Favre soap opera gets new life

Jerry Holt, Star Tribune

Vikings coach Brad Childress refused to comment on Brett Favre’s admission “until I see it, until I hear it.”

The retired-but-I-don't want-to-be quarterback admits to communicating with Vikings coach Brad Childress.

By JUDD ZULGAD , Star Tribune

Last update: July 28, 2008 - 7:50 AM

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MANKATO - The Brett Favre saga -- dubbed "As The Packer Turns" by his former teammate and current Viking Darren Sharper -- took a few twists and turns Sunday. Not surprisingly, one involved the Vikings.

Favre told ESPN and Sports Illustrated he admitted to NFL executives he has spoken and exchanged text messages with Vikings coach Brad Childress. The Packers have filed tampering charges against the Vikings for inappropriate contact with Favre, who plans to end his four-month retirement but has not been welcomed back by Green Bay.

What isn't clear is if Favre's admission will implicate or exonerate the Vikings. The reason is that while Favre acknowledges talking to Childress, as well as Vikings offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell, the quarterback denied the Vikings are guilty of tampering. NFL security officials also have questioned the team.

The Vikings could face penalties that include loss of draft picks and/or fines if found guilty.

The question is: How will the NFL react to Favre, whose rights belong to the Packers, communicating with another team's coaches?

Childress, asked about Favre's comments after Sunday's practice, said: "I guess until I see it, until I hear it, I won't react to it. Like I said before, it's really in the hands of the league, and I've talked to those people. They know where I stand on that."

While declining to confirm reports that his top choice would be to play for the Vikings, Favre told ESPN he knows the Packers would never allow him to play for one of their biggest rivals.

Favre talked to Milt Ahlerich, the NFL's vice president of security, about the tampering allegations last week. The future Hall of Famer said he often communicates with other NFL coaches and executives and that his most recent conversations focused on whether others thought it would be a good idea for him to continue playing.

"I told Milt, 'No, I wasn't [enticed by the Vikings],'" Favre told ESPN. "I told Milt and [NFL Commissioner] Roger Goodell that if talking to teams is tampering, then there's about seven to 10 teams that are guilty of tampering. But Brad isn't going to try to entice me because he knows that even if he wanted me to play there, it's not going to happen. The Packers aren't going to let that happen."

It has been well-documented that Favre and Bevell are good friends, having known each other since the latter was the quarterbacks coach at the University of Wisconsin. Bevell was on the Packers coaching staff from 2000 to 2005 and was Favre's position coach for the final three years of his tenure in Green Bay.

Favre said his relationship with Childress dates to the 1990s when Childress was on the coaching staff at Wisconsin and would visit the Packers facility. Childress occasionally sat in on meetings to learn more about Green Bay's offense.

Eagles coach Andy Reid, a longtime friend of Childress', was Favre's position coach for much of that time. Favre and Reid still stay in touch, and Childress was on Reid's coaching staff in Philadelphia before being hired by the Vikings in 2006.

"Brad and I, yeah, we talk and we exchange text messages," Favre told ESPN. "The Packers know that. After we beat them [34-0 in November] last year, Brad sent me a text message, teasing me how a gray-haired quarterback could still play. And the Packers were aware of that because I shared a laugh with 'em about that."

Childress said he still feels Favre has something left. "I've always felt like he could play," Childress said. "I told him so right after the game last year when they beat us. I wish he would have retired. I told him that to his face. He's still got some zip on it. In my mind it's no different than me talking to [Eagles quarterback] Donovan McNabb as he's going to training camp or talking [to Eagles running back] Brian Westbrook. ... I communicate with people in this league. You don't leave past relationships."

In the ESPN report, Favre denied the Packers have evidence of his communications with Childress because the team had the records from a team-owned cell phone that Favre used. Childress, meanwhile, is hoping this saga, at least the part that involves his team, ends soon.

"I think probably everybody is," Childress said. "The Packers, the league, us. But I don't set time-frame work. I've got to take care of what's right here."