You thought this was over? Silly person.
While the Rick Schwartz‘s Yahoo Sports report that Favre had decided to remain retired was widely reported, given Brett Favre‘s history, many were skeptical. It’s a wonder the Yahoo Sports report wasn’t dismissed outright with a chuckle and a dismissive plllllleeeeeze.
Unsurprisingly, Yahoo Sports’ Michael Silver comes to colleague Rick Schwartz‘s defense by painting Favre as unpredictable. Well, that’s low-hanging fruit. But it’s wrong. At this point, Favre’s media manipulations are entirely predictable.
ESPN countered with the Favre Xrays being sent to Vikings headquarters at Winter Park:
And, thus, the Brett Favre saga was set in motion once again. But former Strib and current ESPN.com writer Kevin Seifert is throwing up his hands over the story:
This story has spun totally out of control, and I’m not sure if I can make reasonable sense out of it anymore. Schaap’s report suggests Favre’s medical records were sent to the Vikings ON THE SAME DAY that a Yahoo! Sports story reported that Favre told coach Brad Childress he doesn’t want to play in 2009.
The NFL Network’s Total Access claims, defensively, “We really have no choice but to bring you the back and forth developments.”
Meanwhile, there’s unrest among the Minnesota media.
At the Star Tribune, columnist Patrick Reusse devotes column space to the obvious: Brett Favre is manipulating the media to shine the spotlight on himself. Fellow columnist Sid Hartman goes into full We Don’t Need ‘Em mode by focusing on Sage Rosenfels. And beat writer Judd Zulgad, in order to pressure the team to issue some definitive statements, unleashes the fans on the Vikings by opening up blog comments on the topic.
On the other side of the river, St. Paul Pioneer Press columnist Tom Powers rails against the tight-lipped Vikings, fellow columnist Charley Walters says the Vikes look bad in this Favre saga, and beat writer Rick Alonzo filed the It Ain’t Over Yet story with a quote from Vikings Middle Linebacker E.J. Henderson:
“I think it’s good to have that resolution so we can just move on and focus on us, and focus on getting ready for the season without all these outside distractions,” said linebacker E.J. Henderson after the Yahoo! Sports report. “I definitely think it’s good to have a resolution, if there is one. But who knows what the personnel guys, and the guys we’ve got upstairs, what they’re going to end up doing?”
WCCO TV’s Mike Max says things are still hot and heavy between Favre and the Vikings.