1/7/2007
Favre's tears trigger talk of retirement
QB says decision coming 'soon'
By RICK KLAUER / Packer Plus writer
Posted: Jan. 3, 2007
If there was a consensus among media circles about Brett Favre's future with the Packers, most of those who cover him closely were fairly convinced he would return for a 16th season in Green Bay. That, however, was before Favre's emotional television interview with NBC reporter Andrea Kremer on Sunday night at Soldier Field. The quarterback's eyes welled up with tears and his voiced trembled when asked by Kremer if the Packers' 26-7 victory over the Bears would ultimately be his final game. "If today's my last game, I want to remember it. It's tough. It's tough," said Favre, trying to fight back the tears. "I'll miss these guys, I'll miss this game. I just want to let them know that. . . . I wasn't planning on doing this either. Way to put me on the spot." As Favre struggled to keep his composure, his heart-felt responses certainly seemed indicative of a man who had come to accept retirement from the game he loved. Kremer asked Favre how he was handling the moment. "I think you can see," said Favre, his voice still quivering. "I love to play the game, I love these guys, love to compete. It just shows." When Favre came to the sideline after head coach Mike McCarthy replaced him with 1:33 left in the game, there was an impression something historic might be transpiring. Everyone looked to soak in the moment including Donald Driver. The wide receiver boosted Favre onto his shoulders and gave him a celebratory ride similar to the ones Favre had given Driver so many times after touchdowns this season. Other players and coaches offered hugs and handshakes, and Favre later posed for pictures with his offensive linemen. In the end, however, Favre never made an official announcement about his future one way or the other - neither in the interview with Kremer nor later in a post-game news conference with other reporters. He did say that he expected to make a decision sometime during the next two weeks. -- More
Favre retirement would provide
salary-cap windfall
By Pete Dougherty
greenbaypressgazette.com
If quarterback Brett Favre retires this offseason, the Green Bay Packers will pick up $9.6 million of room on their healthy 2007 salary cap. The Packers are believed to be close to $25 million under the 2007 cap, though that number will go down slightly when they make contract tenders to their restricted and exclusive-rights free agents, and even further if they sign any players to long-term deals before the start of free agency in March. If Favre retires, the Packers' judicious handling of his contract the last several years would result in only $1.4 million in " His salary for next season is $11 million. If he retires, the Packers will clear that base salary from their books but add the $1.4 million in accelerated signing bonus, for a net gain of $9.6 million on their 2007 cap. If Favre plays in 2007 and then retires, the Packers will clear his $12 million base salary from their 2008 cap and pick up only $600,000 in accelerated bonus, for a net gain of $11.4 million. General Manager Ted Thompson has plenty of cap room to work with this year, and having extra room from Favre's retirement doesn't mean Thompson will go on a major spending spree in free agency. But it would allow him and Brandt to go even further in front-loading contracts to save money on future caps, much like they did last year with the signings of defensive end Aaron Kampman and free-agent cornerback Charles Woodson. -- MoreFavre is team's brand name
Quarterback makes money on and off field for Packers
By DON WALKER / journalsentinel.com
Posted: Jan. 6, 2007
For the past 15 football seasons, Brett Favre has provided much of the horsepower that keeps the economic engine of the Green Bay Packers humming. Couple his image as a throwback player with his swashbuckling playing skills at the game's most important position, add a dash of national fame and celebrity, sprinkle in a compelling personal story, and you have the complete package. The Packers can rightfully claim they are a national team, and team officials and fan sites often hear from fans from around the world. But until Favre showed up at Lambeau Field in 1992 and became, in effect, the franchise's pitchman on and off the field, the Packers didn't register much on the national football scene. Even as Favre arrived from Atlanta in the early 1990s, things began to change for the better. The victories became commonplace, there were two Super Bowl appearances, including one championship, and the team began making multiple appearances on national television. Suddenly, everyone seemed to be on the Packers bandwagon, and buzz and merchandise sales grew. Despite all of that success, the Packers front office knew that aging Lambeau Field had to be refurbished. With Bob Harlan's leadership and Favre's commitment to the franchise, the iconic stadium was transformed into a money machine for local revenue. Today, there are suggestions the Favre era is about to end. Favre's tearful interview last Sunday night on national TV led many, but not all, observers to conclude that he would retire. -- More
I found this rather amuzing video on YouTube of Brett on 'Deal or No Deal' where they take clips of Brett's interview and make it seam as though the Pro Bowler is on the show.
