So this much seems clear: Brett Favre won't be playing for the Green Bay Packers this year.
Aside from that, the whole situation is more than a bit murky. The Buccaneers and Jets have been named in news reports as teams Favre might get traded to. And perhaps by the time you read this blog, a trade will have already been completed.
But for now, it's all just talk. In a press conference this afternoon, Packers coach Mike McCarthy had this to say on his talks with Favre over the past two days:
We agreed to disagree. … The train has left the station, whatever analogy you want.
Apparently, not a single reporter could get clarification on the issue, as the report cited above quoted McCarthy as saying that Favre was not in the "proper mindset" to lead the team. I can only assume that means Favre's feelings were sufficiently hurt that the Packers did not immediately welcome him back as their starting quarterback once he announced his desire to return to football, and that his appearance at the Packers' training facility on Monday was little more than a formality in order to expedite a trade. Or perhaps it means that the Packers were not willing to give him his job back without competing for it against Aaron Rodgers, something Favre might not have been willing to do.
Regardless of who is being more intractable, it seems that Packers fans are on Brett's side and holding the Packers' brass accountable, if the comments on the Green Bay Press-Gazette are any indication.
This article appears in Aug 6-12, 2008.