Not this again,

Favre Owes Vikings More Than Charade

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4/30/2010 10:57 PM ET By Jay Mariotti
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o Jay Mariotti
o National Columnist



It really is a sickness, isn't it? As predictable as lawn fertilizer in springtime, Brett Favre wants to hold this country hostage with his acute case of megalomania. Once again, he's prepared to drag us through another melodrama designed to achieve two traditionally maddening objectives: (1) draw extraordinary amounts of attention to himself for the next several weeks; and (2) allow him to miss as much training camp as possible.

I am tempted to urge one and all to ignore him until mid-August, when he reports to the Minnesota Vikings in time to take 10 snaps in a preseason game and say how much he loves his teammates. But if we don't stay on Favre and remind him what a clown he can be, I'm afraid he actually might retire. He suggested as much Friday in a typically farcical media swirl that included an e-mail to ESPN, and then, when he wasn't pleased with how the story was interpreted by the reporter and received by the public, his own vague posting on his personal web site, officialbrettfavre.com.

The core issue is the left ankle he injured during that beatdown by the New Orleans Saints' defense in the NFC championship game. Favre says he needs surgery, as diagnosed by the omnipresent Dr. James Andrews, and my first problem with it all is why he didn't have the painfully swollen ankle examined at some point in the three-plus months since the game was played. What Favre should do, to eliminate the criticism bound to come his way again, is simply announce that he intends to play for the Vikings in 2010 and will have the surgery as soon as possible, even if he hates under-the-knife procedures and would prefer to sleep on a bed of snakes.

But, hey, what fun is that down yonder in Mississippi, where he insists on perpetuating the most annoying annual tease in sports?

"To play again, I would need the surgery, as I suspected," Favre wrote to ESPN's Ed Werder. "This decision would be easy if not for my teammates and the fans and the entire Vikings staff. One year truly felt like 10 -- much like Green Bay for many years. That's what I was missing in my heart, I suppose, a sense of belonging."

There it is, the operative word: decision. That Favre even has to make a decision is absurd. He owes the Vikings so much more than his usual limbo dance. They were the team that gave him a chance after his flop in New York two years ago, the team that let him call the shots last summer, the team that sent coach Brad Childress to chauffeur Favre and his wife from the airport as news helicopters hovered, the team that eased tensions in the locker room when Favre's arrival caused internal waves. They were the team that told him to take his time this offseason, the team that refused to pursue perfect fit Donovan McNabb in a trade last month in deference to Favre, the team that didn't draft Tim Tebow or Jimmy Clausen with the 30th pick of the first round because Favre, Sage Rosenfels and Tarvaris Jackson are the rostered quarterbacks.

But Favre insists on slipping back into a mode of equivocation and wishy-washy waffling. Even when he tried to soften his stance on his web site, he only created ambiguity. "While my ankle has been bothering me, the injury is not debilitating," he wrote. "For example, I'm able to work around my property without any problems. Sure -- certain exercises cause some ankle pain, but it's nothing that I haven't experienced (or played with) before. In fact, many people don't realize that I injured my ankle before the NFC Championship Game. I've had surgery on this ankle twice before, and I've played with the pain before. The hits I took throughout the 2009 season, including the Saints game, just added to the ankle pain and likely caused some bone spurs.

"I don't believe major surgery on the ankle would be required for me to return in 2010. I've consulted with Dr. Andrews on the phone, and a relatively minor procedure could be done to improve the dexterity of the ankle, and to relieve the pain. I've put up with pain worse than this in my career, and I didn't want anyone to assume that the possibility of surgery was the sole factor that would determine whether I return or not. Some people reacting to the ESPN story have made this assumption. I don't blame them for doing so, given that the term 'surgery' often covers a variety of procedures, some more complex than others."

So if the injury seems minor and the surgery routine, just what the hell is the deal here? "The ankle pain is a factor, but one of many factors that I'll need to consider in making my decision," wrote Favre, twisting again back the other way. "Other factors include the input of my family, and the wonderful experience that I had last year with the Vikings."

That's Favre for you, opening more potential retirement windows in addition to the ankle. Why are the Vikings so patient? Oh, maybe because they sold massive quantities of Favre merchandise last season and are using him to convince Minnesota voters that a new football-only stadium is needed, no small feat after an new outdoor stadium just opened for Major League Baseball's Twins. The team's principal owner, Zygi Wilf, adores Favre and apparently is willing to let him carve out another media circus.

"I still don't know (what he's going to do)," Childress said Friday. "That's my story and I'm sticking to it from way back when."

But what if Favre decided to stay on his John Deere tractor and retire at the Big Four-Oh, after 19 NFL seasons? Wouldn't Wilf be the willing victim of an all-time backstab? The Vikings remain strong contenders for their first Super Bowl trophy. They still have Adrian Peterson, an all-world running back before he contracted fumbelitis, and a plethora of offensive weapons to accompany a strong defense. Without Favre, they have no shot. Had he suggested to the Vikings in March that retirement was a reasonable option, they could have maintained their high NFC status by acquiring McNabb, who would have thrived in the high-octane, West Coast offense with Childress, his former coach in Philadelphia.

They prefer to gamble Favre will be in his purple No. 4 jersey when necessary. For their sake, let's hope the Boy Who Cried Wilf isn't serious this time. "We were aware of (the ankle injury) and, in fact, spoke about it at the end of the season," Childress said. "It's just a matter of whether he was going to or not going to address it. We are all familiar with his aversion to surgery. That's no surprise. So it's just something if you want to live with it and whether you want to live with it the whole lifetime, or want to fix it now, fix it again later."

What a shame. Last season, Favre reminded us why he can be an American folk hero, throwing for 33 touchdowns and a mere seven interceptions while leading the Vikings to the fringe of the Super Bowl. Inspirational as it was to see Drew Brees revive the spirits of a devastated New Orleans and win an improbable Super Bowl, the angle many wanted was Favre winning the Vince Lombardi Trophy, then retiring on top.

The dream is still possible.

But he insists on mucking it all up, ad infinitum.