This time, Favre needs to return to Packers
By Michael Hunt
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
This time last year I was solidly and unapologetically in the Brett-Favre-must-go camp. Let him retire and get on with the rebuilding. Or, better yet, trade him while he still had value as a way to add more young pieces to a restoration process that seemed several years from taking hold. And do it for Favre. Give the man an opportunity to at least go out with a team that had a chance to win. Similarly unapologetic, I have since crossed over. The Green Bay Packers will be a better team in 2007 with No. 4. At the risk of inconsistency, I didn't see Favre recovering from a 29-interception 2005 to regain something close to his one-time level in 2006. Didn't see the new coaching staff reining him in, not coddling him or holding him responsible like everyone else on the team. Didn't possibly see how Favre could make a difference on such a young team that seemed predisposed to win five or six games at most. And if anyone actually did see those things coming, please e-mail me so I can forward Social Security and credit-card numbers for the Brooklyn Bridge-type investment of your choice. Of course, the danger in endorsing a Favre / Packers reunion tour is that Favre, at 37, could abruptly lose whatever he suddenly regained last season. Or that the Packers' strong finish was, at best, illusionary. But here's the bigger risk: When Aaron Rodgers went down last season, he missed more games in a matter of weeks than Brett Favre missed during his entire 16-year career. Maybe Rodgers is injury-prone. Worse yet, maybe he can't play. If anyone insists otherwise, they aren't being honest because no one knows whether the Packers wasted a first-round pick on what was to be their quarterback of the future. I was convinced that last year would've been the time to find out if Rodgers could play, but I was wrong. -- More
It's OK if Favre has records on mind
By Chris Havel
Brett Favre's future is now. The Green Bay Packers' quarterback isn't as good as he once was, but to paraphrase the country tune, he is as good once as he ever was. It showed in his play during the Packers' 26-7 victory at Chicago in the regular-season finale. Favre was the best quarterback at Soldier Field on New Year's Eve. That isn't saying much since the alternative was the Bears' ill-prepared Rex Grossman, whose quarterback rating — 0.0 — was identical to the chance he gives Chicago in the playoffs. While the Bears' dilemma is deciding how long to stick with a fraud, Favre's dilemma is deciding when enough is enough. The answer seems as obvious as Grossman's lack of talent: One more season. Favre, 37, could walk away today as one of the NFL's all-time greats. He is a first-ballot Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback, and he is one of the few players that truly became a legend in his own time. He has nothing to prove, and he doesn't owe anybody anything. He gave back to the game more than he took from it. The question is, why stop now? As a staunch Favre supporter since he uncorked his first 100 mph fastball inside the Packers' original indoor practice facility, I thought greatness would be his sooner or later. It turned out to be sooner and later. Favre has silenced his critics, and he has outplayed and outlasted his opponents. His contemporaries are relegated to acknowledging the cheers at Lambeau Field with a smile and a wave as they stroll toward midfield on Alumni Day. From Fuzzy Thurston to Frank Winters, there isn't one who wouldn't give everything to play one more game. -- More
Cheerleader of the Day --
Meet Lauren
Oakland Raiders
Cheerleader
Lauren is starting her rookie season with the Silver and Black. She is currently attending Diablo Valley College and majoring in registered nursing. She plans to finish her undergraduate education, and hopes to move on to a nursing program so that she can become a labor and delivery nurse. Lauren is also a real estate agent and works a mortgage consultant. Lauren loves to learn new things and is hoping to take up flying in the near future. She also has experience in sign language. She hopes to one day learn several more languages so that she can travel the world. She is also involved in several charities, including the American Cancer Society and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.Published by PackerPundit On Sunday, January 07, 2007 at 7:07 AM.
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