FAVRE'S PRESS CONFERENCE

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http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=607606

Favre explains himself as minicamp opens

A fog of concern had been hovering over the National Football League's smallest city, so Brett Favre showed up early to clear the air. Brett Favre explains his recent comments during a news conference Friday at the start of a three-day minicamp. "I did want to clear up this trade issue," Favre said at 12:30 p.m. today at a hastily assembled news conference in the Lambeau Field Auditorium. "A non-issue as I call it. Never was a trade ever mentioned, requested. I just don't know where it came from. That's not true. ..."
Favre was referring to an Internet report stating he had requested that the Packers trade him because of the team's inability to acquire Randy Moss in a trade with the Oakland Raiders. Moss was traded to the New England Patriots for a fourth-round draft choice. "(Was I) frustrated at this point last week? Yeah?" Favre said just a couple hours before taking the field in the Don Hutson Center for Day 1 of Green Bay's three-day mandatory minicamp. "But I'm here and ready to move forward."
Favre said he had no problem with the direction of the Packers and added that he has a good working relationship with general manager Ted Thompson. "I think I get over things fairly quickly," Favre said of the Moss issue. "I expressed how I felt. And it's over and done with. I had a good talk with Mike (head coach McCarthy) and Ted (Thompson, general manger) this week. "You know we don't always agree - not just with Ted and Mike - but we are all that way. But we have a good working relationship. We're able to talk about things. Ultimately, it comes down to me wanting to play and help this team win.
"That's the one thing I can control. Being here, that's what I'm doing. I mean, the teammates I played with last year, the previous years are important to me. The team aspects are very important to me. I've always said that. I'd like to think that I'm not only a good teammate, but a great leader.
"And that's what it ultimately came down to. Agreeing with one' philosophy .... really doesn't matter. What matters is, I'm the quarterback for this team until they tell me different. I enjoy doing it. What's done is done. It's over with." Favre said, that entering his 17th season, "I just really didn't want to come (to mini-camp)," which he called "kind of boring to be honest with you." "But had I not shown up, it becomes an even bigger issue," Favre said. Favre said his unhappiness with losing Moss to New England was not an indictment of the talent on the Packers' roster.
"We're fine," Favre said of his relationship with his teammates. "I don't know what they say when they go home. You show me where I said anything about the (talent of) the guys I play with. I want you to show me. Not once did I say anything about the guys I play with. I want proof that I said something about the guys I play with. Never did I say that."

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http://www.mercurynews.com/breakingsports/ci_5929371?nclick_check=1

Favre throws his support behind Packers

Brett Favre slammed both hands on the podium, wanting to be clear: He never suggested he couldn't win with this current group of Packers.
The Green Bay quarterback was trying to defuse a week's worth of comments. And while he was frustrated the Packers did not trade for Randy Moss, Favre said during minicamp Friday this was no knock on his teammates. "Not once did I say anything about the guys I play with," Favre said at a news conference. "And I know that has been brought up, and I want proof that I said something about the guys I play with. Never did I say that."
Favre's appearance came after a tumultuous week in which he publicly complained about the Packers' front office, deflected reports that his agent had asked the team for a trade and considered skipping this weekend's mandatory minicamp to help plan parties for his daughter's high school graduation next week. The 37-year-old star is still recovering from offseason ankle surgery, and the team's medical staff most likely will limit his participation in the three-day camp, which ends Sunday. Favre said he came to Green Bay to show his commitment to the Packers and clear the air about reports that he asked for a trade.
"I don't think anyone can question my leadership and determination to win, and that hasn't changed," Favre said. "I know at times people want to do that. And had I not shown up, it becomes even a bigger issue." Favre criticized the front office during interviews at his charity golf tournament in Mississippi last Saturday, Fox Sports' Web site reported Sunday that his agent had asked for a trade when the team failed to complete a trade for Moss. The wide receiver was dealt from Oakland to New England during the NFL draft last month. Favre and his agent spent this week issuing carefully worded denials that seemed to leave wiggle room. But Favre issued a stronger denial Friday, saying a trade was never mentioned or requested. "I just don't know where it came from," he said. "That's not true."
Favre acknowledged that he has disagreed with decisions by the front office, but he said he has spoken with general manager Ted Thompson and coach Mike McCarthy this week and wants to put all this behind. Favre said repeatedly he's "fine" with Thompson. "I'm not here to judge the way he runs his team," Favre said. "And I know that he's probably caught a lot of heat. Ted and I go way back, from Day One. He has a plan, that's what he's paid to do, I'm paid to lead this team on the field." Favre said he doesn't need to formally address his teammates.
"I'm not going to stand up in front of them," he said. "I've seen a lot of the guys in passing, and I mean, we're fine. I don't know what they say when they go home. But you show me where I said anything about the guys I play with. I want you to show me." Favre reiterated that he thinks the Packers have plenty of young talent. He recalled that he was ridiculed before last season when he said the 2006 Packers might be the most talented team he ever played on. "You thought I was crazy," he said. Still, Favre says there's plenty of room for improvement. "We have to get better," he said. "We have to get better in a hurry."
He also knows he doesn't have many seasons left. "What has been said and done once again is over, and I think the best way to do that is to move forward," he said. "And there's no hard feelings. I want to win, regardless of who's on this team or not on this team. And hopefully, we're all in this together."


