Brett Favre had good reason to play for the Vikings in 2009.
He was never going to admit it, but the chance to show the Green Bay Packers they had made a mistake by jettisoning him after the 2007 season was a huge factor. Nobody ever believed Favre wanted to play a season in New York, and the fact that his year with the Jets went from magical (an 8-3 start) to maddening (he suffered a biceps injury and the Jets won one of their final five games) gave him even more incentive to continue.
This enormous level of motivation helped the 40-year-old Favre put together one of the best seasons of his career. He threw 33 touchdowns, only seven interceptions and led the Vikings to a 12-4 record and the NFC Championship Game.
That brings us to this simple question: What is Favre's motivation this time?
As Favre addressed the media on Aug. 18, 2009, there was a certain fire in his eyes and a defiance in his voice that, from this corner at least, seemed to be largely based on the realization that this would be his opportunity for pay back on Packers General Manager Ted Thompson and coach Mike McCarthy.
Favre got it by beating the Vikings' NFC North rival twice, 30-23 in a Monday night game at the Metrodome and 38-26 at Lambeau Field.
Favre made his point.
Perhaps that's why as he addressed the media on Aug. 18, 2010, the fire and defiance of a year earlier seemed to be missing. Favre's theme was that this time he had decided to return because of the players in the Vikings locker room.
Jared Allen, Steve Hutchinson and Ryan Longwell had shown up unannounced -- at least to Favre -- on his doorstep in Mississippi and explained to the quarterback exactly how much he was wanted (and needed) for another season. Eventually, Favre couldn't say no.
As for the rest of Vikings Training camp, there is no real good signs. Sidney Rice, Favre's go - to target and pro bowl receiver has a bad hip, Percy Harvin will undoubtedly be inconsistent as far as starting games this season, and Bernard Berrian is coming off his worst season in a while. Will the Vikings receiving core come together before season start?
This enormous level of motivation helped the 40-year-old Favre put together one of the best seasons of his career. He threw 33 touchdowns, only seven interceptions and led the Vikings to a 12-4 record and the NFC Championship Game.
That brings us to this simple question: What is Favre's motivation this time?
As Favre addressed the media on Aug. 18, 2009, there was a certain fire in his eyes and a defiance in his voice that, from this corner at least, seemed to be largely based on the realization that this would be his opportunity for pay back on Packers General Manager Ted Thompson and coach Mike McCarthy.
Favre got it by beating the Vikings' NFC North rival twice, 30-23 in a Monday night game at the Metrodome and 38-26 at Lambeau Field.
Favre made his point.
Perhaps that's why as he addressed the media on Aug. 18, 2010, the fire and defiance of a year earlier seemed to be missing. Favre's theme was that this time he had decided to return because of the players in the Vikings locker room.
Jared Allen, Steve Hutchinson and Ryan Longwell had shown up unannounced -- at least to Favre -- on his doorstep in Mississippi and explained to the quarterback exactly how much he was wanted (and needed) for another season. Eventually, Favre couldn't say no.
As for the rest of Vikings Training camp, there is no real good signs. Sidney Rice, Favre's go - to target and pro bowl receiver has a bad hip, Percy Harvin will undoubtedly be inconsistent as far as starting games this season, and Bernard Berrian is coming off his worst season in a while. Will the Vikings receiving core come together before season start?
How did it come to this?
That seemed an appropriate question Tuesday after Vikings Pro Bowl wide receiver Sidney Rice acknowledged he had hip surgery that could keep him out for at least eight weeks and perhaps the season.
The arthroscopic procedure at the Steadman Clinic in Vail, Colo., was done to repair an injury Rice suffered seven months ago in the NFC Championship Game at New Orleans. That meant an entire offseason in which Rice could have had the problem corrected was now gone and, thus, so was one of Brett Favre's favorite targets.
Rice said he visited the clinic in the offseason but when he went back in recent days, his hip "showed significant changes." "[The doctor] said it was something I could try and work through," Rice said of his initial visit. "That was the plan I tried. I was trying to rehab it. The area just got worse."
Rice remained in Vail, where he had the surgery on Monday and shortly thereafter was allowed to ride an exercise bike for 20 minutes.
"I would think probably at least eight weeks before we're talking about [him] doing anything," coach Brad Childress said.
Rice, who caught a career-best 83 passes for 1,312 yards with eight touchdowns last season in his first year playing with Favre, has been on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list since training camp opened. By staying there when the regular season begins, he would be ineligible to play for the first six weeks and would not count against the 53-man roster. He could be kept on the PUP list through the ninth week of the season, but he would then have to be activated or placed on season-ending injured reserve.
Childress wasn't about to bite when asked if Rice had made a business decision -- not wanting to risk injury in part because he's due a salary of $550,000 this season in the last year of his rookie contract.
Looking on to the positive, Brett Favre is back, Cedric Griffin looks healthy finally, E.J. Henderson got seven tackles and one sack vs the San Fransisco 49ers on Sunday and one sack;coming back to form, and Antoine Winfield hopefully has gotten over his endeavors as well. So Vikings fans, let your heart open and get a Brett Favre or Minnesota Vikings player jersey below:
That seemed an appropriate question Tuesday after Vikings Pro Bowl wide receiver Sidney Rice acknowledged he had hip surgery that could keep him out for at least eight weeks and perhaps the season.
The arthroscopic procedure at the Steadman Clinic in Vail, Colo., was done to repair an injury Rice suffered seven months ago in the NFC Championship Game at New Orleans. That meant an entire offseason in which Rice could have had the problem corrected was now gone and, thus, so was one of Brett Favre's favorite targets.
Rice said he visited the clinic in the offseason but when he went back in recent days, his hip "showed significant changes." "[The doctor] said it was something I could try and work through," Rice said of his initial visit. "That was the plan I tried. I was trying to rehab it. The area just got worse."
Rice remained in Vail, where he had the surgery on Monday and shortly thereafter was allowed to ride an exercise bike for 20 minutes.
"I would think probably at least eight weeks before we're talking about [him] doing anything," coach Brad Childress said.
Rice, who caught a career-best 83 passes for 1,312 yards with eight touchdowns last season in his first year playing with Favre, has been on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list since training camp opened. By staying there when the regular season begins, he would be ineligible to play for the first six weeks and would not count against the 53-man roster. He could be kept on the PUP list through the ninth week of the season, but he would then have to be activated or placed on season-ending injured reserve.
Childress wasn't about to bite when asked if Rice had made a business decision -- not wanting to risk injury in part because he's due a salary of $550,000 this season in the last year of his rookie contract.
Looking on to the positive, Brett Favre is back, Cedric Griffin looks healthy finally, E.J. Henderson got seven tackles and one sack vs the San Fransisco 49ers on Sunday and one sack;coming back to form, and Antoine Winfield hopefully has gotten over his endeavors as well. So Vikings fans, let your heart open and get a Brett Favre or Minnesota Vikings player jersey below:
