Rick Schwartz of Yahoo! Sports reports that quarterback Brett Favre has told the Vikings within the past day that he plans to remain retired.
Per the report, Favre is expected to publicly announce his decision in the near future.
But even a tattoo to that effect on Favre’s forehead would keep many (including us) from believing that Favre won’t be back. And we won’t fully believe it until at least two NFL seasons have come and gone without him.
If the report is accurate, there’s a chance it’s simply part of the dance. Since no other team has come forward to compete with the Vikings for Favre’s services, Favre and agent Bus Cook need to come up with a way to maximize Favre’s compensation. His only leverage, in this case, is to pass on the financial terms and declare that he’s content to stay retired.
At this point, an about-face from Favre would indeed be a surprise. As Chris Mortsensen of ESPN posted in his Twitter feed today, “Don’t think for one minute that any reports of scheduled visits, QB coach search by [Favre], and mutual interest are wrong. All are dead on.”
Then again, as we pointed out in a recent PFTV segment, the thing that seems to be logical is the thing that Favre ends up not doing. So with momentum moving toward Favre joining the Vikings, a decision by Favre to keep riding his tractor a bit longer is the kind of curve ball that fits the pattern.
And then, once we all begin to believe that he won’t be playing this year, he’ll suddenly re-emerge.
Apparently, he likes it that way. Apparently, he’s only one who does.
Report: Favre Tells Vikings He's Not Coming Back
Posted by Mike Florio on May 7, 2009, 3:35 PM EDT
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84 Responses to “Report: Favre Tells Vikings He's Not Coming Back”
Or, you know, there was nothing to any of this since all we had were “sources” from Mort that seem to constantly be wrong. You guys must have the same sources.
either the vikes didnt offer enough moolah, or they want him in for all team activities.
the king would then pass.
Report: One-Night-Stand From Last Night Doesn’t Usually Do This Type Of Thing
I don’t believe this for one second.
There goes any hope of the Vikings even smelling a super bowl trophy. Looks like John Booty or Tavaris or Sage Rosencopterfumblefells will have to step their game up.
Or just hand it off to AP 63 times a game. Doing that would probably yield better results than letting their QB”s lollipop passes into the air.
Looks like it’s over, you knew I couldn’t stay
Favre’s not comin’ home today
We had a good thing, I’ll miss your sweet love
Why must you look at me that way?
It’s over
Sad eyes, turn the other way
I don’t wanna see you cry
Sad eyes, you knew there’d come a day
When we would have to say goodbye
I call shenanigans.
oh
SMOKESCREEN!!!!!
This is terrible news. The Vikes must not have kissed his butt properly. Oh well, now the Packer fans can continue to idolize him even though he holds them in utter contempt.
Please, oh please let this saga be struck down by the great and furious anger of Gawwed-uh.
Hear that?
That’s the sound of the Internet rolling its eyes and no one believing a word of it.
As I recall, he said the same thing to the Packers this time last year….
Stop thinking about yourself Brett! The American people need you now more than ever!
Get your fat ass into your purple skivvies,strap on your howitzer arm and tell the grim reaper to get the hell out of your way! Its time to play ball!
Didn’t he already announce his retirment publicly…like a million times already? What an attention-hog.
this part time writer seems to be an expert on Brett Farve. You assume that he’s coming back as a Viking when he says he retired. Given the perfect opportunity, he stays true to his decision–thus proving you wrong–and you backpeddle by saying that he will remerge when you least expect it because that’s who he is…
number 1: you don’t know what brett farve is going to do or is thinking because you’re not Brett Farve.
number 2: you want to have it both ways–the trouble is u were wrong twice
number 3: journalism is about reporting the news not making blind speculations and predjudiced remarks. Give the guy a break and go back to writing in ur online blogs.
Even if this is true (which I doubt), he would still have three more months to change his mind.
He’ll sign right before the first preseason game and start smiling and jumping into strangers arms to build chemistry. I love Kerry Rhodes for saying right at the end of the season last year either be part of the team or get the hell out.
He’ll change his mind once OTA’s, mini-camps and whatnot has passed and training camp is on the horizon.
