ormer Packers QB Brett Favre: 'I'm not a traitor'

Former Packers QB Brett Favre: 'I'm not a traitor'

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August 8, 2008

Former Packers QB Brett Favre: 'I'm not a traitor'

Jets QB takes part of blame for rough end

By Rob Demovsky
Gannett Wisconsin Media
CLEVELAND — Just as Brett Favre was being whisked out of the visitors' interview room at Cleveland Browns Stadium on Thursday, a member of the New York media tried to get in one last question.
"Is this a one-year thing?" the reporter said.
It's the question fans of the New York Jets — Favre's new team — probably want answered more than anything.
Halfway out the door, Favre's only response was: "We'll see."
Those who follow the Green Bay Packers — and those who wonder why his old team could not work things out and ultimately traded him to the Jets on Wednesday — probably wanted answers to different questions. Favre provided a few in his introductory news conference with the Jets shortly before their exhibition opener against the Browns.
More than five hours after the Packers' top brass told its side in the Lambeau Field media auditorium, Favre sat in a cramped room some 550 miles away and offered bits of his side but not before he posed for pictures with his new Jets' No. 4 jersey.
Before he discussed how and why things went sour in Green Bay, he proclaimed: "I'm not a traitor; never will be. It's a business. That's the way it works. I gave everything I possibly could give while I was there, and I don't think people would question that."
For his part, Favre shared some of the fault in what once seemed like the most unlikely of endings to his storied, 16-year Packers career.
"I think we're probably both at fault," Favre said. "I'm not going to sit here and blame it all on one side or the other.
"They're probably tired of talking about it. I know it's great for the media. It's a great soap opera, but it's one that does nothing for the guys in (the Jets') locker room and does nothing for the guys in Green Bay.
"I've got a lot of respect for the guys in Green Bay. I said last year, and I said the year before, that was the most talented team I've ever played on. Everyone thought I was crazy. I still think the same."
Though Favre didn't mention anyone in the Packers organization by name, the feeling since Favre first expressed a desire to unretire and then was rebuffed was that general manager Ted Thompson was the biggest reason Favre felt animosity toward the franchise and could not return. However, Favre on Thursday hinted that there may have been more than one person involved in that.
"We had some differences between I and a couple of other people," Favre said.
He didn't elaborate and then quickly added: "That team is going to be good with or without me, and it really serves no purpose to continue talking about it."
Favre admitted that he was reluctant to speak with Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum throughout his unretirement process in part because he knew if he went to the Jets, he wouldn't have an opportunity to play against the Packers.
"I was never not interested in the Jets," Favre said. "I think my interest at first, as we all know, was to stay within our division. Maybe that was a little bit of vindictive nature or competitive nature or whatever. I think in the end that was probably the wrong motive, and I realized that was not going to happen. That's only one or two games a year playing against your old team."
At one point during the news conference, Tannenbaum chimed in and said: "I think we're all looking forward to getting past this stuff and going out there and playing some football."
It was a whirlwind 24 hours for Favre leading up to his arrival in Cleveland. The trade was completed late Wednesday night. On Thursday, the Jets sent a plane to Mississippi to pick up Favre and his wife, Deanna. They flew to New York and took an aerial tour via helicopter of the Jets' new facility, which will open next month in New Jersey. They then boarded another plane with Tannenbaum and Jets owner Woody Johnson and met the team in Cleveland.
Favre was scheduled to fly back to New York after Thursday's game and will take a physical and a conditioning test today at the Jets' facility. The Jets don't have a practice scheduled for today. Their next practice is Saturday at 12:30 p.m. (CDT).
"I'm a little bit out of shape compared to the other guys," Favre said. "But I'm so excited about the opportunity. My family and everybody involved have been just treated unbelievably by everyone in the organization. I never looked forward to doing a conditioning test as much as I have to this point. I'm so tired of doing interviews. Hopefully after the mad rush is over, we can have a conditioning test at noon (today). I'm looking forward to that, and we go on."