July 17, 2008

Can there possibly be a good ending to the Brett Favre saga?

As each day passes with more “I said this and he said that,” the less likely there will be a happy ending. Who’s to blame? The Packers organization or Favre?

Both.

The Packers ended last season minutes from reaching the Super Bowl and with Favre proving he could play at an astounding level, throwing for more than 4,000 yards. That last pass of the season, though, landed in the hands of a New York Giant – and the rest is history.

Three months later, Favre tearfully announced his retirement from football. I believed him, the tears and the talk of his broken body and how he liked playing, but getting into playoff shape and taking a beating like he did was starting to wear him down.

It appeared genuine.

But of course, three months later when the aches and pains of a difficult season ended, Favre got the itch back. Like any great competitor, he wanted back on the field. The only problem was that three months ago, the Packers moved on. Can you blame a franchise for moving on after the record-setting, face of the team moved beyond the football field? Hardly. The NFL is about winning and the Packers had to figure out a way to win without Favre. So they moved on.

For the past two weeks, the Favre-Packers saga has adopted a soap opera feel, and like a soap opera, there may not be answers for a long time.

Favre wants to play and says he’ll always be a Packer. The Packers are planning on starting Aaron Rodgers at quarterback. The California prospect was drafted four seasons ago as Favre’s heir-apparent and has watched each season as the retire-no retire talk flowed.

Favre playing in Green Bay this fall seems less likely each day.

The Packers could trade him, but it would have to be to a dismal team with no chance of coming back to bite the Packers. Does Favre really want to play for a team without a chance of winning – even with him at quarterback? Does a team trade for Favre only to see the Southern Miss guy run the retirement talk next offseason?

Favre wants to be released outright and find a team to play with on his own. Do that and Minnesota and Chicago – two of Green Bay’s biggest rivals – will beat down the front door. Only stupidity would lead the Packers in that direction.

The Packers could keep him, pay the $12 million and make him a clipboard holder for a season, but what happens the first time Rodgers throws three interceptions in a game? Packer Nation revolts, wondering why the holder of almost every NFL passing record is standing on the sidelines.

No easy answer presents itself for this drama, only that it gives a slow time of year in the sports department something more to write about.. Slap blame on both the Packers and Favre and hope somehow things can be resolved.

Just don’t hold your breath.

There are no easy answers to this one.

Sean P. Murphy is sports editor of The Vicksburg Post.E-mail him at smurphy@vicksburgpost.com