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[Zero2Cool]

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http://packers.scout.com/2/645060.html

Favre wants to ‘move forward’

Standing at the media auditorium podium, Brett Favre addressed the Wisconsin media today, insisting that he never requested to be traded from the Green Bay Packers. PackerReport.com’s Todd Korth explains. Favre was limited to 15 minutes with the media today, but wasted no time difusing a report earlier this week that he demanded the Packers to trade him away due to his frustration over the team’s inability to obtain wide receiver Randy Moss. The Packers attempted to deal with the Oakland Raiders for the disgruntled Moss, but the New England Patriots swooped in at the last second with an offer that the Raiders couldn’t refuse. Favre, according to a FoxSports.com report, had his agent, James “Bus” Cook call general manager Ted Thompson to request a trade. Both Favre and Cook have denied any trade request. Favre today again made it clear that the report was way off the mark.
“I want to clear up this trade issue, or non-issue as I call it,” Favre said. “Never was trade ever mentioned, requested … I just don’t know where it came from. It’s not true. “Frustrated at this point last week? Yeah, but I’m here and here to move forward.” Earlier this week, Favre told reporters in Mississippi that he was unhappy with Thompson’s inability to obtain Moss. Favre said he has spoken with Thompson and coach Mike McCarthy this week and wants to put all this behind. Favre said repeatedly he's "fine" with Thompson.
“I’m fine with Ted,” Favre said. “There have probably been games or plays where he probably hasn’t agreed with the things that I’ve done, but I don’t see him on the bus after the game where he won’t speak to me. You go on. You move forward. “I’m not here to judge the way he runs this team. I know that he’s probably has caught a lot of heat, but Ted and I go way back, from Day 1. He has a plan. That’s what he’s paid to do. I’m paid to lead this team on the field. We’re fine.” Favre said he doesn't need to formally address his teammates. "I'm not going to stand up in front of them," he said. "I've seen a lot of the guys in passing, and I mean, we're fine. I don't know what they say when they go home. But you show me where I said anything about the guys I play with. I want you to show me.
“Not once did I say anything about the guys that I play with. I know that has been brought up … I want proof that I said something about the guys I play with. Never did I say that. If it keeps being brought up … these statements that you guys are making … then maybe they start believing it. But I believe in these guys.” Favre re-iterated from his statement from a year ago that the Packers are a talented team. He said the offensive line could develop into one of the best he's ever played behind. But he also said the talent lacks experience, implying that his frustration stemmed from no proven veterans being added to the offense this off-season.
“Yeah, I don’t have five years,” he said. “I’m not blowing smoke, it’s true. A lot of the guys in here (locker room) could have 15 (years). I do want to win now. The one thing I can control is how I lead this team on and off the field. What has been said and done is over. The best way to do that is to move forward. There’s no hard feelings. I want to win regardless of who is on this team, or who is not on this team.” Nonetheless, Favre says he is prepared to lead the Packers and use his experience to spur the team’s growth. ”The only way these guys get better is by playing and experiencing the game and working with them, and that's true," Favre said. "But with that in mind, we have to get better, we have to get better in a hurry.”

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http://story.scout.com/a.z?s=61&p=2...=http://story.scout.com/a.z?s=61&p=2&c=645069

Favre transcript Quarterback's comments to questions during press conference


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[TOPHAT]

Brett Clears the Air

In a 15 minute news conference prior to the start of this weekend's minicamp, QB Brett Favre had his say about the supposed trade rumor, his feelings about GM Ted Thompson, and other topics.

Bottom line: did not ask to be traded, was frustrated, has no problem with the direction the Packers are headed, says he has a good working relationship with Ted Thompson, and after 17 years in the league is bored with minicamps and just didn't want to come. You can read an account of the press conference...[above].

