Lagarrette Blount is back at it and so is Brett Favre

Legarrette Blount, Worse than Mike Tyson

Aiming for teammates, Blount inadvertently punched Bellotti while at Oregon
Posted by John Taylor on August 20, 2010 8:46 AM ET
The Punch Heard 'Round the College Football World was back in the news earlier this week, courtesy of LeGarrette Blount going Marvin Hagler on one of his Tennessee Titans (helmeted) teammates after the final play of a training camp practice.


"I am not disappointed whatsoever," Fisher said after the incident. "His past is his past. Is that the first punch you've seen at camp this year? No. OK. I am not disappointed whatsoever. I have great confidence in the young man that he has learned from his mistake and is very competitive."


While that may have been the first time Blount went swinging at the professional level, his right jab to the jaw of Boise State linebacker Byron Hout wasn't the first time he took a swing at the collegiate level.


Two of Blount's Oregon teammates and a former Ducks assistant coach relayed to John Canzano of The Oregonian an incident that happened two years ago involving Blount, his fists and his temper, an incident that's never been reported until now.
Two football seasons ago. Closed practice. Autzen Stadium. Running back LeGarrette Blount was carrying the football on a play that swung wide when he was met by two University of Oregon defenders.
Defensive back Jairus Byrd and linebacker Jerome Boyd grabbed Blount and shoved him toward the sideline. A scuffle broke out, facemasks were grabbed, bodies tangled and then Ducks head coach Mike Bellotti hurried toward the mess, trying to break up the players.
Blount threw a punch.
It missed Byrd and Boyd, but caught the side of Bellotti's face -- square.


So, yeah, good luck with this "rehabilitated" running back you have on your hands, Coach Fisher. If people like Tony Dungy say it's all good, then by God it's all good, though. But, just in case, wear a helmet.


Or, as Canzano put it, "If you cut the guy, do it from a distance."



10 questions that need to be answered regarding Favre and the Vikings

Posted by Mike Florio on August 18, 2010 12:19 PM ET
Vikings coach Brad Childress and quarterback Brett Favre will meet the media on Wednesday. They'll likely be asked a question or two, and they'll likely offer up at least a semi-plausible answer to each one.

Here are 10 of the questions that we think need to be asked, regardless of whether all we get is a semi-plausible answer, or worse.

1. When will Favre take the field for the first time?

Few expected Favre to show up in time to take the trip to San Francisco for a Sunday night preseason game against the 49ers.

Will he travel with the team to California?

Will he take a few snaps against a 49ers team that probably would like to snap that bum ankle in order to improve its chances of qualifying for -- and advancing in -- the 2010 postseason?

2. Will Favre's contract be adjusted?

A member of the media has reminded us of this quote from Gordon Gekko: "It's all about bucks, kid. The rest is conversation."

At this point, it's widely believed that the Vikings will give Favre a hefty raise. It's also believed that Favre will "aw, shucks" his way through a monologue regarding how it's not about the money.

If that's the case, someone should ask him to declare that he'll take nothing more than the $13 million he already is due to earn.

3. Are we really supposed to believe that a supposedly impromptu visit from three teammates prompted Favre to make up his mind on the spot?

The actual answer to this one is meaningless. It'll just be interesting to see Childress and/or Favre try to offer an explanation that passes the smell test.

4. What did Dr. Andrews say last week about the ankle?

Favre's ankle supposedly wasn't recovering quickly enough. Last week, he visited with Dr. James Andrews. In the aftermath of the visit, no details have emerged regarding the condition of the joint.

So what did Andrews say to Favre about the ankle? Is it all of a sudden at 100 percent? Is it less than 100 percent? Will it improve or has it reached its ceiling?

5. What other injuries does Favre currently claim to have?

Last year, Favre talked openly (and repeatedly) about a laundry list of ailments and maladies. The exercise eventually forced the NFL to fine the Jets for failing to report the partially torn biceps tendon that he suffered during the 2008 season.

And it all became so ridiculous that we eventually added extra body parts (including "taint") to the list of Favre's supposedly injuries, along with a trio of illnesses -- polio, swine flu, and lupus.

Beyond the ankle, he'll surely point to some other injured area, if for no reason other than to have a built-in excuse in the event he throws five interceptions against the Saints on September 9.

6. Is the double standard that applies to Favre hurting the team?

Jimmy Johnson of FOX had some pointed remarks regarding the Vikings' approach to Favre during Wednesday's edition of The Dan Patrick Show. (More on that later.) While we don't expect Childress or Favre to say anything insightful or, you know, truthful on that point, it's a fair question that needs to be posed to anyone and everyone in the organization.

The Vikings have been bending over backwards for Brett, and it possibly has created a sense in the locker room that other players deserve similar consideration. Some think that receiver Sidney Rice has been milking a hip injury; others think that receiver Percy Harvin made the very most out of his most recent bout with migraines. And don't forget about running back Adrian Peterson's bizarre decision to skip a mandatory minicamp so that he could attend a parade in his hometown. Could the treatment of Favre be emboldening them?

The 2009 Vikings by all appearances sold their souls for the possibility of getting back to the Super Bowl, and they seem to be willing to do it again, even as they deal with the possible aftermath of the first season with Favre in the fold.

7. Will the Vikings keep Sage Rosenfels?

It's an issue that we've addressed in today's edition of PFT Daily, which will be posted soon. (We suspect that you're holding your breath, and possibly other bodily functions.)

