Favre says he's tempted to call 'bluff' of Packers
7/16/2008MILWAUKEE - Brett Favre says he's tempted to show up at the Green Bay Packers' training camp just to call the team's "bluff."
In the second part of an interview with Fox News, the 38-year-old quarterback said he knows his arrival in camp would cause a media circus. Packers players are scheduled to report July 27.
"It's tempting just to, as everyone said, you know, call their bluff or whatever," Favre said. "I think it's going to be a circus in itself already, whether I go there, whatever."
But, Favre added: "I don't want to go back there just to stick it to them."
The interview on the show On the Record with Greta Van Susteren was broadcast last night.
Favre, a three-time MVP, said he feels "a little bit" bad for would-be successor Aaron Rodgers and insists he doesn't want to be a distraction to his teammates. Or are they his former teammates?
"I like my teammates," Favre said. "I had a lot of fun with them. I have talked to numerous guys throughout this whole ordeal. I wish them the best, I really do. I hold nothing against those guys. We had a lot of fun together. We had, it was an amazing year last year. I don't want to make it any worse than it is."
And right now, it's pretty bad. Favre and the Packers appear headed toward a messy divorce after Favre demanded his release last week.
The decision blindsided the Packers.
"This is an ongoing situation," team spokesman Jeff Blumb said yesterday evening. "We're working through it, and we're going to do the right thing."
Team officials have been careful not to criticize Favre, instead laying out a detailed timeline of their offseason dealings with him. The team hopes that fans would understand why the Packers wouldn't be willing to abandon their offseason plans with Rodgers just because Favre changed his mind.
LAKE FOREST, Ill. - The Chicago Bears have signed running back Kevin Jones to a one-year deal.
During four years with Detroit, Jones rushed for 3,067 yards and 24 touchdowns on 761 carries. Jones, who played for Virginia Tech, was drafted by the Lions in 2004.
Terms of Jones' deal were not disclosed.
Last season, Jones rushed for 581 yards and a career-high eight touchdowns on 153 carries.
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - New York Giants running back Ahmad Bradshaw still could face a suspension from the NFL after being released from jail for a probation violation.
Bradshaw was released from the Abingdon (Va.) regional jail yesterday after serving most of a 30-day sentence. The league is investigating whether the player, who helped the Giants win the Super Bowl as a rookie, violated its player conduct policy.
Charles Stacy, Bradshaw's attorney, said the underlying charge for which Bradshaw was placed on probation stems from an offense that occurred while Bradshaw was a juvenile.
He rushed for almost 3,000 yards and 31 touchdowns in three seasons at Marshall after joining the team as a walk-on, but had another arrest for allegedly stealing a PlayStation 2 video game.
He pleaded guilty in that case to misdemeanor petit larceny and was given two years probation. A 12-month jail sentence was suspended.
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - Third-round pick Mario Manningham has signed a four-year contract with the New York Giants.
Don Yee, Manningham's agent, refused to discuss the value of the contract for the speedy receiver, who caught 137 passes for 2,310 yards and 27 touchdowns at Michigan.
Manningham slipped to the third round because of off-field problems.
Before the draft, he wrote a letter to NFL executives admitting he failed two drug tests while in college. About a year ago, police found a prescription pain killer and a controlled substance in a car in which he was riding with two other men.
Manningham was not charged, but he was suspended for a game.
IRVING, Texas - Dallas Cowboys safety Ken Hamlin won't have to wait until after the season for a long-term contract.
The Cowboys and Hamlin have agreed on a $39 million, six-year deal that includes a $9 million signing bonus and guarantees the Pro Bowl safety about $15 million.
INDIANAPOLIS - Lucas Oil Stadium officials said it will take them weeks and possibly months to learn why drain pipes failed and flooded parts of the new home of the Indianapolis Colts, but the problem won't interfere with public events that begin next month.
Three of four internal downspouts that carry rain water away from the roof of the stadium failed during a July 8 storm, dumping water three feet deep into a basement telecommunications nerve center.
Two of the three damaged downspouts also failed Saturday but did not cause any significant new damage.