 

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PLAYERS REACTIONS

http://www.packersnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070519/PKR01/705190491/1989

Favre shows up to put out fires QB says he never asked to be traded

Brett Favre didn't take back his criticism of General Manager Ted Thompson for not acquiring Randy Moss, but in a press conference Friday he tried to subdue the tempest his public comments last weekend created. Though it's clear the 17-year NFL quarterback expressed his frustration to the Packers in stark terms immediately after the draft, he also insisted he never asked for a trade. Favre lobbied hard for the Moss deal but said he's now over the frustration of Moss instead going to New England on the weekend of the NFL draft in late April. "I think I get over things fairly quickly," Favre said before the Packers' first practice at this weekend's mandatory minicamp. "I expressed how I felt, and it's over and done with. Had a good talk with (coach) Mike (McCarthy) and Ted this week. We don't always agree, not just with Ted and Mike, but we're all that way. But we have a good working relationship, we're able to talk about things. Ultimately, it comes down to me wanting to play and help this team win."
Favre held the press conference so he could address fallout from his comments last weekend criticizing the Packers and subsequent reports that he asked for a trade shortly after the draft. The episode exposed a major communication gap and perhaps rift between Favre and Thompson. Among his public comments last weekend at his charity golf tournament in Mississippi, Favre said he questioned whether the Packers really wanted him back for possibly only one more season if they weren't willing to offer Moss a contract that might have landed him before New England got involved in trade talks with Oakland. Last Sunday, Favre and Thompson had their first conversation since the Moss deal fell through.
"Ted and I go way back, from Day 1 (in 1992)," Favre said. "He has a plan, that's what he's paid to do. I'm paid to lead this team on the field. We're fine. Once again, I don't have to agree with everything he does, he doesn't have to agree with some of the things I do. But we're fine. "I just had a nice talk with him outside (the media auditorium) about what I was going to do (Friday at practice), and we're fine. It wasn't directed at him. Yeah, I throw an interception, people are mad at me, but there's usually more to it than that. He makes decisions, but it's not only Ted, and he's going to catch a lot of the heat. But we're fine."
Favre also said that in recent weeks he wavered about attending this minicamp, because he simply finds minicamps boring as he enters his 17th season in the NFL, especially if he couldn't participate in practice. But he decided to come, because he knew after his comments last weekend his absence would have stirred controversy. Though the Packers didn't expect him to take part in this camp because of his recovery from arthroscopic surgery to remove bone spurs from his left ankle, he passed his physical Thursday and participated in a part-time role in Friday's lone practice. avre said he hadn't thrown a football since the season finale, but he took a few snaps in all drills except 11-on-11. "Everyone in (the locker room) that knows me and has played with me knows I'd do anything for this team," Favre said, "and that hasn't changed. Once again, as far as not being here — being here obviously is important. That's why I'm here. But I just really didn't want to come, and if I did come I wanted to do something."
Favre's comments regarding Moss could be a problem in the locker room if any of his offensive teammates considered them implicit criticism of their abilities. Favre said his interactions in the locker room Friday seemed normal and he had no plans to address the team as a whole. "I believe in these guys," he said. "Once again, a year ago you guys were criticizing me because I said this was one of the most talented teams. You thought I was crazy. I also told you that doesn't guarantee 12 wins. Nothing guarantees that. But I still stand by that."
There's no way to know whether Favre's comments will become divisive, though the extreme youth of the team's skill-position players could lessen that possibility. Second-year receiver Greg Jennings, the Packers' starter opposite Donald Driver, was at Favre's golf tournament last weekend when the quarterback spoke out. "I definitely didn't take it that he was downplaying us," Jennings said. "He feels like we missed some opportunities as an organization. He has his opinion and wants to win and felt like we could have made some acquisitions in the offseason, and we didn't. He was a little frustrated. Being here 16 years, he has a right to be frustrated. If that was me, then there would be a problem." Driver said he would have welcomed Moss as a deep threat to stretch the defense, but said he wasn't upset that the Packers didn't land him. "We all know he can play the game," Driver said. "But who knows if he would have come in here and fit? No one knows. If he would have come in, we all would have opened our arms and said, 'Let's play ball.'"
Linebacker Nick Barnett said he wasn't sure whether Favre's criticism of the team was justified. He identified Jennings and third-round draft pick James Jones as receivers who could become players of note this season. "I think (Jones) is a player," Barnett said. "He's a big dude, strong guy. That's what we're looking for, somebody that can get the ball. Most of the problems our quarterbacks and receivers have is, you have to have a guy that's going to go get the ball, you're not going to get a perfect throw every time. That's why Javon (Walker) was so valuable, because he's a guy that went and got the ball. He wasn't a burner, at least not in my book, but he went and got the ball."

 

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