Though we doubt that Childress will be providing a straight answer to the question, it remains a highly relevant question to the make up of the 2010 edition of the team.

8. Will the Vikings be as good in 2010 with Favre as they were in 2009?

This is a question that no one will be able to answer until the regular season begins to unfold. But it likely will be very difficult for the Vikings to match or improve on their 12-4 mark from a season ago.

For starters, they'll play the teams of the NFC East this year, not the NFC West. Also, the Vikings have to face every team from a top-heavy AFC East, including trips to Foxborough and the new Meadowlands Stadium.

The team's 13 opponents (they play three teams twice, obviously) will have had an entire offseason to study the film from Favre's first year in purple for any and all tendencies and tells. We also have a feeling that every defensive coordinator will try to replicate the "remember me" shots the Saints applied to No. 4 in the NFC title game -- and that the Saints likely will try to reprise on September 9.

While much of the roster has remained in place, the departure of underrated third-down back Chester Taylor and primary offensive line backup Artis Hicks could present real challenges for an attack that produced career-high statistics for Favre. Meanwhile, tailback Adrian Peterson will continue to be a pin cushion for pulling and punching and poking and prodding every time he tries to put the football under wraps.

On defense, everyone is a year older -- and the secondary remains the biggest weakness on either side of the ball. With cornerback Cedric Griffin still recovering from a torn ACL suffered on the overtime kickoff of the NFC title game and linebacker E.J. Henderson still working his way back from a gruesomely broken leg, it remains to be seen whether the Vikings' defense continues to be among the better units in the league.

9. Can Childress and Favre get along?

Last year, Childress himself drove Favre from the airport to the team facility. This year, Childress was nowhere to be seen.

We've heard persistent rumors that the players in Minnesota generally don't like or respect Childress. Though no good head coach openly aspires to be liked by his players, a lack of respect could kill a team's chances -- especially if it starts with the quarterback whose ring, feet, and ass everyone kisses.

Last year's twelve-men-in-the-huddle routine probably didn't help matters.

After a home field advantage-killing loss to the Panthers on Sunday Night Football, troubling reports emerged regarding Chilly's effort to bench Favre, regarding Favre's resistance, and regarding Chilly's angry reaction to news that Favre had blabbed out it. Thereafter, ESPN's Ed Werder reported based on unnamed sources (i.e., Favre) that Childress "seldom" discussed the game plan with his quarterback, and that Childress "bristles" when Favre changes the play at the line of scrimmage.

For the Vikings to reach their full potential in 2010, whatever it may be, Favre and Childress need to be on the same page. More importantly, Favre needs to ensure that his teammates buy in to Childress' schemes and tactics and decisions, even when Favre otherwise may be inclined to disagree.

10. How will the Vikings fare this year?

In the PFT Season Preview magazine, which was written under the assumption that Favre will be back, I picked the Vikings to win the NFC North, but not to make it to Dallas for Super Bowl XLV. The rest of the crew pegged the Packers as division champs, with Rosenthal and MDS predicting a wild-card berth for Minnesota. (Silva has them not getting in at all.)

Whether the Vikings can win the division again or not, Favre probably will get the team back into the postseason tournament. But with the Cowboys looking to avenge last year's 34-3 drubbing in the Metrodome and with the widely-overlooked Saints as potent as they were in 2009 and with a surprise team or two likely to emerge in the NFC, it will be even harder in 2010 for Favre to cap his career in the manner that he clearly covets -- by winning another Super Bowl and walking away as the credits start to roll.

