The Favre Circus has landed

Well the years, months, and days of speculation have ended for Viking fans as Brett Favre is at Winter Park in a red #4 jersey. The circus has finally come to town. The road has been a long one, even taking a detour to New York for a year, to obtain the missing link the Vikings needed to be a contender. To gauge the impact that Favre will have on the success of the Vikings is still unknown but the impact on the local economy is already evident.

Within hours of the announcement 2,500 season tickets and 8,000 single tickets were sold. Star Tribune reported a spike in traffic of their website from the average 100,000 hits per day to over a million hits as the news broke. Favre #4 jerseys are sure to be a hot retail item as well that will assist local stores suffering from the recession.

Zigi Wilf gave Favre a two-year deal worth $25M. Favre will see $12M this year and $13M next season. Intrigue continues as the Vikings most likely will not carry four quarterbacks for the season. Both Jackson and Rosenfels have been reported to demanding a trade if Favre became a Viking. Both quarterbacks will have to wait though. Favre is 39 years old and will turn 40 turning the football season that combined with his shoulder and arm issues may force the Vikings to keep four quarterbacks.

Neither Jackson nor Rosenfels looked overly impressive during the first preseason game. Rosenthal did have decent numbers but it was against scrubs. Jackson on the other hand was completely horrible. Taking the two of their performance into consideration, shock should not be the order of the day.

In questions from the media, Jackson and Rosenfels tried to play off the signing by attempting the high road. “It’s something that wasn’t a total shock. Obviously this had been three months in the ongoing sort of thing. So for me personally this wasn’t what I was hoping for,” said Rosenfels in reaction to Favre showing up at Winter Park. While Rosenfels has it right that it wasn’t a total shock, his timeline suffers. The deal to bring Favre goes back over a year when Favre announced his retirement from the Packers only later to change his mind; thus being traded to the Jets.
Jackson responded to the Favre intrusion by saying, “I really don’t have a reaction. I’m just taking it day by day right now.” The only day by day action that Jackson will be taking is how to hold the clipboard or get the Gatorade for his elder. The potential biggest loser in all this is John David Booty.

John David Booty is still green, per NFL standards, and has been regulated to throwing a collection of stiffs since joining the NFL. Booty did score a few dollars I am sure for giving Favre #4 and taking #9. At the end of the day, Booty may be the happiest though. If the rumors are true about Jackson and Rosenfels demanding trades if Favre is signed, Booty may find himself the #2 based on attitude alone. Then again Coach Childress has a hard on for Jackson and by trading him or letting him go would be admission of poor judgment.

Now that the circus is done, the question remaining is how far will the Vikings go? The speculation in Viking faithful heads has to be similar to those purchasing lottery tickets today for the Powerball; if I win what will I do? Well the Vikings appeared to have “won”.

Get your Popcorn: Farve circus coming to town.

Last night Joe Buck had Brett Favre on HBO to discuss his future in the NFL. Brett Favre pulled no punches when he said, “it makes perfect sense as far as coming back because it’s an offense I ran for 16 years. I can teach the offense” when asked about unretiring to become a Minnesota Viking. Coach Brad Childress had invited Brett Favre to the OTA’s but Brett felt it be a better idea to stay away. Brett thought multiple “media frenzies” would detract from the team, plus Brett said, “If the arm is not up to par when the time comes. I can’t play. I went through it last year. I gutted it out, but it affected me and it affected our team. I won’t go through that again.”

Brett admitted that he had arthroscopic surgery 2.5 weeks ago to repair a torn bicep tendon on his throwing arm. The healing time is reported to be four to five weeks. So, it does make sense that Favre not showing up at OTA’s would have done nothing more than expand upon his need for media attention. The interesting question that wasn’t asked or touched upon during the interview was whether Brad Childress put a time line on his decision to join the team as reported by ESPN.

Brad Childress previously had stated that no such deadline was imposed upon Favre as reported by two ESPN reporters. With the air clear that Favre, depending on arm strength, will become a Viking is how will this improve the chance of making it to the Super Bowl? Does the addition of Favre automatically move the Vikings up the ladder on potential Super Bowl contenders?

I don’t think so. The move not to re-sign Matt Birk will be one of the reasons why the Vikings will not be in the Super Bowl. Favre will improve the chance that the Vikings will score in the 4th quarter though. Being a gunslinger he will put the ball in places that a normal quarterback will not. The other reason is that the Vikings will need to win the division to make the playoffs and that will not be an easy task this season.

The Chicago Bears trading for Cutler puts them at the top of the heap. Word from Bear OTA’s is that Cutler and Hester are clicking in midseason form. If that is happening now, watch out when the season starts. There is no one in the NFL that can stay with Hester one-on-one. Granted Foote does not have the same numbers of Peterson, he is solid enough to rip off the tough yards to keep the chains moving.

The benefit that Favre will bring is twofold. Blackout worries will be no more and it will add fodder for those Viking/Packer families. The next question is will Paul Allen have a new color man? Will John Madden park the Madden Cruiser at Winter Park?

Favre Flu displaces Swine Flu in Minnesota

A day after Trent Dilfer reported receiving a text message from Brett Favre on whether he will return to the NFL in 2009 the “NO” appears, at least right now, to be a maybe. Coach Brad Childress will be meeting with the ageless veteran Favre at an undisclosed location later in the week according to the pundits on ESPN. The Favre fever has temporarily replaces Swing Flu in Minnesota.

Many pundits feel the Vikings are a quarterback away from a Super Bowl Champion. Now, the brain trust went out and signed Sage Rosenfels to come in and compete with Tarvaris Jackson. If the Vikings wanted an older quarterback why not go after someone like Garcia (who has signed with the Raiders)? Favre broke down as the season wore on while Garcia, and others, remained stout as the season wore on.

Granted the signing of Brett Favre will increase ticket sales and get more national television coverage. What happens after 2009? Will Favre be willing to come in and teach Jackson or will the blinders be on? I know many bleeding purple are foaming at the mouth as the rumors swirl about Favre wearing a purple 4. Buyers beware with Favre. Now if Percy Harvin can hook the hold man up with some good pain killers, then the Vikings decision to move forward with Favre signing may give them the upper hand in the NFC.

I understand that Viking fans want to win the big game after four gut wrenching chances and a missed field goal in the NFC Championship game, but at what cost? Adding Favre could mean adding John Madden. While, being a loyal Raider fan, I acknowledge the wealth of knowledge that Madden has stored away in his cranium, but are Viking fans prepared to hear Madden’s man-crush of Favre. The Madden cruiser will become a mainstay at Winter Park. Watch out Paul Allen!!!!

Favre is no doubt a Hall of Fame quarterback and a proven winner. With all that in play, the Vikings are best to not go down this road. If Childress does decide to bring in Favre, I will, like the rest of America, sit back and watch the circus that will take place. Not to mention the divorce rate increase between Minnesota and Wisconsin football fans.