I hate to even bring up this name… this name that has received so much attention it’s ridiculous. A name that brings excitement, anger, and fascination. But I have to. That’s what Brett Favre does to us.

Is it just me, or does the news with Favre never even really seem like news anymore? Even today, when I read that he’s had successful surgery and has met with Eric Sugarman from the Vikings again, I think: Didn’t he already do this? Didn’t he already sign with the Vikings? Isn’t it a done deal?

But this is the thing. Is it ever really a done deal with Favre? He’s kept us speculating so much these last few years that even when I hear a genuine (fresh) news item now, I think it’s old hat.

Here’s the next date we look for when it comes to Favre: July 31st. Either he’ll be in Mankato, Minnesota wearing a purple jersey… or he’ll announce his retirement. Again.

Image: Zuma Press

According to numerous internet rumors, Marvin Harrison could soon join the Minnesota Vikings. The future Hall of Fame wide receiver who has spent his entire career with the Indianapolis Colts would likely sign a one-year contract with the Vikings.

Right now, Minnesota doesn’t have much of a wide receiving corps. If Brett Favre returns, he’d likely want more targets. Even though Harrison is 36 years old and definitely past his prime, he’d likely be an improvement over some of the options already on the Vikings.

For his career, Harrison has 1,102 receptions, 14,580 receiving yards and 128 receiving touchdowns. Last year, he had 60 receptions for 636 yards and five touchdowns. The Colts are expected to let him sign elsewhere and go with a wide receiving corps that features Reggie Wayne and Anthony Gonzalez as starters.

It’ll be interesting to see if Harrison’s signing is dependent on the Vikings signing Favre. If not, can Harrison be effective with someone like Tarvaris Jackson at quarterback?

Marvin Harrison Signing with the Vikings? (Image: Zuma Press)

Do you like wild rumors? If so, ProFootballTalk has an extremely wild rumor for you. According to PFT source, Brett Favre has already signed with the Minnesota Vikings. And the Vikings have already told Reebok to go ahead and produce Favre jerseys.

Why wouldn’t the NFL have announced the deal? The PFT source says that while the Vikings have a signed contract, they haven’t turned it into the league yet.

While this rumor doesn’t make much sense, it’s difficult to ever figure out Favre. If there’s one player who would pull such a stunt, it would be Favre.

Other media outlets are already saying that the ProFootballTalk rumor is bogus. Favre’s agent also came out and said that there’s no truth to the report.

If Favre is going to sign with the Vikings, it’ll probably be relatively soon. Stay tuned — there are sure to be a lot Favre-related rumors hitting the wires over the next few weeks.

Did the Vikings Already Sign Brett Favre (Image: Zuma Press)

While almost every angle of Brett Favre’s unretirement has been hashed, rehashed and rehashed again, one question has flown under the radar: Which of the Minnesota Vikings’ three current quarters would be cut?

If Favre doesn’t come back, Tarvaris Jackson, Sage Rosenfels and John David Booty are all expected to make the Vikings. But if Favre unretires, one will almost certainly have to be released.

Booty was drafted in the fifth round of the 2008 NFL Draft. While he might be expendable, the Vikings coaches seem to like him and believe he has a good amount of potential.

Rosenfels was acquired during the offseason from the Houston Texans in exchange for a fourth round pick in the 2009 NFL Draft. Considering that they just acquired him, it’s unlikely that Minnesota will opt to release him prior to his first season.

That leaves Jackson. He was a second round pick in the 2006 NFL Draft but he has underwhelmed thus far in his career. He has only one year left on his deal and could be the one to see the ax if Favre rolls into town.

Would Tarvaris Jackson be the odd man out? (Image: Zuma Press)

Everywhere you look, you see talk about Brett Favre signing with the Minnesota Vikings. It makes a lot of sense since the Vikings have a glaring need at quarterback and Favre would love to sign with Minnesota so he can be right next door to Green Bay.

But what if Favre wants to return — but not with the Vikings? Could Brett Favre decide to sign with the Buffalo Bills?

It would also make a lot of sense. In the offseason, the Bills signed Terrell Owens to pair with Lee Evans at wide receiver. And while Trent Edwards is a solid quarterback, he’s not a great fit. Favre has the better arm and could arguably be more equipped to use Owen and Evans to his advantage.

Additionally, the Bills are in a win-now situation. Owens isn’t getting any younger and the fans and management are thirsty for postseason success. Favre would give the team more upside on offense.

Brett Favre to the Buffalo Bills?

Why not?

Brett Favre to the Buffalo Bills? (Image: Zuma Press)

So I guess if you’re in New York (even if you don’t play for the Jets), you’re allowed to poke fun at Brett Favre. But if you do, make it funny. I mean, you better be making the Packer fans roll in their seats. Otherwise, you’re just wasting people’s time.

That’s why I was very interested in this article that talks about New York Giant David Diehl and his debut attempt at comedy. Apparently he poked fun at Favre as part of his “act.” The entire part of his act.

Apparently the first act consisted of:

For the first one, Diehl sat in the audience and placed a dinner order - as Favre, of course. Wearing a Packers hat, he asked for cheese ravioli. And then, he switched to a bacon cheeseburger. But he went back to the ravioli. Then, back to the burger. Then, back to the ravioli. The next thing I knew, he was telling the waitress to forget about his order because he wasn’t even hungry, then sobbing, then wearing a Jets hat and finally ordering pizza.