Brett Favre is Back..... Again - Josh Hamilton the Best Player in MLB

He's Back!!!!
Brett Favre practices with Vikings
espn.com
EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. -- Brett Favre says the strong chance of playing in another Super Bowl brought him back to the NFL -- again.
Favre was back on the field with the Minnesota Vikings on Wednesday. The three-time MVP started his second season in Minnesota wearing a helmet, shoulder pads and red quarterback's jersey as he worked out with his teammates on their practice field. "As we were driving on that last drive it seemed like it was destiny -- for us," said Favre, whose interception in the final minute ended that march and the Vikings never got the ball in overtime. "I was so close, so close to getting these guys to the Super Bowl.
"I owe it to this organization to give it one more try."
Not that coming back for a 20th season was a simple decision.
"I could make a case for both playing, not playing," Favre said. "This is a very good football team, the chances here are much greater than other places. From that standpoint, it was always going to be easier [to return].
"Part of me said it was such a great year, it would be easy to say, 'Hey can't play any better, why even try?' Then the other part is, 'Guys are playing on a high level. Why don't I go back out?' The expectations are high here, as they should be."
Favre said that this, his 20th season, will be his final NFL season. However, the future Hall of Fame quarterback has come out of retirement twice before.
After staying away from training camp, as he's done for much of the past two summers, Favre was practicing less than 24 hours after the team sent Steve Hutchinson, Jared Allen and Ryan Longwell -- three of his closest friends -- to Mississippi to bring him back. Favre underwent left ankle surgery on May 21 and just a few weeks ago texted several teammates and Vikings officials that he would not return because the recovery was slower than he expected.
He's back now.
"There is nothing on me that's 100 percent, there wasn't anything that was 100 percent last year or the year before," Favre said. "The surgery made me a little better.
"I have played 309 straight games, I can't complain."
However, the 40-year-old Favre cautioned that he wasn't making any promises that he will be able to make it through another full season.
"I can't promise you I can make it through the season," he said. "I couldn't promise that to you when I was 21."
• Favre timeline
Favre's return to the field comes on the one-year anniversary of the day he signed a two-year, $25 million contract with the Vikings.
Favre reportedly will get a pay raise for returning to the 2010 season. Favre, who was scheduled to make $13 million this season, will have his base salary bumped to $16.5 million, the (Minneapolis) Star Tribune reported.
Favre also will have $3.5 million in incentives added to his contract, based on postseason success, the Star Tribune reported, potentially boosting his 2010 salary to $20 million.
In a scene nearly identical to his arrival last August, Favre took a private plane from Hattiesburg on Tuesday, was followed by news helicopters from a suburban airport to the team headquarters, and was greeted by dozens of fans and media members upon his arrival.
"Helicopters acting like they are following O.J.," tight end Visanthe Shiancoe tweeted. "Where is the bronco."
The big difference? His signing with the Vikings -- Green Bay's bitter NFC North rival -- was a stunner after he tormented Minnesota for so long as a member of the Packers.
This time around, virtually everyone expected the quarterback who flirts with quitting every summer to return.
Favre's latest dalliance -- and hesitation -- centered on an ankle that was injured in the NFC Championship Game loss to New Orleans in January. Favre had surgery on his left ankle in June and told teammates and team officials earlier in August that he didn't believe he had another full season left in him.
This is the third straight year the Vikings have dealt with questions about Favre, so they weren't convinced he was done.
Now it's time to see if the old man can do it all again.
The gray-haired Favre turned in one of the best seasons in a terrific career last year, throwing 33 touchdowns and only seven interceptions to lead the Vikings to the NFC North title. He threw for 310 yards and a touchdown against the Saints in the Superdome, but also threw an interception at the end of regulation that cost them a chance at a winning field goal that would have put Minnesota in the Super Bowl for the first time in 33 years.
After being cajoled by Allen, Hutchinson and Longwell, Favre will have one more shot at redemption and a second Lombardi Trophy.
Even though it was expected that he would be back, the same excitement as last year surrounded his return Tuesday. Fans clogged Viking Drive, and police tried to control traffic and keep youngsters and television cameras from spilling onto the street.
Last year, Childress picked up Favre from the airport. This year, Longwell was the chauffeur, and fans tried to mob his black BMW SUV as he pulled into the driveway at Winter Park.
"Brett Favre for President!!" receiver Bernard Berrian tweeted.
He'll have to settle for quarterback for now.
Even though he will turn 41 in October, Favre doesn't figure to need much time to
get warmed up and ready for another season. He skipped all of training camp last year before unretiring and joining the Vikings. The three-time MVP delivered a season even he didn't expect.
He set career bests in completion percentage (68.4), quarterback rating (107.2) and fewest interceptions, while throwing for 4,202 yards. The Vikings (12-4) earned a first-round bye in the NFC playoffs, and Favre became the first 40-year-old quarterback to win a playoff game with a four-touchdown performance against the Dallas Cowboys.






Hamilton leaving no doubt he is the best player in baseball
Tom Verducci si.com
I love Josh Hamilton and couldn't agree more with Verducci!
Just another night in the life of the best player in baseball went something like this, at least as far as last Friday the 13th:

• Smash four hits all over the park: a single to left, a 440-foot bomb to center, a single and double to right.

• Score from third base on a pop fly to deep shortstop/short left.

• Score from second base on a ground ball to second.

• Make a diving catch on the warning track and a leaping catch against the centerfield wall.

• Cause the third-base coach to halt a runner from scoring from second on an otherwise routine run-scoring single to centerfield.

• Crush the postgame spread.

• Throw around hundreds of pounds of iron in a postgame weightlifting session.

• Gulp down a 2,000-plus-calorie protein shake, made with real cream, on the car ride home.

• Sit down for a full home-cooked meal by his wife. (Yes, for those of you scoring at home, that's the equivalent of three full meals just between the last out and bedtime.)

