I have never been more upset with the Packers

[Bond]

Report: Packers offer Favre $20 million to stay home
By Greg A. Bedard
Wednesday, Jul 30 2008, 09:51 PM

Green Bay - The Green Bay Packers are so desperate to not have Brett Favre report to training camp that they reportedly offered him a substantial amount of money to stay home.

WTMJ-TV Channel 4 in Milwaukee, citing two sources, reported Wednesday that Packers president Mark Murphy at least floated the idea to Favre of paying him a package in the neighborhood of $20 million over 10 years to remain retired. Murphy met most of Wednesday with Favre and his agent, Bus Cook, in Hattiesburg, Miss.

A source subsequently confirmed that the Packers have discussed monetary compensation with Favre and Cook.

If WTMJ's report is true, it could potentially cripple the Packers in court of public opinion as it could be interpreted as a bribe to Favre, a player that has said he wants to continue his career.

Murphy arrived back in Green Bay at approximately 9 p.m. and did not stop to talk to reporters as he was driven from the airport. A few minutes later, the Packers released this statement from Murphy:

"I was in Hattiesburg today and had a nice visit with Brett Favre. We discussed a number of topics not related to football, including Brett’s long-term relationship with the Packers. I consider our conversation to be confidential and am going to be respectful of Brett and his family and keep the details private."

When asked if the Packers had a specific comment on WTMJ's report, Murphy's spokesman, Aaron Popkey, said no further comment would be coming from the Packers this evening.

Favre apparently didn't think much of the Packers' offer, as Cook told reporters that his client wished to return to the Packers.

"Right now he's interested in going back to the Green Bay Packers," Cook said.

"He would love to go back to Green Bay. That's why he started working out. But right now it looks like he'll be the quarterback at Oak Grove High School (where Favre has been working out)."
Peter Platten, a member of the Packers' executive committee, was asked about the WTMJ report.

"I will not make a comment on that," Platten said.

Asked who would, Platten said Murphy.

If the report is true, the executive committee, the group that brought Murphy to replace, would likely have a role to play in giving Murphy their backing on the offer.

Throughout the entire Favre soap opera, the committee has backed Murphy and General Manager Ted Thompson.

Other executive committee members could not be reached for comment.

Don Walker and Tom Silverstein contributed to this story.

Source: JSOnline (http://blogs.jsonline.com/packers/archive/2008/07/30/report-packers-offer-favre-20-million-to-stay-home.aspx#comments)
Is this a fucking joke?

[Combine 017]

When I read the title I thought you meant people who pack stuff.

[Fox 6]

Cheese packers. Duh.

[flunkie44]

:(

[KillerGremlin]

I heard on the news this morning that there has been official talk about letting Favre play for the Bears or the Vikings, now that would be ironic.

I guess the current Packer's organization really hates Favre ;).

Looks like Aaron Rodger's is the coaches' pet now.

I'm sorry Bond, hopefully if Favre comes to Chicago we won't beat your team up too much when we play them in Green Bay. :lol:

[Bond]

I know someone who knows Brett Favre, and he just told me Favre is flying to Green Bay tonight.

[mickydaniels]

I, for one, couldn't be more pleased.

The only thing that could possibly make it sweeter is for them to actually trade him to the Vikings and have him injured on the night he was supposed to get his number retired. Something similar to Emmitt Smith's return to Dallas.

[magus113]

Jeez, you would think the team would have more sense. Let the man play for fuck's sake.

[Jonbo298]

The irony of it all, is the fact the Madden curse is still holding true to this day

[Jason1]

Farve is an idiot for coming out of Retirement like this...he had one of the most emotional retirement speeches ever, and now he dosent want to retire.

[KillerGremlin]

This is just bad publicity on everyone's behalf...there is reason to believe Favre was pressured into retirement by the Packer's organization. Hell, I wasn't expecting him to retired last year. He looked good during the regular season, and to retire on a losing note seemed kind of odd. But, he continues to choke in the playoffs...I don't blame them for wanting to get some new blood. Favre still has an arm and the wisdom of a veteran QB, but he's not the gunslinger he was 5 or 6 years ago.

That said, instead of being a bitch about coming back and making threats like "I'm gonna show up to training camp," he should have approached the Packer's organization and said, "Hey...I want to play. I'm fine if you don't want to start me as a Packer, I believe you should trade me. I've done SOOO much for this organization, and you can probably negotiate a good deal if you trade me." But nope, instead he had to blow this whole thing up and it turned into a media circus.

Personally, I think Green Bay will offer him the position as backup QB. I can't see them letting him go until his contract expires.

[The Germanator]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3517219

He's baaaaaaaaaack.

[Bond]

Favre's home.

[Vampyr]

Watching the Murray and Djokovic match and just saw this scroll across the screen. Pretty awesome, I'm glad he's back.

[Bond]

Mark Murphy, Ted Thompson, and Mike McCarthy just got steamrolled by Brett Favre. WTMJ radio is reporting they're going to let him compete for the starting job.