So very original. It’s obvious to go with the “wishy washy” angle when you’re talking about Favre, but surely that bit of comedy stopped being funny when he retired and then unretired last year. I had actually hoped to see something in this routine that would make me laugh, because hey, as a Packer fan, right now some chuckles would be sorely welcome.

How about a comedy routine ala the last episode of Newhart? (Remember:)

Maybe we could all pretend the retirement/and un-retirement never happened? Ted Thompson really is just a character from the movie Sling Blade? Ari Fleisher is really a press secretary for the White House. It’s all a dream! Just a very strange DREAM.

Image: Zuma Press

With this latest rumor that Brad Childress, coach of the Minnesota Vikings, has flown down to Mississippi to see Brett Favre and possibly offer him a starting quarterback job, the Packer fans of the world can’t help but to feel… anger, bewilderment, excitement.

On one hand, I’m am angry at the whole process. Angry at Brett, at Thompson, at the league, at nothing and everything all at once. Mostly, I’m angry because once again my attention and emotions are taken up with a player who isn’t even on our team.

I’m bewildered at this crazy career and life Brett has had. He keeps us guessing, both on the field and off. For example, after plenty of “I have no plans to play football again” talk now a source claims that “Indications are Favre is as anxious to join the Vikings as Childress is to have him running an offense that includes Pro Bowl running back Adrian Peterson and wide receivers Bernard Berrian and Percy Harvin.”

I am excited. Yes, excited. It’s like watching your old boyfriend come home and pick a fight with your new boyfriend. You have warm feelings for your old boyfriend. But he left you. Now your loyalty and love is with your new one. But when the two of them fight? It’s exciting. I’ve actually gotten to the point where I WANT him to play for the Vikings, both so I can see him play again and so we can beat him. And yet, there is a part of me that would be sad to beat him, too. Only Favre can pull up such emotions in a fan. That’s why we love him, hate him, and can’t stop talking about him.

Image: splashnewsonline.com.

As a Packer fan, I foolishly never thought I’d be commenting on Brett Favre again. It seems to me that people either love him or hate him. I fall right down the middle and actually look at him as a player. Not a god. Not a devil.

But now that there are the “rumors” that he could once again come out of retirement, here I am once again talking about him. You have to admit one thing, the guy is never boring. Not in the way he plays and not in the hype that follows him.

In case you haven’t heard, Favre asked for a release from the Jets way back in February when he retired. It was finally granted late Tuesday night after the Jets had finally secured a quarterback. The Jets couldn’t have kept Favre because they couldn’t afford him under the salary cap this year. A release was the only option.

Now the “rumor” is that he could go to Minnesota, something he wanted to do last year when the Packers decided to play hard ball. But who is more stubborn? Packers GM Ted Thompson or Favre? Rumors have swirled that the two have butted heads from the beginning, with Thompson wanting Favre gone so he could bring his new favorite Aaron Rodgers on the scene. Last year, Thompson finally made that happen. To make darn good and sure that Favre couldn’t play against Green Bay (and perhaps because Thompson wanted to stick it to Favre a bit more) he put a clause into his trade agreement that if the Jets traded Favre to any NFC North team, they would give Green Bay three first round draft picks.

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Did the folks at EA Sports and Xbox know something we all didn’t know about Brett Favre still being around for the release of Madden NFL ‘09. I love Brett Favre, but I’m getting tired of all the drama surrounding his return to the league.

On the one side of the coin, if Brett wants to come out of retirement and continue to play football that’s fine. However, I think from the Green Bay Packer sideline they should have some kind of say-so the possibility of playing against him in their own division.

I’m not sure what the risk is of a player going from one team to another and taking confidential team information with them. I’ve got to think that having a quarterback that is probably intimately familiar with the defense patterns that were thrown at him during practices would be pretty helpful.

Focusing on the game of Madden NFL ‘09 and its upcoming release, there’s loads to be excited about besides the fact that Favre is gracing the cover of the game.

• Level the playing field: An all-new Adaptive Difficulty Engine assesses your proficiency in the core skills areas of football, then tailors the experience to match your playing style. An innovative, all-new virtual Training Center allows you to fine-tune your game in a holographic environment, while EA SPORTS BackTrack provides customized feedback, giving you a chance to learn from your mistakes. Then, take what you’ve learned and run the play again with EA SPORTS Rewind.

• Beyond broadcast presentation: Set your sights on the Vince Lombardi Trophy in an all-new network television-style broadcast as Cris Collinsworth and Tom Hammond call the action from the booth. A more immersive and visually stunning presentation package also includes a new Options OnDemand Picture-in-Picture playcall window giving you access to a wealth of stats, customized tips, and in-game options, all at your fingertips without having to pause the game.

• Online leagues 2.0: Make a run for the postseason for the first time online. Featuring trades and statistical tracking for online leagues, up to 32 teams can battle it out using all-new flex scheduling.

• New look and feel: With an enhanced graphics engine and new player models, linemen battle in the trenches with more bulky physiques, while backs and receivers fly around the field with a more sleek and slimmer look. Featuring the most realistic-looking grass and field turf ever in a sports game, new weather and stadium lighting effects, and active exterior stadium views, Madden NFL 09 is hands down the best looking sports game ever made!

• Most authentic gameplay ever: Built from the ground up, an all-new Total Control Animation System allows for instantaneous combo moves while bringing new aspects to the game, including missed field goal returns, bobble catches, wrap-up/break-out tackles, user controlled celebrations, and more.

I’m sure this will be one of the games my son will be asking for as soon as he sees it on the shelves. He already beats me at Madden ‘08, I might as well add this one to the list of games he’s schooling his dad on too.