The legend of Josh Hamilton, Texas Ranger, is growing on a nightly basis. There is nobody like him in baseball, and possibly nobody this good, this big, this fast and this unique -- a 6'4", 235-pound sledgehammer of a hitter who can run balls down in center field and fly around the bases and hit for such a high average -- since Mickey Mantle in his prime.
Hamilton leads the league in batting (.362), slugging (.634), hits (161) and total bases (282). The rest of the league is playing for second place in the MVP race. He has no contemporaries, especially when you consider that the Rangers, somewhat against their better judgment, have started him 26 times in center field.
How rare is that kind of skill set? The last three players to have batted .360 and slugged .600 while playing that much center field are none other than Mantle in 1957, Stan Musial in 1948 and Joe DiMaggio in 1939.
Now, are there any more questions about who is the best player in baseball this year?
"He's certainly in the discussion," Texas GM John Daniels said. "You rarely see a guy perform at this level for this length of time."
In 65 games since June 1, just when the Texas heat is supposed to wilt players, Hamilton has hit .423. He also sets himself apart from other great sluggers because he is one of the game's best base runners and can play Gold Glove-caliber defense in the middle of the field. He has made 14 of his past 24 starts in center field.
Baseball doesn't have official player rankings as does golf and tennis, though its No. 1 player typically has caused little debate -- from Ken Griffey Jr. to Barry Bonds to Alex Rodriguez to Albert Pujols. Pujols' consistency is remarkable, especially measured against Hamilton's career. Hamilton is 29 and only 16 months older than Pujols, but has yet to play 100 games in back-to-back seasons -- minors or majors. But in the snapshot of today's game, based on skill set and production right now, Hamilton is the new BPB -- Best Player in Baseball. At the end of the year he could wind up with the batting title, MVP, Silver Slugger, Gold Glove and All-Star Game election, all for a first-place team.
The game last Friday against Boston belongs in a time capsule, so that when somebody who never saw him play wonders what Hamilton could do on a baseball field, just that one game will suffice.
"There aren't many days when Josh goes 0-for-4," Daniels said, "but if it does happen there are so many other ways he can help us win a game. Josh can influence the outcome of a game with his bat and glove.
"And when he goes from first to third, he's able to turn it on with his head up and without breaking stride and can see the ball or the coach. I was fortunate to see Larry Walker one year in Colorado. He runs the bases like that. He runs with his head up at full speed. He accelerates to full speed quickly, cuts the bases perfectly, and all the while his eyes are where they're supposed to be."
Walker and Bonds are the only outfielders in the past 50 years to hit .360 with 30 homers -- measurements within Hamilton's grasp. The men to do it before them were Mantle, Musial, DiMaggio and Ted Williams.
Hamilton is nothing more than a breathtaking comet for the moment. He has no real career to speak of and no certainty to his future. He threw away his early years in baseball because of drug addiction, endured an alcohol-related relapse last year, and his years trying to remain clean have been marred by injuries. He has played fewer major league games than Billy Butler, the 24-year-old Kansas City first baseman.
New Rangers owner Chuck Greenberg would love to lock up Hamilton this winter to a contract extension that buys out at least one year of free agency. (Hamilton is under Texas' control for two more arbitration-eligible seasons.) But what kind of length could be guaranteed when his body of work, however great, is so checkered? His value is complicated, too, by the oddity of not earning free agent rights until he is 31 years old. Remember, age matters in baseball now. There is not one player today in his age 36 season or older who is healthy and has an OPS better than .800.
Just for argument's sake, you could draw a faint comparison to Kevin Youkilis, another rare late bloomer, who signed his extension with the Red Sox in 2009 at age 29 -- Hamilton's age now -- and with two arbitration years remaining and coming off a year in which he finished third in MVP voting. He signed for $41.125 million over four years. Here's how Youkilis' numbers then match up with those of Hamilton now:

Kevin Youkilis vs. Josh Hamilton
Player Age G HR RBI AVG/OBP/SLG OPS
Youkilis 29 553 66 314 .289/.385/.472 .857
Hamilton 29 447 87 311 .310/.370/.541 .911

Hamilton will have bigger numbers and more awards on which to bargain. He will lack the bigger body of work. The Rangers briefly discussed a contract extension with Hamilton in spring training of 2009, shortly after Youkilis signed, but the club hit a financial downward spiral that eventually led to bankruptcy and Hamilton played only 89 games while spending two stints on the disabled list. Both developments put extension talks off to the side.
Greenberg inherits many financial loose ends in addition to a possible Hamilton extension. The contracts of manager Ron Washington, pitcher Cliff Lee, DH Vladimir Guerrero, catcher Bengie Molina and reliever Frank Francisco all expire this year. All issues are likely to be set aside until after the postseason, in which Texas tries to win its first-ever postseason series.
"Let's not cloud the picture right now," Daniels said.
In the meantime, the Rangers will do the best they can to keep Hamilton healthy, which is why they need center fielder Julio Borbon to hit. If Borbon doesn't hit, the Rangers have to play Hamilton more in center field than they would like, with David Murphy in left field and Nelson Cruz, when he recovers from a hamstring strain, in right field. They also need to give Hamilton a few more days at DH while resting Guerrero.
"It's hard to take Josh out of the lineup," Daniels said.
Who knows how long Hamilton can keep up this pace? He already has dealt with tendinitis in his right knee this month. But for now, the sight of a guy built like an NFL strong safety crashing into walls, blasting long home runs, flying around the bases, and chasing a batting title with a 22-point lead on Miguel Cabrera is something to behold. There is nothing like it in baseball.