Farve was a great QB! Its time to end the Farve talk forever he is done over retired, good luck to you Farve.
Please let this report be true.
20 minutes from now: “Report: Favre may have had fingers crossed while refuting comeback intentions”
*cries*
This is sounding more like a competition among the different sites (Yahoo, ESPN, whatever) than real reporting. SI seems to be pissed about the whole Favre thing, probably because no one is giving them rumors to report. No one is credible at this point. If and when Favre signs a contract, that will be news.
you have chosen………wisely
Pretty upset to hear this. I wanted Brett to beat GB
Brett went to the Packers and said, “How about that $20 mill now?”
The Packers said, “Screw you farm boy.”
Brett went to the Packers and said, “Ok, then I will play for the Vikings”
The Packers then said, “Here are 20 million reasons to stay retired.”
Now Favre will sign a one day contract to retire a Packer, and there will be very little news of the $20 M buyout. So Favre comes out looking like it was all about playing football and not about the money.
Remember, if his character was not called out last year for going after the money, he’d never have been a Jet.
He just doesn’t want to go to training camp. How is this not obvious to everyone?
Douchebag says I’m retired…
Don’t buy it. He just doesn’t want to do things like participate in off season workouts, minicamps, and training camp because he’s above that. He’s so good, he can learn a new offense without practice. It worked out aces for the J-E-T-S last season, didn’t it? He wants to do minimal participation, yet get maximum pay. He’s easily on the all time a$$hole team…
It’s beginning to sound like Generalisomo Franco. “He’s still dead.”
So Favre is going to have an annual announcement, “I’m still retired.”
I’ll believe it when he passes away…til then I’ll remain skeptical.
Part of the reason for the excessive media coverage of Brett Favre is the whole “according to source who is a team/family member/league official” line we get related to any news story about him. When I see sources start putting their names to their information, I’ll believe the news…otherwise I ignore it all.
So in other words, he wants to wait until the end of the month to sign the contract.
If he announces that he’s going to stay retired, he will stay retired. Mostly because the Vikings won’t appreciate being jerked around. If he says one thing and then tries to do another the Vikings will tell him to go back to his day job……. which of course is flogging the back of John Madden’s throat with his rooster.
“Insert banjo music here”
Please, just let it end.
How about we talk about Manny Ramirez instead…
File your paperwork and I’ll believe you.
The Vikings almost certainly want him in for mini-camp, and Brett doesn’t do mini-camp anymore. Look for this tiresome dance to resume the day after Vikings mandatory mini-camp ends in early June…
Favre to media: drop dead.
wow…christmas came early for sage
NYG-Krow says:
May 7th, 2009 at 3:48 pm
Oh well, now the Packer fans can continue to idolize him even though he holds them in utter contempt.
———————————–
Yeah. Cause that’s what we’ve been doing.
Hi, my name is Reality. Nice to meet you.
Queue the Vikings fans “We never wanted him anyways, he’s washed up” rhetoric….. Here it comes! Biggest bandwagon fans in the history of the NFL and the coming comments will just be more evidence to support the claim!
Oh. Well that’s the last word on that, then. Favre’s always been a man of his word. I’m sure he’ll just slip off into anonymity now.
“Well I’m gonna go then. And I don’t need any of this. I don’t need this stuff, and I don’t need you. I don’t need anything except this. And that’s it and that’s the only thing I need, is this. I don’t need this or this. Just this ashtray. And this paddle game, the ashtray and the paddle game and that’s all I need. And this remote control. The ashtray, the paddle game, and the remote control, and that’s all I need. And these matches. The ashtray, and these matches, and the remote control and the paddle ball. And this lamp…”
Brett Favre IS “The Jerk.”
Favre is still mad at the Vikings for letting Randy Moss go.
So he’s staying retired.
For now.
This news would properly be named the Second Annual Brett Favre Unretirus-Interruptus. Don’t forget he pulled this same tired old act last year. Ted and the boys were all set to fly down and see him when he decided he’d made a mistake by saying he’d made a mistake in retiring too soon.
