre goes out of his way to say he cares about winning, not going after records.
He managed to do both at the same time on Sunday.
Favre found Greg Jennings on a slant pattern for the record-tying 420th touchdown pass of his career. The 57-yard completion erased a four-point deficit to the San Diego Chargers with just over two minutes left and rallied the undefeated Packers (3-0) to a 31-24 win. Favre is now tied with Dan Marino for the most touchdown passes in NFL history.

NFL Replay will re-air the Green Bay Packers' 31-24 win over the San Diego Chargers on Tuesday, Sept. 25 at 8 p.m. ET.

» Video clips from NFL Replay

Fans, want to get NFL Network? Cable operators, want to carry NFL Network? Click here for more information.
"I could care less about the record," said Favre, who was 28-of-35 for 369 yards and three touchdowns. "Everybody's congratulating me, but I told them it doesn't mean anything if we don't win the game."
Favre's 38th career fourth-quarter comeback came one series after the Chargers stopped Favre and the Packers cold on fourth-and-goal.
However, the Chargers (1-2) gave up the record-tying touchdown minutes later, continuing their early slide under new coach Norv Turner. San Diego has now lost as many regular-season games as it did all of last season.
Reigning MVP LaDainian Tomlinson swallowed hard as he stepped to the interview podium after the game, at a loss for words to describe the disappointing start.
"It's still a long season," said Tomlinson, who carried 22 times for 62 yards. "But, I mean, right now we just -- I don't know. I'm lost."
Suddenly facing heightened expectations in Green Bay, Packers coach Mike McCarthy said he expects more from Favre in the weeks to come.
"Every time he takes the field, he's adding another log on the fire of such a brilliant career that will continue to burn, hopefully, for awhile," McCarthy said.
Favre's fireworks also spoiled a breakout game for Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers, who started 15-for-15 to tie Dan Fouts' franchise record for consecutive completions and drove the Chargers to the lead in the third quarter.
Brett Favre's milestone TD passes:
No.
Date
Opponent
Career game
Receiver
1
Sept. 20, 1992
Bengals
4th
Sterling Sharpe
100
Dec. 3, 1995
Bengals
62nd
Edgar Bennett
200
Nov. 15, 1998
at Giants
107th
Tyrone Davis
300
Oct. 13, 2002
at Patriots
166th
Ahman Green
400
Sept. 24, 2006
at Lions
228th
Greg Jennings
420
Sept. 23, 2007
Chargers
244th
Greg Jennings
Rivers was 27-of-36 for 306 yards, with three touchdowns and a late interception. He and Tomlinson had a heated exchange on the sidelines in the third quarter.
"It appears to be like we're arguing, but it wasn't really arguing, it was competitive talk," Tomlinson said.
San Diego took a 21-17 lead early in the third quarter on a swing pass from Rivers that Tomlinson ran 21 yards to the end zone.
Favre and the Packers threatened with a drive with just over five minutes left in the fourth quarter, but San Diego's defense stopped wide receiver James Jones short on fourth-and-goal. In hindsight, McCarthy said he should have had it reviewed.
On the next possession, after an incompletion on first down, Favre zipped a pass to Jennings who was running a slant pattern from the left side. Jennings streaked into the end zone to give the Packers the lead, and give Favre yet another piece of history.
"He has many more records he has to go get, so we're going to try to get him all those," Jennings said.
Packers linebacker Nick Barnett intercepted Rivers on the Chargers' next possession, and ran 38 yards to the San Diego 2. Brandon Jackson went in for a touchdown from the 1, putting the Packers ahead 31-21.
The Chargers drove for a 44-yard field goal by Nate Kaeding to cut the lead to 7 with 20 seconds left, but Donald Driver covered the onside-kick attempt to preserve the victory.
Driver, Favre's favorite target, had a big day despite getting his helmet knocked off on a hard hit by defensive back Marlon McCree early in the first quarter. Driver caught six passes for 126 yards, including a touchdown pass in the second quarter.
Official site links ...

Brett Favre's 420th career touchdown pass tied an NFL record and brought the Green Bay Packers from behind to beat the Chargers. More ...

Brett Favre's 420th career touchdown pass meant more than just drawing even with Dan Marino. More ...
Now Driver wants to catch the record-breaker.
"I'm just hoping that I can get in the record books as being the one that surpassed it," Driver said. "That's my goal right now."
Just a week ago, Favre led the Packers to a road victory over the New York Giants for his 149th win as a starter, passing John Elway's all-time record. Favre started his quarterback-record 240th consecutive game on Sunday, tying him for second on the all-time list with former Minnesota center Mick Tingelhoff.
Favre closed in on Marino by throwing two touchdown passes to power the Packers to a 17-14 halftime lead.
The first went to Driver and the second went to tight end Bubba Franks, following another classic - but not-so-glamorous - Favre moment. Facing first-and-goal at the San Diego 5, Favre began to scramble and tried to pump fake, only to watch the ball pop out of his hands for an apparent fumble that was recovered by the Chargers.
A replay determined his arm was in motion when the ball popped out, and the play was ruled an incomplete pass.
It was another bad break in what is starting to look like a disappointing season for the Chargers.
"My expectations, the expectations of our players was to come in and win, we didn't get that done," Turner said.
Green Bay, on the other hand, is an unexpected 3-0 for the first time since 2001. Now the question is: Are the Packers for real?
"It's hard to luck into three straight wins like we have," Favre said.
Notes: With a 16-yard catch in the second quarter, Driver passed Antonio Freeman for the most receptions in Lambeau Field history with 214. ... Chargers defensive end Luis Castillo left the game with a foot injury in the second quarter. ... Chargers tight end Antonio Gates caught 11 passes for 113 yards.
Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press