The End Has Come for Brett Favre

We got vintage Favre in what may have been the legend's final game
www.si.com
NEW ORLEANS -- The moment was deeply routine, and yet it was not routine at all. Brett Favre sat on a stool in front of a cubicle in the visitors' dressing room in the belly of the Superdome. His pads and helmet were stuffed into a purple canvas bag with the Minnesota Vikings' logo on the outside. His shoes and socks sat on the floor. Slowly he peeled off his white game pants and pulled a sleeveless undershirt over his head. He squirted white, gooey shampoo into his grey buzz cut and it began running down off his head. All of this he has done hundreds of times since he was a little boy, flinging footballs around fields in Mississippi.
He rubbed a sort left wrist and a bruised right thigh. He hobbled on a sprained left ankle. He grimaced when he moved.
Yet in other ways it was not routine at all. Vikings' defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier sat down next to Favre and hugged him, speaking into Favre's left ear. When Frazier stood, quarterbacks coach Kevin Rogers approached, showered and wearing a suit, and hugged Favre.
Next came wide receiver Sidney Rice. Over the course of their one season together, Rice flourished with Favre, with 83 receptions in the regular season and then three touchdown catches last week in the divisional playoff victory over the Cowboys. Rice is 23 and Favre is 40. Rice made Favre young; Favre made Rice grow up. They were good together. Now Rice stood in front of Favre with a towel around his waist and they embraced until Favre dropped his head into the crook of Rice's neck and his eyes welled with tears.
Defensive tackle Pat Williams was next, all 317 pounds of him, wrapping Favre in an embrace and then walking out of the locker room without turning back. Those were four. "You probably missed the other 50 guys I gave a hug to," Favre would say after all this when a reporter asked him about speaking just with Frazier.
Maybe this is the way it finally ends for Favre, with a one-season grab at a last Super Bowl falling one game short, an exasperating 31-28 overtime loss to the Saints. There were no pronouncements from Favre late Sunday night in the Dome. "In a situation like this, I really don't want to make a decision right now based solely on what's happened," Favre said after the game. Had he offered a conclusion either way, he wouldn't have been believed, not with his history of indecision.
This much is safe to say: There's a pretty reasonable chance that Sunday's loss was the last game of Favre's career. And if that's the case, it was in many ways a snapshot of his career. He was brilliant and ballsy, competing his aging old butt off in the face of relentless pressure from the Saints. He threw 46 passes and completed 28, for 310 yards and one touchdown, and for most of the night kept the Vikings pushing toward a game that they should have won. Instead, they lost with five turnovers and two other crucial mistakes. And the worst mistake was Favre's.
There was 2:37 to play when the Vikings took possession at their own 21 with the game tied, 28-28. They had lost three fumbles, including one by rookie Percy Harvin that gave the Saints possession on the Minnesota seven and quickly led to a 28-21 New Orleans lead. There had been another by veteran wide receiver Bernard Berrian late in the third quarter in the red zone. And one credited to Favre on a sloppy handoff to Adrian Peterson, one of three times Peterson put the ball on the ground. Favre had suffered a nasty sprained ankle late in the third quarter and was hobbling now.
But there was a chance to end it and quiet the Dome, which had been deafening most of the night. On third-and-eight from the 23, Favre threw 10 yards to Berrian for a first down. On the next play he hit Rice for 20 yards, and on the next, Chester Taylor ran 14 yards to the Saints' 33. Favre could have taken three knees and then let his buddy, Ryan Longwell, kick a 50-yard indoor field goal to send the Vikings to the Super Bowl.
Two running plays gained nothing and then, inexcusably, the Vikings were flagged for having 12 men in the huddle on third-and-10 from the 33. Those five yards took them out of Longwell's range. They had to run a play.
Favre rolled right. There was open field in front of him, but instead Favre made the gunslinger's play and knifed a throw across his body toward Rice in the middle of the field. It was a crazy pass. Every young quarterback is taught: Never throw late over the middle. Trouble lurks. Saints' cornerback Tracy Porter read Favre's eyes and intercepted the pass. "I probably should have ran it," Favre said afterward. "I don't know how far I could have gotten, but in hindsight that's probably what I should have done. I don't know how many yards we needed for a field goal, but I knew we needed some." He paused.
"I was just late to Sidney."
The outcome seemed almost fated at that point, and it was. The Saints won the coin toss and the game on Garrett Hartley's 40-yard field goal less than five minutes into overtime. They are going to the Super Bowl for the first time in the franchise's 43-year history.
The Vikings' Favre experiment cuts two ways. He was signed to take a very good team to the Super Bowl. They knew it. He knew it. "This was all about winning another Super Bowl," Favre's wife, Deanna, told me after the Vikings' win over Dallas a week ago. That didn't happen, and by that measure the season is a disappointment. That Favre committed the most crucial error in a game full of them only underscores the failure.
And it's fair to say: This is what you get with Favre. He will make the great play, but he will also risk the critical mistake. He has not only the most touchdown passes in NFL history, but also, by a wide margin, the most interceptions. (His last pass as a member of the Packers was also a crucial pick on a bitter cold night in January 2008, all but handing the Giants a berth in the Super Bowl). But that would also be too simple.
A larger story was written, too. Favre made the Vikings much better. You can argue that they went just two games deeper into the postseason than they did with Tavaris Jackson and Gus Frerotte at quarterback, but that ignores a 12-4 regular season and a dominant playoff win over Dallas, which had been the hottest team in the NFL. And it ignores that Favre made the NFL a more interesting place. Granted, the money-minting league hardly needs help in drawing eyeballs, but ratings soared this fall and Favre was surely a big reason for that.
Sports history is full of great players who stay too long, yet Favre was vintage. And the season touched him. "Even though it was one year," he said, "it felt like 50." He meant that in a good way.
"All I can say is it's been a great year," said Favre. "This is a great group of guys. I'd love to win the Super Bowl. Who wouldn't? I didn't have anything to prove coming in. But I'm going out on top one way or the other."
When he was finished talking, he walked through long corridors in the basement of the Superdome until he found his family and put an arm around his wife. It had the feeling of something coming to an end and it wasn't all sad. Two teams move on, Favre stays behind. He deserves to be remembered not just for the last pass he threw, but also for the hundreds that came before it.







www.espn.com
NEW ORLEANS -- Brett Favre will never forget Sunday's NFC Championship Game.
His body won't let him.
Favre was pounded like a gavel, twisted like an Auntie Anne's pretzel. The guy got hit so hard and so often Sunday that Superdome officials should have a walking tour of the field.

Here's where Favre's left ankle went right.

Here's where Favre's right thigh took one for the team.

Here's where Favre's left wrist lost a chunk of flesh.

But most of all, here's where the Minnesota Vikings had their postseason crushed.

