And Then The Packers Blinked » Brats & Beer

August 3, 2008
posted under: Brett Favre, Packers, unretirement

The immovable object known as Ted Thompson proved no match for the irresistable force of Brett Favre. According to a statement released today by the Green Bay Packers, “Brett will be in camp tomorrow … Coach McCarthy will talk to the team and the quarterbacks about the plan moving forward, and after he has done that we will share it publicly,” and Tom Silverstein of the Journal Sentinel says Favre will be allowed to compete with Aaron Rodgers for the starting quarterback position.

I guess with his reinstatement due tomorrow and No. 4 reportedly on his way, the brain trust at 1265 Lombardi Ave. could hold out no longer. Unable to trade him and unwilling to release him, TT has had to do the unthinkable and reverse his position on who will be the Packers starting QB. It brings into question just who is is running this team, the highly paid general manager or the headstrong veteran player? Thankfully for TT there aren’t any other three-time MVP winners on the roster.

It’s going to be a delicate dance, though, bringing Favre back into the fold after all that has happened during the past month. All the major principles in this drama are going to have to make peace publicly in a way that no one gets blamed while sweeping under the rug anything that has been done or said that might suggest any lingering rift between the coaches, management and their star player. (And what happens now with the tampering charges?)

As if that won’t be enough of a challenge, the Packers are going to have to hold this QB competition in the midst of a 24-hour media circus. ESPN and the NFL Network will be wall-to-wall with their coverage of every pass, every interception, every misstep by either player. Sports Illustrated will send Peter King to post daily reports on SI.com along with weekly features on the coffee offerings of Green Bay. It will be a madhouse like nothing we’ve seen.

And who says the pre-season is too long and boring?

UPDATE: According to FlightAware, a plane bound for Green Bay is supposed to be wheels up at 4:55 pm with touchdown at Austin Straubel scheduled for 7:05 pm. (I am such a geek.)