This was followed shortly by the news that he’d made in mistake in thinking he’d made a mistake in saying he’d made a mistake in retiring too early.
So stay tuned. Act 1 is complete, but after intermission Act 2 begins and we’ll have more interviews, more consternation, less practice and more Retirus Interruptus.
I heard he want a favre year deal worth favrety two million
Maybe he is actually smart enough to figure out how this will affect his legacy.
I don’t idiolize Favre at all. Only thing that probably stopped Favre from coming back was either his arm wasn’t healed or he didn’t want to take part in the Mini Camps. I wouldn’t put it past Favre to wait until the Mini Camps were over and then decide he wants to come back again.
In related news, the Wranglers of the Hattiesburg City Rec Fall Football League have called a press conference for 10:00AM on Friday to announce who their starting QB will be this year.
Funny, ESPN had the story on their blog, then pulled it 5 minutes later. What is going on??
Another fake-out move by Favre and Bus Cook. Favre doesn’t have to announce his comeback or sign with the Vikings until just before training camp. In the meantime, he can get his arm checked out by a specialist, have surgery if necessary, then get ready to play.
Favre can drag this out for another month or two while the media awaits his every utterance and the Vikings get more and more desperate to pay him big money.
Hey Farva, what’s that place you like with all the crap on the walls and the fried cheese sticks?
-Shenanigans??? Are you guys talking about Shenanigans???
I will believe he’s not coming back when the season starts and HE DOESN”T COME BACK.
“Apparently, he likes it that way. Apparently, he’s only one who does.”
Please. The entire sports media loves it. That’s why a good 1/3rd of the stories here in the past two weeks have been about Favre, and why they you can’t watch SportsCenter without hearing about it. If you guys didn’t like it, then you wouldn’t be posting every immaterial detail and then rehashing it the next morning.
string up the violin music
who gives a flying fart in space
get over it will ya Florio and move on
It ain’t over until the fat lady sings. Bret Favre and the Vikings – it is good for business. Go Bret go!
Thanks Florio for fanning the flames against Brett, like he needed any help.
My favorite part was “And then, once we all begin to believe that he won’t be playing this year, he’ll suddenly re-emerge.
Apparently, he likes it that way. Apparently, he’s only one who does.”
Apparently reports of you being a journalist and not just a blogger stirring up the trash others generate are not accurate either.
Yeah, because Favre’s word has been a rock thus far. Favre has both outright lied his off since last summer and contradicted himself at every turn. Not even 24 hours before the report came out about meeting with Childress he texted Dilfer and said “No”. Last year it was “just rumors”. Another bald faced lie. Favre is the biggest phony in the history of the NFL. Nothing about him is genuine, aside from his dishonesty and spite.
And sorry Vikings fans, Favre isn’t going to get you any closer to a Super Bowl. He was even outplayed by Tarvaris Jackson in the final 5 games. But on the bright side, if Favre signs with your team you’ll offically have the two dumbest hicks in professional sports on your roster………Favre and Jared Allen.
To all NFL Fans;
Ha Ha fooled you again! You guys are easy! Easier than beating the Minnesota Vikings.
Stay Tuned……. I’ll get you again later
Brett
“The NFL’s Huck Finn” was a cute act for a long time. Maybe – just maybe – he’s starting to realize that when you’re almost 40 it’s time to grow up whether you want to or not.
“But even a tattoo to that effect on Favre’s foreheard would keep many (including us) from believing that Favre won’t be back. And we won’t fully believe it until at least two NFL seasons have come and gone without him.”
As such, I’m sure you’ll report to that effect ad-nauseum.
oh crap! what will florio do all summer long?
MIKE VICK, COME BACK!!! FLORIO NEEDS YOU!!
Yeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Anything to keep his name in the headlines. Just another page from TO’s playbook.
Ain’t buyin this for a second. Its painfully obvious to most of us that he just doesn’t want to do minicamp and OTAs.
Three or four years ago, I’d use the word hero to describe Favre, now, it’d have to be douchebag.
It’s a damn shame he’s used the game we all love the way he has. The past few years have been nothing but manipulation and lies.