The New Orleans Saints beat the Vikings in overtime partly because -- no, mostly because -- they beat up Favre. That, and five Vikings turnovers, including one gruesome interception by Favre in the final 15 seconds of regulation.
By game's end, Favre's body color matched his helmet color: purple. He was 40 at kickoff. He was 60 at the final whistle. In between, he was knocked all the way to Kiln, Miss.
"How old are you?" said Favre to ESPN's Ed Werder as reporters formed a loose semicircle around his locker.
"Forty-nine," said Werder. "How old you feel?"
"Something around that," said Favre.
The Saints are going to their first Super Bowl thanks to a merciless defensive game plan designed to inflict pain. Favre was the inflictee.
You should have seen him sitting in front of that locker immediately after the loss. Red welts on his left arm. Blood on his upper right shoulder. A puffy left wrist. A raw gash on the same wrist. A swollen left ankle. A tender right thigh and lower back.
And red eyes.
One by one, Vikings coaches, teammates and staff made a beeline to Favre for handshakes, long hugs, backslaps and, yeah, tears. Were they thanking him or saying goodbye?
"I'd love to win the Super Bowl, who wouldn't?" Favre said later. "But, of course, I can't print anything for you guys, but I know I'm going out on top, one way or the other.
"My goal is to get to Miami. Obviously that's not going to happen. If it is [the last season], then there's no doubt I'm on top."
Favre said it won't take months for him to make his retirement-or-return decision. He first wants to remove himself from the emotion and physical pain of Sunday's defeat. Then he'll discuss the choice with his family.
"It's hard to even think about anything other than the loss," he said.
Vikings defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier spent at least five full minutes consoling Favre after the defeat. As Frazier leaned toward him and spoke, Favre dropped his head and pinched the bridge of his nose.
Wide receiver Sidney Rice hugged him for at least 30 seconds.
Guard Anthony Herrera was next. Then running back Adrian Peterson.
"'Preciate you," Favre said to Peterson.
Next came rookie wide receiver Percy Harvin, whose eyes were as misty as Favre's.
If this was the final game of Favre's Hall of Fame career, it ended with him standing near the sideline, helmet on, helpless as Saints kicker Garrett Hartley punched through the game-winning 40-yard field goal in OT. It was an inglorious end to a glorious season and, depending on Favre's decision, a glorious career.
Once again, Favre's final pass in an NFC championship resulted in a costly interception. It happened in the 2007 NFC Championship Game against the New York Giants. It happened Sunday against the Saints.
Favre deserves -- and accepted -- the blame for the forced throw intended for Rice on a third-and-15 play from the New Orleans 38. It cost the Vikings a chance at a long field goal and the win. Instead, the game went into overtime.
"I probably should have ran it," said Favre.
You mean, limp it. Favre couldn't run. He could barely walk, the result of a high/low hit that could have been called a penalty, but wasn't.
"Did it look bad?" Favre asked Sports Illustrated's Peter King.
King said it did.
"I thought I broke it," Favre said. "The lights went out. I could hear things crunching … Monday or Tuesday I promise the whole foot will be purple."
Favre's second interception -- his 30th postseason INT -- was a killer. It deprived the Vikings of what would have been a 55-yard field goal attempt by Ryan Longwell. That's no chippie, but the long try would have beat the alternative -- another Vikings turnover.
Blame Favre, if you want, but remember that Bernard Berrian's fourth-quarter fumble of a Favre pass at the Saints' 5 was also a killer. So was Harvin's fourth-quarter fumble at the Minnesota 22. So was a botched handoff exchange between Favre and Peterson at the Saints' 4 near the end of the second quarter. So was an inexplicable 12-men-in-the-huddle penalty the play before Favre's final INT.
In short, there aren't enough fingers to point at all the Vikings who screwed up Sunday. And by the way, the Saints and their crowd had a little something to do with the outcome.
If this was the end for Favre, he has zilch to apologize for. The Vikings wouldn't have reached the NFC Championship Game without him. As it was, he completed 28 of 46 passes for 310 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. He was the best player on a really good team. At 40.
"I didn't think I had anything to prove coming in," said Favre, "but if there were doubters out there, maybe I served notice to them."
A few minutes later, he left the makeshift stage and walked slowly, very slowly, down a stadium corridor to meet his family. You got the feeling that it might be the last walk down one of these corridors he ever makes.

Pictures of Brett Favre Newspaper Headlines and Articles

Pictures of Brett Favre Newspaper Headlines and Articles










Vikings tickets selling fast since Favre's arrival
EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. -- The Vikings have sold more than 3,000 season tickets since news broke that Brett Favre was coming to Minnesota. That's in approximately a 24-hour span.

Chief marketing officer Steve LaCroix says the team has sold about 10,000 single-game tickets during that time as fans clamor over the arrival of the veteran quarterback.

Seats for the game against Green Bay on Oct. 5 are only available through a season ticket. There are roughly 7,000 season tickets remaining. The Vikings had to race to beat the blackout deadline for several games last season.


Tarkenton again expresses disgustFran Tarkenton, who previously has expressed his loathing over Brett Favre's inability to make a decision, spoke out again Wednesday, a day after Favre decided to sign with the Minnesota Vikings.

"I really have no interest in what Brett Favre does. He kind of lost me a few years ago by retiring and unretiring and here and there," Tarkenton said on "The Opening Drive" on Sirius NFL Radio.

