LAS VEGAS – That worn-out NFL reality show known as “The Favre Turns” is back in production.
Look for Sportsbook.com and any other Internet book that put up a Yes/No prop bet on Favre playing in 2009 to pay off on the Yes.
It didn’t take football’s drama queen long to get in the news again once the New York Jets granted his release.
Favre is 39, coming off a torn biceps injury to his right arm and has alienated vast segments of his once-adoring fan base.
But you know what? If healthy, the guy still can play at a high level.
Even obtuse Minnesota Vikings coach Brad Childress realizes that. The Vikings and Favre would be a perfect match.
The Vikings need a quarterback that has command and can throw the long ball to deep threat Bernard Berrian to keep defenses from stacking the line against Adrian Peterson.
Favre needs to join a team with a better defense than the Jets, play in an indoor environment and be able to satisfy his itch to stick it to Green Bay Packers general manager Ted Thompson. The Vikings offer all three.
The Packers feared a Favre-to-Vikings scenario so they inserted a clause when they dealt him to the Jets. If New York traded Favre to Minnesota, the Jets would have to cough up THREE first-round draft choices to Green Bay.
Thompson wouldn’t have done that if he didn’t think Favre couldn’t play anymore. But now the Jets have washed their hands of the diva quarterback.
Favre is free to sign with any team. Not everybody believes Favre is a perfect fit for Minnesota. One of these people is Rick Spielman, who happens to be the Vikings’ vice-president of player personnel.
Spielman is a Sage Rosenfels guy. He’s traded for him twice, once with Miami and now with the Vikings.
Childress and Vikings offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell, a former Packers assistant and cell phone buddy of Favre’s, want Favre.
Minnesota owner Zygi Wilf has the final say. Back in February, Wilf said he had no interest in Favre.
Wilf’s opinion probably is going to once he talks to Childress because his coach is going to convince him that Favre can help sell seats and get a new stadium with all the publicity and theatrics he brings.
Certainly Favre would be an upgrade on Rosenfels, a poor man’s Favre with a gunslinger style and aptitude for crucial turnovers, and the hopelessly inaccurate Tarvaris Jackson.
Mike Seba, an oddsmaker for Las Vegas Sports Consultants, doesn’t think Favre would make that much of a difference for the Vikings. But based on public perception, Seba said his company would lower the Vikings’ Super Bowl odds if the team did indeed sign Favre.
The Vikings’ current Super Bowl odds are in a range of 12-1 to 18-1.
Favre could take the Vikings to the Super Bowl if he sacrificed his game to play like John Elway did during his two final seasons. That would mean limiting his role on offense letting Peterson be the main man, similar to what Elway did for Terrell Davis.
The problem is Favre may not be capable of such self-sacrifice.
