Favre’s ‘itch’ only a splotch in NFL’s year-round rash
Word out of Mississippi is that Brett Favre, whose retirement announcement in March might’ve coaxed more tears out of grown-up men than the last 20 minutes of “Old Yeller,” is pondering a comeback.
While Seattle-area sports fans were diverted by other developments Wednesday, ESPN – citing an unnamed Green Bay Packers source – reported the legendary quarterback had “an itch” to return to the field.
In typical ESPN fashion, the news of Favre’s second thoughts appeared in a bottom-of-the-screen bulletin scroll. (It’s official, folks: The terrorists have won. Bottom-of-the-screen scrolls, originally implemented in the immediate aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, are now an ubiquitous nuisance used to update viewers on obscure transactions, minor injuries, partial scores of every game, involving every sport on the planet, and, of course, the state of Brett Favre’s ever-evolving mood about returning to the NFL.)
Favre, in any case, became a national story that underscored ESPN’s influence.
Give the Worldwide Leader an itch, and it takes a mile.
It should be noted the ESPN report was refuted by Favre in a text message he sent to the Web site of his hometown newspaper, the Gulfport (Miss.) Sun Herald.
“All rumor,” insisted Favre.
So there.
Still, some questions linger: Was ESPN mistaken? Was the network’s unnamed source with the Packers wrong? Or was Favre merely exercising a little crisis control? Was he fibbing?
thenewstribune.com
7/6/08
