Brett the Bear? Post your thoughts

Brett joins drama club
Favre likely will get traded soon, and soap opera will end

July 15, 2008


BY CAROL SLEZAK Sun-Times Columnist

Most of us have grown tired of the drama surrounding Brett Favre and the Packers. The good news is it should be over soon. Favre almost certainly will be wearing another team's uniform next season. If only it could be a Bears uniform.

Favre said Monday he no longer feels wanted in Green Bay. We already knew this, didn't we? Favre also said he felt pressure from the Packers to retire and that he won't return to Green Bay as a backup.

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''Them moving on does not bother me,'' he told Fox News' Greta Van Susteren. ''It doesn't. I totally understand that. By me retiring March 3, I knew that could possibly happen. ...

''If you move on, you tell me one thing, don't come back and tell the public ... just say it. 'You know, we've moved on and we'll work with Brett on whatever it is.' Don't make up a lot of stuff or give half of the truth.''

Van Susteren, a Wisconsin native, told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel before the interview aired that Favre ''wants Packers fans to understand, more than anything else, that he wants to be No. 4 on that field, the starting quarterback. He says he felt pressured into retiring because the Packers were pressing him to decide before the draft.''

I don't mean to sound unfeeling, but outside of an errant throw, it's tough to envision anyone pressuring Favre into anything. Regardless of any slights on the Packers' part, real or perceived, the fact remains that nothing has changed with regard to his situation. President Mark Murphy and general manager Ted Thompson still control his football destiny. This might not sit well with Favre, but it's the truth. Monday's statements did nothing to change that.
It's a business

Thompson has told more than one news organization that the Packers will not release Favre. And why would they? So he can hook up with the Minnesota Vikings and make the Packers' life miserable for a few seasons? So he can sign with the Miami Dolphins or Carolina Panthers? If Favre returns to the Packers, they would have to honor the $39 million and three years that remain on his contract. Shouldn't Favre have to honor the contract, too? Yes, Favre is a legend who deserves undying love and affection from the Packers and their fans. But there's a difference between eternal love and business.

Most Packers fans seem to understand this, as evidenced by the fact that Sunday's pro-Favre rally outside Lambeau Field drew a paltry crowd of about 100 people. (I'll bet we could draw 100 Bears fans to a Kyle Orton rally at the corner laundromat on a Monday.) More rallies are planned, but it all has the feel of too little, too late.

Selfishly for Bears fans, I'd love to see Favre play in Chicago. It's intoxicating to imagine him throwing touchdowns for the Bears at his home away from home, Soldier Field. If the Packers were to release him, I'm sure we could rally more than 100 Bears fans to pressure general manager Jerry Angelo to sign him. Imagine Favre tutoring Rex Grossman and company while breathing life into one of the league's most boring offenses.

But that's where the dream ends. It never will happen. As Bears linebacker Lance Briggs told the Sun-Times while watching women's pro volleyball at Oak Street Beach on Sunday, ''Brett has a better chance of getting struck by lightning twice than coming here.''
He won't be a Bear

Alas, Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh stand a better chance of playing quarterback for the Bears than Favre does. The Packers will not give Favre his release. Even assuming for the sake of argument that they did, what are the odds of the Bears wooing Favre? We're talking about an organization whose idea of a good free-agent quarterback signing is Kordell Stewart.

He won't be coming to Chicago, but he will be going somewhere. When Favre retired, the Packers not only committed to Rodgers, but also drafted Louisville's Brian Brohm in the second round and LSU's Matt Flynn in the seventh. Of course the Packers never will trade Favre to another NFC North team. Although it's fun to pretend they might, if only to consider the Bears' chances of getting him. Do you think the Bears would make a strong push for Favre? Naw. The Bears don't make serious offers for Hall of Fame-bound quarterbacks. The Bears make serious offers for guys like Rick Mirer.

With reports circulating that Miami and Carolina already have spoken to Favre's agent, James Cook, about a trade, it's only a matter of time before the Packers and Favre part ways for the second time in five months. And it can't happen too soon for me. I prefer Favre playing the role of quarterback, not drama king.

CAROL SLEZAK

Chicago Sun Times

I had no idea that Green Bay fans were sick of Favre. Hahaha, 100 fans for a pro-Favre rally... Hilarious! Hahaha, Packer fans.