Brett Favre: Free Agent

Childress: "Stay tuned!"

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gfF4l9aRIcttgozQRMTJXgexVJlwD98OK7980

And here's a very very very weird story (even in comparison to the rest of the Favre fandango):

http://blogs.usatoday.com/thehuddle/2009/06/brad-childress-absolutely-no-vikings-deadline-for-brett-favre.html

Well Mooch, at some point Childress HAS to make such a demand -- you realize that, don't you? You do realize at some point Childress has to decide who his starting QB is going to be; he can't wait until November to figure it out.

Childress put pressure on Favre to make up his mind? “Absolutely not ... certainly not from me. Not even — not even close. (I) don’t know where that dropped out of the sky from."

Yeah hell, all you are is the head coach of the football team, where the hell do you come off trying to get an idea who your starting QB might be?? God forbid you might say or do anything that might put any pressure on Queen Brettney.

 

I cannot wait for Nov. 1 to get here.

 

If I were the Vikings, I'd sign him to a veteran-minimum contract, have him go through camp, sit him out of all the exhibition games (I expect they will do this anyway), then the day before the regular-season opener, put him on the practice squad. ;D ;D

 

all well and good, tough guys. the reality is childress wants favre to be his qb and the feeling is mutual. he has a shoulder issue that needs the time between now and camp in six weeks or so before he'll know if he can unretire again and give it a good shot.

everyone needs to chill. let espn and nfl network sweat the smoke signals until it's done.

 

So in a span of, what?, three days, ESPN went from, "the Vikings have backed off on their pursuit of Favre," to "members of the Vikings coaching staff are en route to Mississippi to observe him." WFW.

 

Stay tuned!!! More drama coming!!!!

 

Favre needs to keep his word, one fucking time, and do whatever the hell he says he was intending to do.

It's a joke that this is going to maintain a stranglehold on all league news for a second summer, all because of one person's deficiency and the willingness of said networks to feed it.

 

I don't think anyone gives a shit anymore. I know I'm way beyond the point of caring.

 

When do camps open, July 31? That means we can look forward to six more weeks of breathless revelations,

"Favre threw today and looked OK"
"Viking coaches encouraged"
"Favre threw today and looked mediocre"
"Viking coaches decline to comment"
"Favre threw today and looked MUCH BETTER"
"Viking coaches encouraged"
"Favre hasn't made up his mind"
"Favre threw today and looked OK but reported some pain and stiffness in his arm"
"Viking coaches decline to comment"
"Favre will consult a doctor"
"Viking coaches encouraged"
"Favre on plane to consult the doctor"
"Favre arrives at airport to consult the doctor"
"Favre actually sees doctor"
"Doctor refuses to comment"
"Favre goes to airport"
"Viking coaches decline to comment"
"Favre returns home"
"Favre hasn't made up his mind"
"Viking coaches decline to comment"
"Favre threw today and looked OK...."
"Viking coaches encouraged"

 

It's a plague.

The networks have gotten complaints over it. They cannot help themselves.

 

I'm wondering ... Has there been any kind of chilling affect because of ESPN -- where NFL beat writers have a harder time getting information because ESPN simply runs with so many unnamed-sources stories? It seems to me that it's getting harder and harder to be a beat writer when GMs, coaches or big-name players (and their agents) can feed whatever they want to Mort, Werder, Clayton, etc., etc., and let them run with it -- even if it contradicts previous stories (which they never correct or acknowledge). Meanwhile, editors are making the beat guys chase the ESPN reports and you get things like Brad Childress saying, "Stay tuned."

This whole Favre thing is sad for sports journalism, I think.

Three things of late that really bother me:

1. ESPN reports that the Vikings are backing off on their pursuit of Favre because of his "failure" to report to OTAs. Last time I checked those were optional workouts for Vikings players. Favre's not a Vikings player (yet).

2. ESPN reports that the Vikings are back off and, three days later reports that Vikings coaches are en route to Mississippi to watch Favre throw.

3. Despite all of this vigorous reporting, ESPN was unable to pinpoint when exactly Favre had his surgery, reporting at the time that it had been within the last two or three weeks. How did everyone miss this? How did they not have someone camped out at Dr. Andrews' office or Favre's house?

Cue Jason Robards as Ben Bradlee: "Goddammit, when is somebody going to go on the record in this story?"

 

Don't know about Andrews' office, although I would imagine there are trepassing concerns that would prevent news organizations from camping out there.

In the case of Favre's estate, however, you can't camp at the house, because it's way back behind a locked gate, and if you set up shop along the highway in front of his place for any length of time, you get a visit from the sheriff's deputies or the highway patrol who will kindly urge you to move along. Besides, I've never known anyone to get any useful information from a vigil at the Favre manse.