On the same day that Adam Schefter officially arrives at ESPN, the four-letter network has made a “breaking news” splash regarding a non-report report from Jay Glazer of FOX.
(As the competition increases, Clayton finally has sworn off farting while on the air.)
Though Glazer is not reporting that Favre will be a Viking in 2009, Glazer comes excruciatingly close to doing so.
“After visiting the Vikings for two days, I am convinced -- positively convinced -- that Brett Favre will soon have talks with the Vikings to return to the team and could be joining them for this season after all,” Glazer writes. “If my instincts are correct, all those purple Favre jerseys will have a home on Minnesota store shelves.”
Glazer also says that “damn near everybody” at Vikings camp agrees with this assessment. (Glazer caps that sentiment with an exclamation point. However, when that form of punctuation is associated with Glazer’s name at any point going forward, our first thought will be of Glazer inviting a gaggle of blue hairs to “eat it!”)
Though Glazer is careful to point out that it’s not hard news, it’s the most confident form of educated speculation we’ve ever encountered.
“During my two days in Mankato, nearly everyone I talked to within the team talked about Favre joining not as an ‘if’ but rather a ‘when,’” Glazer writes.
“This is not one of those ‘FOXSports.com has learned ...’ scoops. Instead, it’s a picture that has been painted for me and a prediction I’m making after spending my time with Zygi Wilf’s squad. My prediction couldn’t be more emphatic.”
Bottom line? Glazer isn’t putting his reporting reputation on the line with this one, yet. But he’s definitely venturing far onto the limb with respect to his prognostication skills.
For what it’s worth, Peter King of SI.com has a similar -- though not as strong -- feeling regarding Favre’s potential future with the Vikings.
“I think the Minnesota Vikings, should they struggle at quarterback, will call Brett Favre,” King writes in his Monday Morning Quarterback column. “It’s a pretty strong feeling, based on knowing the people involved and based on the desperation of the Vikings to do more than win a division this year.”
So there you have it. Only days after we finally learned Mike Vick’s destination for 2009, Lord Favre is back in play.