On the NFL: Don't buy what Favre is selling

By John McMullen
The Phanatic Magazine
The NFL's resident narcissist, Brett Favre, called it a career again earlier this week.

When John Madden's favorite gunslinger told his agent, Bus Cook, to inform the New York Jets that he was hanging them up, Woody Johnson and Mike Tannenbaum probably high-fived.

The Jets' fans certainly did. After all, New York's other football team never got to live through the "good" Favre. All they got, was the aging, head-strong player that loved the throw the ball all over the field and loathed things called coaching and game plans.

The Jets already jettisoned one mistake in Eric Mangini and now they are rid of another, a departure that frees up much-needed salary-cap room for the club and means the franchise will not be held hostage by Favre’s indecision.

But, is it really over?

The Minnesota Vikings need a quarterback and by all accounts, Favre wanted to play in the Twin Cities last season. The Packers, however, wouldn't allow Favre to jump ship to their division rivals and inserted a poison pill into the deal when they let him walk to Broadway.

If the Jets turned around and dealt Favre to Brad Childress and Company, the Pack would have gotten two first round picks from New York.

So, if you are Favre, why not play a year in the Big Apple and then angle for an outright release?

Is this all just a power play for the impudent child to get the Christmas gift he really wanted?

Understand the Jets still retain Favre’s rights if he does yet another about face. But, conspiracy theories abound.

The Jets were certainly watching when Favre held the Packers hostage a year ago, so who's to say Favre and Cook didn't craft a backroom deal, giving the New York the answer it wanted before free agency in turn for his release in a few months?

Too Oliver Stone for you?

Understand, Childress is on the hot seat in Minnesota. He oversees a team most consider a serious Super Bowl contender if it just had competent quarterback play.

The Vikings' mentor is also extremely unpopular locally and, with the economy in the tank, the team just announced a layaway plan to buy season tickets.

Childress' hand-picking and refusal to give up on Tarvaris Jackson is a black eye for the franchise not easily remedied.

Rumors have circulated that the Vikings are very interested in New England's Matt Cassel, who has already had the franchise tag slapped on him by the Pats.

Acquiring Cassel would not only be costly to Zygi Wilf's pocket book, it would also require at lease one first round draft pick. If Cassel isn't the guy, the Vikings could find a stop-gap like a Jeff Garcia or J.P. Losman. Heck, they could even give T-Jack opportunity No. 1,256. It's not like Childress isn't hard-headed.

Or they could take a chance on Favre, a player who's presence would certainly put fans into the Metrodome seats and kill their rivals from across the border.

All the way up to that four interception game in the first round of the playoffs.

Don't buy what Brett Favre is selling...yet.