Favre and the Vikings

It appears that Brett Favre is still on a mission to stick it to Ted Thompson.

From ESPN:

Minnesota Vikings head coach Brad Childress and quarterback Brett Favre plan to meet at an undisclosed location later this week to discuss the possibility of the former Packers and Jets quarterback renouncing his retirement from the NFL to play the 2009 season with the Vikings, according to a source with direct knowledge of discussions between the two parties.

There is a mutual understanding that sometime soon thereafter Favre will decide whether to sign with the Vikings. The team would expect him to participate fully in offseason minicamps and training camps, which he missed last year with the Jets.

Just the fact that Favre is meeting with Childress is his way of sticking it to Thompson.

I'm not sure that Thompson really cares.

From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

Could the savior to so many Green Bay Packers fans quickly become their Judas?

We all should know soon enough.

Retired quarterback Brett Favre, who in 16 record-setting years guided the Packers back to National Football League prominence, will speak to the Minnesota Vikings - the Packers' archrival - about possibly donning the purple and white to stick it to the green and gold.

ESPN reported Tuesday that Favre would meet later this week with Vikings coach Brad Childress to discuss the stunning possibility. The location is undisclosed but it likely will be near Favre's home in Mississippi.

There is a mutual understanding between Favre and the Vikings, according to the report, that he will give them a decision soon after the meeting.

...Bus Cook, Favre's agent, did not return a phone call seeking comment. The Vikings have not commented publicly.

Maybe Bus Cook didn't return the Journal Sentinel's phone call because he agreed to talk to Greta Van Susteren first.

...Since his retirement from the Jets, Favre admitted in interviews that at least part of his motivation to return was out of vengeance against Thompson, whom Favre thought was the sole person standing in the way of him returning to the Packers.

"Part of me coming back last year, I have to admit now, was sticking it to Ted," Favre told SI.com in February.

A Jets executive said at the Senior Bowl in January that Favre's feelings toward Thompson were well known around the organization.

"Boy, does Favre have it bad out bad for Thompson," the source said then. "He talked about the Packers all the time. He's obsessed with them. I don't know if he's ever going to let it go."

Said a Jets teammate: "It's not over between him and the Packers. I know a lot of it started from the people around him. But he's bought into it."

So much so that it would appear Favre is at least contemplating the unthinkable to the legions who supported him with the Packers: entering Lambeau Field as a member of the Vikings.

I really don't think that Favre gets it.

When he sticks it to Thompson and the Packers organization he's also sticking it to the fans.

It's as if he's oblivious to that. I hope he doesn't realize what he's doing, that it's a matter of stupidity on his part rather than disdain for the fans.

We know that Favre's interest in playing for the Vikings in 2008 was fueled by anger and revenge. He admitted that.

Favre is still bent on settling that score.

It's incredibly immature. It's unhealthy. It's weird. It's deranged. It's terribly self-destructive.

As much as I hated seeing Favre playing for the Jets, I was willing to be somewhat sympathetic and understanding last year. There were hard feelings all around and missteps were made by all involved.

But a season has elapsed. Things are different now.

If Favre plays for the Vikings, he'll be doing much more than sticking it to Ted Thompson. He'll be spitting in the faces of the Packers fans.

It's clear that Favre wants to keep this wound open and festering. He has no interest in letting any healing begin.