You have to wonder why Mark Murphy is sleep walking through this ordeal. Does this guy have a clue?

Ted Thompson is trying to have it both ways. He doesn't want Brett to play for the Packers, but he's also trying to prevent him from playing anywhere else. The league should void Brett's contract and clear the way for him to find a new team.

I'm a lifelong Packer fan, but I'll be rooting for Brett wherever he goes this season. He's earned the right to continue playing, and Green Bay no longer wants him, I'm sure someone else will.

Jim: Who is Mark Murphy? Do you mean mark Maske?

There is a great article on this subject on the NFL's website.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story?id=09000d5d8097dce2&template=with-video&confirm=true

The author, Cliff Christl, discusses how the Packers dealt with Reggie White when he wanted to be released (granting him his release so that he could sign with Carolina), as well as with none other than Vince Lombardi (who was granted his release so that he could sign on to coach Washington).

I think Green Bay is handling this all wrong. Instead of all this trade nonsense, just draw up a new contract that says they will release Favre in exchange to his agreeing not to play for an NFC North team. Viola! Problem solved.

Favre Ruling:

Favre is free to negotiate with any team with the following conditions:

1) If Favre signs with a NFC North division team Green Bay gets a 2nd round draft pick

2) If Favre signs with a NFC team not in the North division Green Bay gets a 3rd round draft pick

3) If Favre signs with an AFC team Green Bay gets a 4th round draft pick

It is fair to Favre and it is fair to the Packers. The ruling would allow Favre to play and allow Green Bay to get something for Favre. If Favre is truly not good enough to be the starter in Green Bay the Packer management should have no issue or problem with this arrangement.

What nonsense. The--gifted-- fool wants to play again, without reference to the interests of the team that made him a hall-of -famer and a millionaire. They want some compensation. So did Parcells in Miami. And he got it; so will the Packers. Amen.

Free Favre to play some football Green Bay ~!!!

Perhaps Favre needs the money? Divorce or some other issue?

As a Packer shareholder, I am embarrassed that Ted Thompson is treating Brett Favre so poorly. He gave us 275 straight starts, playing through injury, family tragedy and always with emotion and guts. Ted needs to get on a plane fly to Mississippi and beg Favre to forgive him!

Regardless of Favre's contribution in the past, the Green Bay Packers cannot simply let Favre go. First, it sets a precedent. Second, Favre can get a lot in a trade situation. The Packers need to be all business here.

I write from Wisconsin.

As far as I know, the Packers offered to have him be backup quarterback, so they weren't preventing him from playing.
He has put the Packers in an untenable position: if they let play somewhere else, especially the Vikings, people in WI will be mad. Most would reconcile to him with the Jets or Tampa.

And, they can't just tell Aaron Rodgers 'See ya' after he has waited and trained, etc.

Who knows what has really gone on and who's screwing who. You'd have to be an insider to know that.

Re: I think Green Bay is handling this all wrong. Instead of all this trade nonsense, just draw up a new contract that says they will release Favre in exchange to his agreeing not to play for an NFC North team. Viola! Problem solved.

The rumor is he only wants to play for the Vikings. I stress rumor.

I'm trying to figure out all the people who think the Packers are the bad guys here. Bret Favre announced he was retiring in March. The team relied on that promise. They moved forward with their plans for the good of the team. Now, for Bret's own best interest, Bret wants to come back and play. Either he wants to be the starter again or he wants to be traded to the team of HIS choice.

How is this the Packers fault that they aren't throwing away the best interest of the TEAM to accomodoate the guy who RETIRED?

I don't care how great Favre is, he shouldn't get to hold the franchise hostage the way he tried to. That's not a right you can earn, regardless of your career accomplishments. The starting quarterback for an NFL franchise can't see-saw about whether or not he's going to play. Everything revolves around that position and the coach and other executives can't wait until July make decisions about the team.

And somebody mentioned 275 straight starts. That's 275 vicodin-assisted starts. Nobody ever mentions that when they talk about Favre's durability as if being numb on pain pills didn't make that durability possible. Bonds and McGuire didn't get a pass, why does Favre get one?

