Aaron Rodgers, Brett Favre, and Ari Fleischer

I want Greta Van Susteren to give Aaron Rodgers equal time.

For a week, Greta showed portions of an interview she did with Brett Favre for her FOX program On the Record with Greta Van Susteren. Favre's wife Deanna initiated the interview. She set it up.

It was mid-July, and Favre was using the media as a platform to sway public opinion in his dispute with the Packers. In the EXCLUSIVE interview, he told his side of the story, with Ted Thompson as the villain.

Favre wanted to play. He wanted to return to the NFL and to the Packers, but the Packers didn't want him.

Favre maintained control but he was angry during the interview. He charged the Packers with lying to him and lying to the public.

The strategy to do an interview with Greta and present Favre as the victim, the sympathetic figure, worked.

It seems like so long ago. Actually, it was quite a while ago. Weeks have passed since that interview. Since then, the dispute has had twists and turns. And now, here we are.

Favre is back in Green Bay.

From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

The ball is back in Brett Favre's hands, and the country is waiting to see what he does with it.

Almost six weeks to the day after Favre told Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy that he was seriously considering ending his retirement, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announced that he was reinstating the legendary quarterback at noon today and ordered the Packers to make room for him on their 80-man roster.

And it appears not only will the Packers take Favre back, they will allow him to compete with Aaron Rodgers for the starting quarterback job. A source close to the Packers told the Journal Sentinel on Sunday afternoon that it was understood between both parties that Favre would have a chance to compete for a starting job.

Before that can happen, however, Favre must meet with McCarthy.

The Packers' coach wants to sit across from Favre and see if he really has the fire to play. Almost all of their conversations have been over the phone, and so McCarthy figures this will give him an opportunity to see whether Favre is serious about coming back and putting in the time it takes to be a starter.

What a dramatic about-face by the Packers!

I'm skeptical.

What's really happening? Is Ted Thompson really backing down? That seems out of character.

However this plays out, Favre's return to Green Bay on Sunday was surreal.

FOX 6, on air live to televise the Family Night scrimmage at Lambeau, was tracking Favre's plane from Mississippi up to Green Bay.

It seemed like Christmas Eve and Santa's sleigh was being tracked. He's getting closer... closer... Really bizarre.

Football royalty was back in Green Bay.


The landing of Favre's plane received dramatically more coverage than the landing of space shuttles.

Favre didn't kiss the ground when he got off the private jet. To the contrary, he seemed ready to have the Packers kiss up to him. He was all smiles and waved to the fans. Deanna responded in the same manner.

Remember how pissed off she was at Favre's retirement press conference? I wondered why she was so angry. There was something so strange about how she complained about going to the mic to answer a question. She seemed to delight in announcing that there would be no charity softball game this year and that the couple would not be involved in any charity events in the Green Bay area.

I wonder if Deanna still plans to take the year off from charity events in Green Bay. She looked very happy now.

Favre had an expression of satisfaction, like he was the victor. That's probably because he is.

The twin-engine Beechcraft King Air 90 carrying Favre landed at Austin Straubel airport at 7:08 p.m. Sunday from Hattiesburg, Miss. At the airport, 200 or so cheering fans lined a fence outside the tarmac and greeted Favre, his wife, Deanna, and Favre's agent, James "Bus" Cook, some waving signs at the gray-bearded quarterback.

Favre's traveling party loaded into a Cadillac Escalade and was escorted from the airport by two sheriff's vehicles. Later that night, Favre and his wife were seen in their luxury box watching the scrimmage from high above the field where Favre made his name.

I couldn't believe that the Favres made an appearance at Lambeau.

It was beyond strange. Was it really necessary to take attention away from the field and have attention locked on the Favre luxury box?

It seemed so orchestrated, a clear attempt by Favre to flex his muscles. He's in control, Favre the Powerful.

And then there was Aaron Rodgers, struggling.

I think it's time that Rodgers told his story, not just little sound bites but a full length interview. I'd like to hear what his experience has been. Does he feel he's been treated unfairly? Has Thompson lied to him, too?

Rodgers should have an opportunity to appeal to the public. Can't Greta give him a few minutes of time on the air? Maybe ESPN could report on Rodgers' text messages and reveal some intrigue.

I think Rodgers deserves compensation for his pain and suffering. I think $100,000 for every game that he's the back-up would be fair. It must be painful to believe that you're going to be a starting quarterback in the NFL and then have the rug get ripped out from under you. Of course, this all assumes that Favre is the starter for the Packers. That's quite a leap at this point.

Seriously, I really am impressed with Rodgers. He's handling this so well. If he didn't have the class and the character that he does, this controversy could be even worse than it is.

The Packers are so desperate at this point that the team has tapped Ari Fleischer to help manage the enormous PR mess.

FOXSports.com has learned that the Packers will employ former White House press secretary Ari Fleischer for one month as a consultant.

Fleischer, who was President George W. Bush's official spokesperson for a majority of his first term in office, is now president of Ari Fleischer Sports Communications, a joint venture with IMG.

According to an Associated Press report, Fleischer met with Packers players Thursday, but the meeting was scheduled several weeks ago, before the Favre controversy flared up. The report also said while Fleischer didn't focus on how players should handle the Favre situation, the topic was discussed.

Ari Fleischer?

Really weird.

Maybe Favre can get Scott McClellan to assist him. Of course, Favre doesn't need any assistance.

Ted Thompson, on the other hand, he needs all the help he can get. Perhaps Oprah could interview Thompson. He could cry and Oprah could tear up. Maybe then people would forgive him. No... I don't think so.