"I asked a few friends here, maybe 10 or 12 people we were out with last night. I said, 'What do you think about Brett Favre going back to the Vikings?' You know who cared? Nobody. It's good news for you guys. It's good news for television and so forth but the last time I heard ... football was a team sport, isn't it? It's not just about the quarterback."


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Tarkenton was later questioned during ESPN's "Outside the Lines" about Favre's right to pursue whatever he needed to pursue to keep on going.

"We have responsibilities were just not athletes that are in it all for ourself, football, is it not a team game? isn't it all about team ... and here comes Brett Favre riding in on his white horse, doesn't go to training camp, doesn't come to offseason workouts and he's gonna come on his white horse and bond with all these players."

Favre, who first retired in March 2008, came out of retirement and forced the Green Bay Packers -- with whom he had starred for 16 years -- to trade him to the New York Jets in August when the Packers declined to accept his unretirement.


He played one season for the Jets, then retired again in February.

But rumors started bubbling again in May that Favre wasn't fully committed to retiring. Vikings coach Brad Childress communicated regularly with Favre. And Tarkenton -- a Hall of Famer who spent five seasons with the New York Giants, but is remembered for his 13 seasons with the Vikings -- made clear he was disgusted by the team's flirtation with Favre.

"I think he has been a great flamboyant quarterback, but he has made more stupid plays than any great quarterback that I've ever seen. Look at his final game in a Packers uniform. He blew that game [NFC championship] against the Giants," Tarkenton said in late May on KFAN-1130 in the Twin Cities.

At first, Favre said he would remain retired. Then he wasn't sure. He said he would let the Vikings know by July 30. Then he decided he'd stay retired. Then on Tuesday, he flew to Minnesota and signed a two-year deal worth $25 million.


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"I really think the whole Brett Favre saga of retiring, unretiring, three weeks ago [saying] 'I can't play,' the Vikings said, 'We're moving on,' it's a circus," Tarkenton said Wednesday on "The Opening Drive." "It's an absolute circus, and it takes away from all the other things that are going on with the Vikings, with the NFL. We're getting ready for a football season and this is a circus and I just have no interest in it.


"Wouldn't you be upset if you're a Packer fan? I think you're going to have Packer fans burning the No. 4 Favre Green Bay jersey. I think the Packer fans have every right to be outraged."

Packers fans might be upset, but Vikings fans have embraced their new quarterback, as evidenced by the Vikings' ticket sales.

The team has sold more than 3,000 season tickets in 24 hours, and about 10,000 single-game tickets during that time. Seats for the Oct. 5 game against Green Bay are available only through a season ticket. There are roughly 7,000 season tickets remaining.

Last season, the Vikings had to race to beat the blackout deadline for several games.

Merchandise also is moving. Team chief marketing officer Steve LaCroix said several hundred pre-orders for Favre jerseys were placed online Tuesday. The purple No. 4s were scheduled to begin showing up in stores Wednesday.


Tony Dungy, the former Indianapolis Colts coach who retired -- and has stayed retired -- in January, was on "The Waddle and Silvy" show on ESPN 1000 in Chicago, and said Favre has a limited window in which to win over his new teammates.

"I would be very worried about that if I were the Minnesota Vikings and their head coach," Dungy said on "The Waddle and Silvy" show. "He's going to have to let them know he's as committed as they are. And get that across to them. If that happens, it could to be a big boost. If it doesn't happen, if players feel you weren't in this from the beginning ... is he really in this with us? If there were feelings for quarterbacks who were already there ... it's going to be interesting to see how this plays out."


Favre officially vilified in Green Bay
GREEN BAY, Wis. – Maybe Brett Favre(notes) lost the keenest segment of the Green Bay Packers fan base long ago. Maybe he lost them when every summer began to orbit around him, and every roster decision was applauded or disparaged based on how it impacted No. 4. Maybe he lost them in one tumultuous offseason after another, when his emotional whims became reason enough to hold the franchise hostage.


Or maybe he really, truly lost them on Tuesday, when he signed with the hated Minnesota Vikings, and then in Favre fashion, said “If you’re a true Packer fan, you understand.”


That was the line that still had fans fuming as they filed out of Stadium View Sports Bar in Green Bay, aptly named for its view of Lambeau Field down Armed Forces Drive. Some fans that had flocked for the Packers’ evening practice on Tuesday piled into the bar to watch Favre’s news conference. And ultimately they had a resounding opinion as they filed back out: Favre’s iconic legacy in this city has hit a new low.

No. 4 in purple

“I couldn’t believe the ‘true Packers fans’ should understand thing,” said Ron Knautz. “I’m 54 years old. I’ve been a Packers fan since I was 5, which is when I knew what the Packers were. I got my picture taken with Bart Starr when I was 12. I’m a true Packers fan. Maybe a true Packers player would understand how I feel.”


And that was an overwhelming sentiment pulsing through Green Bay, where radio talk shows were pre-empting programs and dumping everything but call-in segments, as the fan base opened a fiery vein. On the rare occasion a fan called to support Favre’s right to play for the Vikings, they were bayoneted by the next five callers, who reacted as if they’d just heard someone pitch the positives of joining the Taliban. One caller said he’d confiscated all the pieces of clothing in his house emblazoned with Favre’s number. Another woman said she had removed Favre’s autographed picture from her wall and banished it behind her couch.


“I think it comes down to how you were a fan,” said Gary Nixt, nursing a beer inside Stadium View. “If you’re a Packers fan, you’re behind the team and you’re going to have that tunnel vision. If you are a Brett Favre fan, you’re going to stand behind him no matter what he does.”