You make me sick, sir…errr, douchebag.
TCLARK says:
May 7th, 2009 at 4:10 pm
File your paperwork and I’ll believe you.
He filed his paperwork in Feb after he left the Jets.
If it’s true, good for Farve. It’s the smartest move.
What the blue hell is it going to take for all of this to go away?!?!
Brett…we get it…you love the game.
Talking heads…we get it…you love talking about Brett Favre.
I was intrigued last year…slightly. But this year…NOPE!!
Make it stop! In the name of all things holy…make it stop!!
When Favre told Chilly no, did Ashton Kutcher pop out from behind the counter? You’ve been punked, Minny!
Its the camps, he wants no part of it… good for Chilly to not give in. Screw him if he doesn’t want to work on timing with the WRs.
What the hell is a foreheard?
This is wonderful news!
If he signs, then it’s over. No more daily reports. No more snarky comments. No more pleas to make it stop. No more green and yellow blood. No more purplish-blue and gold blood. The agony and outrage continues for another few months.
What more can a fan ask for during the offseason?
Keep up the great work Bret. You’re still the best!!
Favre should maximize his compensation by sticking it to the packers and Ted Thompson
Stick’em Favre
And the offseason of the heartbroke quarterback continues. Denver and Cutler, Washington multiple times with Campbell, Tampa and Leftwich, New York and whatever shmoe thought they really were going to start, and now Minnesota. Washington and Minnesota both have to continue to kiss the ass of their quarterback that they got left at the altar with instead of leaving them behind.
Obama will fix this!
>>TCLARK says:
May 7th, 2009 at 4:10 pm
File your paperwork and I’ll believe you.<<
He did. See: http://www.profootballtalk.com/2009/02/11/this-time-favre-files-retirement-paperwork/
all part of the contractual kabuki?
or… doubtful, but maybe he all of a sudden he likes the packers’ offer better. they dont require mini-camps or training camp.
Who is really gonna miss watching an over the hill QB toss the rock to the other team and losing more than he wins? Get a life people…its a game.
cool story hansel
As a Vikings fan, the view of the quarterback position over the last 24 hours is summed up best in the “very special” episode of Saved by the Bell where Jessi Spano, portrayed by Elizabeth Berkley, becomes addicted to caffeine pills.
“I’m so excited…I’m so excited….I’m so (sob)….scared!”
espn says he didnt want surgery or to do all the OTAs etc.
and that the vikings wanted him to do both.
if so, the vikings did it the right way: do it our way or forget it, brettney.
altho, i sometimes do question the efficacy of “the viking way”…
yup…he hired a personal trainer to get ready to drive the tractor.
empty13 says:
May 7th, 2009 at 7:59 pm
espn says he didnt want surgery or to do all the OTAs etc.
and that the vikings wanted him to do both.
if so, the vikings did it the right way: do it our way or forget it, brettney.
altho, i sometimes do question the efficacy of “the viking way”…
————————————
Agreed. I usually find myself on the other side of a Vikings discussion, but it appears one of two things happened:
- Childress laid out the rules and Favre balked
- Favre re-re-changed his mind
If it turns out that the sticking point was Childress’ insistence on Favre’s full participation, then Childress goes up a couple notches in my book. Each coach Favre’s burned allowed him to walk all over him. McCarthy and Holmgren didn’t allow it. Sherman and Rhodes did and I assume Mangini did as well. So if Chilly stuck to his guns, I commend him. Especially with him on the hot seat (or at least apparently on the hot seat).
Viking fans welcome to the Packer fans 4-5 year world of being punked by the narcissistic, diva Favre. Now in July he”ll have the itch, after you’ve already installed all your offense with Sage and t jack. I laugh in your general direction.
“Per the report, Favre is expected to publicly announce his decision in the near future.”
Didn’t he already do the a couple of times? Gotta drag the press to Hattisburg again! Maybe his charity golf tourney is coming up again and he can get them all there for that by saying he’s having a press conference and then say “I have nothing to announce, welcome to the 20th annual Brett Favre Golf Classic….”