Archive for April, 2009

The venerable Patrick Reusse is convinced that Brett Favre will be coming to the Vikings.  In his mind, the Percy Harvin drafting indicates a desperation on Minnesota’s part to recapture the offensive sizzle – and enthusiasm among season ticket buyers – that has been lost since Randy Moss was traded away.  And the natural way to increase that sizzle even more would be, well, #4 in purple: Brad Childress appears satisfied to arrive in Mankato with Sage Rosenfels and Tarvaris Jackson competing to start at quarterback. He probably figures bringing in Percy Harvin, by acclamation the No. 1 pain in [...]

It took about 24 hours to go from Brett Favre being released to full-on Favre-to-Vikings speculation hysteria, complete with items like this gem from Florio: It probably means nothing. But, let’s face it, Hattiesburg-Laurel Regional Airport is hardly a major hub of transportation. Only five flights arrived there today, and only six departed. One of the arrivals came from Minneapolis, and one of the departures headed back there. The plane from Minneapolis arrived at 9:11 a.m. local time, and left at 4:14 p.m. local time. It probably has nothing to do with one of the more famous residents of Hattiesburg.  [...]

Brad Childress took time out from eating ice cream cones with his new BFF Percy Harvin to appear on ESPN radio with Mike Tirico and the bald guy.  Among other things, Chilly addressed the aforementioned Mr. Harvin, and his personal efforts at scoping out the controversial receiver’s true character: You gotta be able to not just hear the words but see the expressions and feel it.  That’s just like when you’re standing in front of a camera and talk or you stand in front of your team, people gotta be able to feel it drip off you, and I wanted [...]

Chris Mortensen spoke to Bus Cook about Brett Favre‘s plans now that he’s been granted his release by the Jets.  Contrary to rumor and speculation, Cook insisted the former Packer has no designs on returning to football, with the Vikings or anyone else. “He’s retired, he doesn’t have any desire to come back, and that’s the way it is with Brett,” Cook said. “He’s mowing his grass. He’s working on his farm. He enjoys that stuff.” Yeah, but I know another thing Brett enjoys:  slinging it on Sunday.  And he’d enjoy it even more if he got to do it [...]

The New York Daily News is not fooled by Brett Favre.  They think it means something that Favre asked for his release from the Jets after the drafting of Mark Sanchez, namely, that Favre was still contemplating a return to the team in the event they hadn’t resolved their quarterback situation by camp.  Indeed, a source close to Favre is quoted as saying the quarterback “wants to keep his options open.”  In other words, the drafting of Sanchez satisfied Favre that he was no longer needed by Mike Tannenbaum, a man he claims loyalty to, making him feel more comfortable [...]

Greg A. Bedard of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel just posted on Twitter – who the hell needs newspapers and blogs and all that inconvenient stuff anymore – that, according to Packers sources, there has been “no thawing” of the relationship between the newly-released Brett Favre and Packers G.M. Ted Thompson, the man Favre bullied into trading him last summer.  This news will no doubt add even more fuel to the already inferno-level speculative fires currently raging in the media about a Favre migration to Minnesota.  Favre maintains that, as of now, he is retired.  Well, as of now, I am not [...]

This is going to make some people very happy and others very exasperated (via the Newark Star-Ledger): Amid chatter that Brett Favre is contemplating coming out of retirement yet again, the Jets announced Tuesday evening that they have released the former Green Bay Packers great from the reserve/retirement list. The move means that Favre is now free to sign with any team, if he wishes and the Jets wouldn’t be owed any compensation because they no longer have his rights. Favre’s release from the Jets could pave the way for him to come back with the Vikings, the team he [...]

Likes what the Lions did, loves the Packers‘ picks (yeah yeah), so-so on the Bears, digs the Vikings taking Percy Harvin and Phil Loadholt.  However, uh…Brad Childress has a great offensive mind?  That’s why he’s been here since 2006 and the Vikings continue to languish in the lower reaches of the offensive rankings?  And yeah, I know, they scored a lot more points last year.  Thanks to their defense and that stretch where Gus Frerotte played well.  I’m not saying the Vikes can’t develop into a great offensive team under Chilly, I’m just saying, it hasn’t happened yet, so let’s [...]

SI’s Peter King offers his expert opinions on the Vikings‘ draft: Percy Harvin needs the best babysitter in the great north woods. Brad Childress‘ fate may rest with whether Harvin keeps his head on straight … Phil Loadholt, the biggest, baddest tackle on the board, also has NFL people who don’t trust him to be an Eagle Scout, but he should walk onto the team as the starting right tackle. I can’t remember the last time the Vikings took two guys on day one who were such iffy propositions.  Oh wait, I can:  a few years ago when they took [...]

Now that we have Percy Harvin in the fold – pending any activity that might cause him to be suspended before his career even gets off the ground – the next logical question is:  does this mean the Vikings plan on mixing in the Wildcat?  On the surface, at least, Harvin would seem an ideal Wildcat player: he’s speedy and shifty, and showed in college that he can split wide and line up in the backfield.  Some might say it would be a waste of his talent not to use him in the Wildcat.  And indeed, at least one guy [...]