Nixt was among those behind Favre, saying “No matter what happens, he goes into the Hall of Fame as a Packer.” And he’s not entirely alone. Some have come to see the onetime icon as a self-absorbed football nomad. Others remain the baptized faithful, mindful of the 16 seasons which raised the Packers back to NFL relevance.


The latter have long given Favre its own version of amnesty. They blame general manager Ted Thompson for not bending more to the quarterback’s ego. They complain that other parts of the team failed Favre long before he ever failed them. And they have been slow to fully embrace Aaron Rodgers(notes), the successor who they believe helped force out their hero.


“Those people exist, absolutely,” said Brian Smith(notes), a Milwaukee resident who has been driving to Green Bay to watch practice and attend games “since Don Majkowski was a big deal.” Smith was parking his car across from Brett Favre’s Steakhouse, which suddenly seemed like a palpably awkward place to eat.


“Some people love Favre and will love him even if he beats the Packers twice a year for the next 10 years,” Smith said. “He’s just legendary in their eyes.”


You get the feeling it will be a little harder for those people to exist in Green Bay going forward. Yes, some fans will look at Favre now and see what they’ve always seen – like Elvis Presley fans who clung to his fading lounge acts in Las Vegas while still proclaiming him to be The King. Others? Tuesday took another chunk out of a crumbling mythology that may never be the same.


“Of course it takes away from his aura,” Knautz said. “He’s coming back with the Vikings.”


Knautz adjusted his Packers hat and made a sour face.


“The Vikings,” he said. “I never would have believed it.”

These Sports Figures Could Not Stay Retired

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Parcells' first two comebacks worked out well: he led the Patriots to a Super Bowl in 1996, just three years after taking over as head coach, and Jerry Jones lured Parcells out of a three-year retirement in 2003 to coach the Cowboys to three winning seasons in four years. Success in his third comeback attempt, turning around Miami, which went 1-15 in 2007, might take longer.
After completing the second of the Bulls' two three-peats in 1998, Jackson walked away unsure if he would find another ''basketball challenge'' to accept. But after a year off, he returned to coach the Lakers, leading Shaq and Kobe to a three-peat from 2000 to '02 before stepping down two years later. Of course, he came back to L.A. again the following year, and reached the NBA Finals two seasons later.
The Rocket flirted with retirement before each of his three seasons with the Houston Astros and waited until May 2007 to announce his final comeback with the Yankees. Clemens won his seventh Cy Young after his first retirement in 2004, but his 2008 season netted just a 4.18 ERA and 6-6 record.
Jordan's first comeback, after a stint in minor league baseball, resulted in three straight championships for the Bulls. His second comeback brought a new uniform and a somewhat diminished image as the Washington Wizards missed the playoffs during both of Jordan's seasons.
With rumors circulating of a third failed drug test, Williams retired and sat out the 2004 season before returning to the Dolphins in 2005. He finished the season averaging 4.4 yards per carry with six touchdowns, but was later found to have tested positive for drugs again. While serving his one-year suspension, Williams played in Canada. He returned to the NFL in 2007, but suffered a season-ending injury just six carries into his first game back.
The New York State Boxing Commission forced Ali into early retirement at 25 when it revoked his boxing license for refusing to serve in the Army. Ali returned three years later to stage his epic trilogy with Joe Frazier, and returned from a second retirement at 37, only to get embarrassed by Larry Holmes.
After 10 years away from the ring, Foreman came back from his second retirement in 1988. In 1994, at 45, he reclaimed the heavyweight title he had lost to Muhammad Ali 20 years earlier.
A chronic wrist problem forced Howe to retire in 1971 after a 25-year NHL career, but he got back on the ice two years later for the newly formed World Hockey Association's Houston Aeros. At 51 he signed with the NHL's newest team, the Hartford Whalers, and scored 15 goals in 80 games while helping the Whalers make the playoffs.
The former heavyweight champ retired in 1986 after a second loss to light-heavyweight champion Michael Spinks. Lured by a $3 million payday, Holmes made a comeback to fight Mike Tyson in '88 but lost in a fourth-round knockout and retired again. Coming back in '91, Holmes would eventually lose title bids against Evander Holyfield ('92) and Oliver McCall ('95) before beating Eric "Butterbean" Esch in 2002. He retired for good at 52, ending his 29-year career with a 69-6 record.
Forced to leave hockey for two months after being diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma in 1993, Lemieux returned to win the league's overall scoring record. Retiring again in '97, Lemieux maintained a position in the Penguins front office before returning to the ice in 2000 to finish with the league's best points-per-game average. Despite becoming the primary owner of the Penguins, Lemieux continued to play until his final retirement in '06.
In 1998, White retired after playing in two Super Bowls with the Green Bay Packers and being named NFL Defensive Player of the Year. Two years later he was back on the field as a Carolina Panther, finishing the season with six sacks and 16 tackles before retiring again.
No athlete is known for having more comebacks than Sugar Ray Leonard. His first retirement was in 1982 after he suffered a detached retina in his left eye. He returned a year later but re-retired after a fight with Kevin Howard. Leonard's next return, in '86, only lasted one fight as he beat Marvin Hagler in a split decision. In typical Leonard fashion, that retirement was only temporary and he came back in '88 before announcing two more retirements following loses to Terry Norris in '91 and Hector `Macho' Camacho in '97.