I can't BELIEVE some of you "fans." First, and this goes out to all those morons who dump on Favre. Prior to this past season he lost his: dad, father-in-law, brother-in-law and had his wife diagnosed and treated for breast cancer, so if he kept us waiting for a few seasons boo-&%$#@-hoo, poor us. This past season he retired and changed his mind. So? Ali, Foreman, Parcells and Jordan have done it; just to name a few. When this guy had the game of his life the day AFTER his father died, we all couldn't say enough great things about him. Now some treat him if he wasn't the most successful, possibly the greatest QB ever to play the game. Some of you make me sick. If it comes down to WHAT IS IN THE BEST INTERESTS OF THE PACKERS; it's Favre as their starter. I am EMBARASSED for the Packers and the fact that Thompson pressured Favre into making a decision. Favre is owed a one time: "Get Out've Retirement Free" card. You make exceptions for exceptional people. It's only football, I know, but some of you who profess to be "PackerBackers" and all that other crap, turn my stomach. And here's one more thing you can chew on: If Ron Wolf were still around this wouldn't be happening. Fire Thompson, get Favre in there (Respectfully to Rodgers, you may be good one day, but it ain't your time) and let's win a Super Bowl.
Sonny

Screw Brett Favre!

To FairPlay:

First, you miss both the big and little picture on Favre's Vicodin use.
First, he Favre wrote about it in 1997, before he had played the vast majority of those 275 games. So, no, thats 3 seasons of occasional vicodin, not 275 games.
Next, he admitted his use, in graphic detail, a notable distinction between him and the stonewalling Bonds and McGuire. Those two lied in front of Congress and watched the scandal tear their game down. Favre never made his name, team, or sport a national embarrassment.

But, nice try dragging the guy down.

Well, I guess it was senseless to post anything about Green Bay's history with these situations. Nobody's paying attention.

To those of you insisting that Green Bay "must get something" for Favre, you neglect to specify just what they could get. He is a 38-year-old quarterback, and every team in the league knows the Packers want to get rid of him. I would think that every team in the league would therefore hold off until Green Bay lets him go.

Why would Green Bay just him go? Because he has leverage. What Green Bay doesn't want is for him to try to play for THEM ... because then he shows up at training camp, which becomes a zoo, and he undercuts the Packers' commitment to Aaron Rodgers. Plus as soon as Favre outplays Rodgers, the Packers need to put him back in. That's a situation they'd rather avoid.

All of which is to say that you people who are demanding that the Packers "get something" for Favre, in "the best interest of the franchise," are the naive ones. You're failing to recognize that while the "something" to be gotten for a player is oftentimes another player or a draft pick, sometimes it's something else. In this case, what the Packers can get is for Favre to go elsewhere, and not show up at their training camp to compete for his old job.

But if they call his bluff, he may show up. Then they'll wish they had released him.

I suspect what will occur is that eventually Favre will indicate he's coming to the Packers' training camp, and as soon as he does that, Green Bay will let him go.

Hey Charlie, Mark Murphy is the president of the Green Bay Packers. Google is your friend.

I think the Packers , Tompson , McCarty and the new President whatever his name is , are doing nothing good for the Packers , and this will haunt the Packers for a long time. This is simply one of the BIGGEST Managent mistakes in Professional Sports. And if this plays out the way this management wants it , and Rogers ( no one ever heard of him , and he never played a game here ) does a lousey job this year, like he probably will , the whole management and the Packer organization will be the laughing stock of the sports world. And Tompson , mcCarty will probably never work again in Sports .

I have to wonder if Jim is sleepwalking through this whole ordeal, since he can't even get Mark Maske's name right. Jim, do you have a clue?

ted thompson is making a huge mistake. I hope favre takes the vikings to the super bowl and packers go 1 and 15 like the dolphins.

What makes you think Ron Wolf did anything different? He traded for Favre when at the time they had an All-Pro QB in the Magic Man. Wolf built his "legacy" on who he traded for and drafted. No different than what Thompson is trying to do. Favre being pressure to make a decision? yea ok and I got some ocean view property for sale in Neveda. Time to turn the page and if they take their lumps they take their lumps. Both parties are at fault but I tend to believe Favre is more at fault.