Favre: “My Intentions Are Not To Create Controversy”

During a live HBO interview with Joe Buck tonight, retired NFL quarterback Brett Favre made it clear that he’s very serious about potentially playing football again. That is, provided his surgically repaired shoulder cooperates and the Minnesota Vikings work out a contract with the former NFL Most Valuable Player. When asked if he plans to play football again, Favre was noncommittal, though. He answered Buck’s question with one word: “Maybe.” When asked later about the prospects of playing for the Vikings, Favre replied: “I am considering it.” Dressed casually in a black T-shirt and jeans, Favre appeared relaxed. Yet, Favre acknowledged that it has been a roller coaster ride over the past few years as he has straddled the line between retirement and continuing to play the game. “It is,” Favre said. “I know people are tired of it. As we talked prior to the show, my intentions are not to create controversy. “It is what it is. I haven’t watched anything. I did see satellite trucks outside our gate. I was sneaking outside our back gate. I don’t know. It’s crazy. I try not to pay attention.” Favre acknowledged having surgery last month. He had his partially torn biceps tendon repaired and said it will be a few more weeks before he can really test out his right arm with a total recovery time of four to six weeks. “About 2 1/2 weeks ago, I had surgery with Dr. James Andrews,” Favre said. “More or less, I can throw and I could throw before the surgery, but I couldn’t throw late in the year last season. Certain throws hurt. I had pain in my neck and down my arm. When I left the first time, I knew I needed surgery and I didn’t want to have it. “If it feels better, I’m rehabbing. I have talked to the Vikings, but nothing more than, ‘Are you interested?’ and vice versa. I’ve had the procedure, which they know. It’s more or less how my arm feels and we’ll go from there.” Favre confirmed that a Vikings trainer visited him in Mississippi on Sunday. He pointed out that no Vikings coach visited him, which had been previously reported last week by ESPN.com. “I met with their trainer yesterday,” Favre said. “All it was about was going through some exercises, some stretching, band work.” Favre said that he’s only talking with the Vikings. “That’s all I’ve talked to, yeah,” Favre said. “It makes perfect sense as far as coming back to an offense I’ve run for 16 years. I could teach the offense. It was tough going to New York last year. I was two weeks late, totally new offense. [Jets offensive coordinator] Brian Schottenheimer and [former Jets coach] Eric Mangini were great with me. We condensed it, but it was like learning a foreign language.” Favre considers the Vikings to be a contender with star running back Adrian Peterson operating as the centerpiece of the offense. “It makes a lot of sense,” Favre said. “The pieces are in place. They have a great running back. They have a great running game. If I go there, there are no guarantees. “I would like to think that every player would think they’re a difference-maker. I think in that situation, understanding what is expected of you, knowing your team, knowing that as long as we can run the ball and complete the ball when needed, we should be pretty good.” Notice Favre said “we” in referring to the Vikings. Buck asked what would it take for him to end his retirement and suit up again. Favre’s reply: “First and foremost, you can’t go past the arm. If that’s not up to par, when the time comes, then I can’t play. I went through it last year, and yeah, I gutted it out, or whatever. But it affected me, and it affected our team, and I don’t want to do it again, and I won’t do it again. “That is why I went ahead and had the surgery. I had the procedure done and as I rehab and if it ever gets to the point where it feels like it did before it started hurting, then we’ll see where it is.” Favre said there was never a deadline imposed by Vikings coach Brad Childress for him to show up for an Organized Team Activity. “No,” Favre said. “It’s not like I talk to those guys every day. Coach Childress did ask if I would go to OTA’s and I chose not to. You can pick sides on this. I think both sides are right. He wanted me to be there to be a part of the team knowing there’s no guarantee that my arm will be like it was before. “I figured it would be a media frenzy if I was there and a media frenzy if I couldn’t play later on. Why not just have one media frenzy? It’s either all or nothing with me.” When it comes to the criticism from former Vikings quarterback Fran Tarkenton and the question of whether he’s tarnishing his legacy, Favre didn’t seem to let it bother him. “I think the 16 years I spent in Green Bay speaks for itself,” Favre said. “This whole process, I was talking to Chad [Ochocinco] backstage and there are people in your corner no matter what and people who aren’t going to like you, no matter what. You know what? “There are those that we get letters from all the time, nice e-mails from such and such, but my wife never shows me the bad ones. There are people who don’t give a damn. I totally understand that. It is what it is. Whether it’s right or wrong, who’s to say? I’m trying my best not to fuel the fire even though I am.” Favre said he got some advice from retired broadcaster and NFL coach John Madden. “When you’re gone and you’re away from this game, you just can’t go back,” Favre said. “I’m 40 years old in October. I’m not getting any younger. Things you think about at 39, you think about at 25. I get the same response from my family when I asked them what I should do: ‘Whatever you want to do, dad.’” Many Packers fans are angry that Favre would even consider wearing the Vikings’ purple. “I don’t know what to tell them,” Favre said. “Vince Lombardi went to the Washington Redskins. I don’t hear people saying, ‘That damn traitor, he went to Washington.’ “Time heals a lot of things. Did some things happen there that may have ruffled the feathers for both sides? Yes. They chose to go in a different direction and that’s okay. I chose to play again and that’s okay. It’s football. It’s not life or death.” Favre wasn’t asked specifically if he’s returning to play again to get revenge on Packers General Manager Ted Thompson. Favre’s final answer dealt with being a celebrity in the sports world. “As I got older, I cared less about what’s going on besides football,” Favre said. “I would go hunting, come back, go to the stadium. That was it. Twelve years ago when I quit drinking, I stopped going out to bars and doing things like that. “I wouldn’t trade these 12 years for nothing. I’m at peace. I don’t want people to say, ‘There’s such and such.’ It doesn’t turn me on the way it once did. People are going to take sides and say, ‘He’s full of crap.’ I can’t change that.” The show was billed as a discussion of athletes and celebrity. Prior to Favre’s appearance, there was a lengthy segment of Favre highlights and interviews with the Packers before retiring for the first time followed by Favre ending his retirement and being traded to the Jets before retiring once again. Then, the latest Favre watch was detailed, including shots of Scott Hanson of NFL Network reporting from outside Favre’s Mississippi home. After a camera shot of Favre getting some powder applied to his face backstage from a makeup girl, Favre and Buck went through an attempted comedy bit where Favre promised Buck that he would be the first guest in the history of the program. And so Favre was, leaving the distinct impression that if his arm cooperates then he’ll lace up his cleats one more time.