Odd thing is that there are four cars at his house... I suppose Packers personnel could be meeting with him.

[uber_paddler]

Rodgers must be pissed. Poor bastard.

[Professor S]

I hope Rodgers whoops his ass is training camp and they make Favre a back-up, Favre pisses and moans, and then the Packers cut him mid-season for breaking a professionalism clause in his contract.

[uber_paddler]

That would be brilliant, actually.

[KillerGremlin]

There is still talk of trading him to the Vikings in the air, so it's not like anything is official yet. Personally, I think they are bringing him to camp to shut him up. But, bad move...they were talking to Packer's fans on the radio this morning, and apparently the fans want Favre. Yeah, Chicago talk radio talked about Favre...our Cubs are still crushing everyone in the MLB so suck it Wisconsin.

[gekko]

I want Favre to come play for the Vikings. Not because I care for Favre, and I sure don't think he'll do anything to improve the Vikings record of 0-4 Superbowls, but just to piss people like Bond off, and then he can retire again.

I think celebs who retire for the publicity just to come back are stupid. So I hope Favre comes back, fans celebrate, then gets traded to a rival team, fans cry, performs horribly, is forgotten, and finally retires again and no one even knows who he is. Or better yet, just get his stupid ass back to the couch. You need more football? Buy NFL Sunday Ticket and have groceries delivered to your house. Uninterrupted football.

[Bond]

I wouldn't be "pissed" at Favre if he played for the Vikings. I don't dislike the Vikings, or the Bears, for that matter. I would be upset with Packers management for making a poor decision.

[KillerGremlin]

I wouldn't be "pissed" at Favre if he played for the Vikings. I don't dislike the Vikings, or the Bears, for that matter. I would be upset with Packers management for making a poor decision.

Meh, what if Rodgers took you guys to the Superbowl :p .

I'm still thinking that they want to start Rodgers, but I wonder if the backlash from the fans will make McCarthy think otherwise. How is the fan reaction in Wisconsin, Bond?

[Bond]

Rodgers didn't look so great during the scrimmage last night. He was red shirted and complete 38% of his passes, without Harris or Woodson on the field. The scrimmage was at Lambeau Field in front of ~60,000 fans as well.

I think you're right, Thompson and McCarthy definitely wanted to move on without Favre, and start Rodgers, but they don't have that luxury now that Favre is back.

Fan reaction is fairly split... it's hard to gauge accurately. I guess I'd say 60 Favre / 40 Rodgers.

[Perfect Stu]

Now Favre is asking for his release again. I'm on the edge of my seat.

[KillerGremlin]

Now Favre is asking for his release again. I'm on the edge of my seat.

Apparently Favre and McCarthy spoke and McCarthy was all like "yo foo you ain't startin' this year" and Favre was all like "what it is bitch!"

Okay, that probably didn't happen...but long story short, the rumors floating around are that the talks of trading Favre to Minnesota are still very alive and real.

[KillerGremlin]

Rodgers didn't look so great during the scrimmage last night. He was red shirted and complete 38% of his passes, without Harris or Woodson on the field. The scrimmage was at Lambeau Field in front of ~60,000 fans as well.

I think you're right, Thompson and McCarthy definitely wanted to move on without Favre, and start Rodgers, but they don't have that luxury now that Favre is back.

Fan reaction is fairly split... it's hard to gauge accurately. I guess I'd say 60 Favre / 40 Rodgers.

I suspect that if they do release/trade Favre, and Rodgers totally sucks, the fans at Green Bay are going to be super pissed. Oh, how ironic and bitter it would be if Favre propelled the Vikings to a 11-5 season or something, and the Packers went 7-9.

Who knows...the Vikings have a running game with Adrian Peterson. Having veteran gunslinger Favre calling the shots might put them in a position to win some big games.

[The Germanator]

So...what the hell did any of this accomplish? They let Favre come back so they could tell him the exact same things they've been saying for weeks? And they're surprised that Favre is still unhappy about this and wants to be traded within the division which they don't want to do? Isn't this exactly where we were a month ago? Way to go Comish Goodel, you really helped sort this out. Idiotic.

[KillerGremlin]

Again...I feel like this has really just been clever distractions created by the Packer organization to A) shut Favre up and B) keep Favre from playing. The longer McCarthy keeps baiting Favre with the possibility of playing for Green Bay or playing somewhere else, the happier Favre will be.

On another note, the Bear's have a preseason game this week, so I assume Green Bay will shortly follow suit. So does that mean they will let Favre have some game time? We are getting to the point where SOMEONE will have to make a decision about Favre.

[Bond]

Favre's not at his house (I live a few blocks away from him). Probably boarding a plane to Miss.

Packers management = classless.

[Perfect Stu]

Who knows...the Vikings have a running game with that nasty O-Line. Having veteran gunslinger Favre calling the shots might put them in a position to win some big games.

fixed. not that peterson isn't a special talent, but most backs in the league could be very productive behind those road graders.

[Bond]

Here's to ten to twenty years of subpar quarterback play...