© 2007 NFL Enterprises LLC. NFL and the NFL shield design are registered trademarks of the National Football League.The team names, logos and uniform designs are registered trademarks of the teams indicated. All other NFL-related trademarks are trademarks of the National Football League. NFL footage © NFL Productions LLC.

Brett Favre picked a near-perfect way to become the winningest quarterback in NFL history.

2007-09-17T18:04:00.000-07:00

Brett Favre of the All Pro Sports Football Series

2007-08-19T13:48:00.000-07:00

"... Brett Favre directed the Green Bay Packers to 17 points in their first four drives and they scored early and often in a 48-13 victory over the Seattle Seahawks at Green Bay, Wis.

It was the most prolific exhibition scoring output since the days of leather helmets for the Packers, who beat the Cedar Rapids Crush, 75-0, in 1938...."

http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-nflrep19aug19,1,204656.story?coll=la-headlines-sports
From the Los Angeles Times
NFL NOTES
Quinn makes a strong showing in his pro debut for Browns

August 19, 2007

Brady Quinn's pro debut was nearly picture perfect. He threw two fourth-quarter touchdown passes in his first NFL exhibition game and looked better than any Cleveland quarterback in the Browns' 23-20 loss to the Detroit Lions on Saturday night at Cleveland.

The former Notre Dame standout entered the game with 9:20 remaining and the Browns trailing, 23-7. He completed a screen pass to Chris Barclay that went for 30 yards on his first play. He completed five passes in a row before his first miss. On a second-and-three play at Detroit's four, he rolled to his right and threw a four-yard touchdown pass to fellow rookie Efrem Hill. The next time Cleveland got the ball, Quinn drove the Browns 92 yards in 1:52, throwing a six-yard touchdown pass to Jerome Harrison with 18 seconds left. Quinn completed 13 of 20 for 155 yards.

--

The quarterbacks played well in the exhibition game between the Houston Texans and Arizona Cardinals. Houston's Matt Schaub completed nine of 12 passes for 108 yards and ran five yards for a score and the Texans went on to win, 33-20, in the home debut of new Cardinals Coach Ken Whisenhunt. Arizona's Matt Leinart completed all seven of his passes for 70 yards, including a five-yard touchdown to Edgerrin James.

--

Brett Favre directed the Green Bay Packers to 17 points in their first four drives and they scored early and often in a 48-13 victory over the Seattle Seahawks at Green Bay, Wis.

It was the most prolific exhibition scoring output since the days of leather helmets for the Packers, who beat the Cedar Rapids Crush, 75-0, in 1938.

--

Drew Brees led New Orleans to a touchdown in his only series, completing all six of his passes in the Saints' 27-19 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals. The NFL's leading passer last season, Brees had his way with the league's worst pass defense.

--

Byron Leftwich completed six of 12 passes for 81 yards, and the host Jacksonville Jaguars beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 31-19.

But Leftwich was sacked once, hit a couple more times and nearly half his yardage came on a short pass to Maurice Jones-Drew, who bounced off Adam Hayward's tackle and raced 38 yards to the two.

--

The attacking defensive front being implemented by new Dallas Coach Wade Phillips locked up Denver's starting offense for two quarters, paving the way for the Cowboys to beat the Broncos, 31-20, at Dallas. The Cowboys pressured quarterback Jay Cutler into going seven of 13 for only 58 yards.

--

With starter Jason Campbell on the sidelines because of a bruised knee suffered in the first quarter, Todd Collins completed a seven-yard pass to Brandon Lloyd for the game's only touchdown in the Washington Redskins' 12-10 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers at Washington.

--

Quarterback Tim Couch's return to the NFL lasted nearly three weeks. The Jacksonville Jaguars released the overall No. 1 draft pick by Cleveland in 1999 after a handful of practices and one exhibition game.

Couch, who hadn't played in the NFL since the 2004 exhibition season, wanted a chance to revive his career after undergoing two shoulder operations. The Jaguars signed him to a two-year deal on July 29. He completed two of four passes for 11 yards last week at Miami.

--

Vinny Testaverde re-signed with the New England Patriots for his 21st NFL season. The 43-year-old quarterback signed with them last Nov. 14 and played in three regular-season games. In the season finale he extended his streak to 20 seasons with at least one touchdown pass.

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