Zoneblitz.com

I think when people look back at the 2008 season for the St. Louis Rams, the one thing that will jump out is how the lack of clarity around the ownership of the team doomed their season.  And possibly their next few seasons.

There were rumors dating back to last season that coach Scott Linehan was going to get fired. Those rumors proved to be false, and then in January, team owner Georgia Frontiere passed away, and her son Chip Rosenbloom assumed control–but promised not to make any changes until he could “evaluate the team.”

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In October 2000, the NBA discovered that the Minnesota Timberwolves had entered into secret contracts that allowed them to circumvent salary cap rules. While teams in all sports stretch the rules, the Wolves and Smith exacerbated this particular situation by putting their agreements down on paper.

NBA Commissioner David Stern at the time handed out one of the most severe spankings a professional sports franchise has ever received. He voided Smith’s contract with the Wolves, fined the team $3.5 million and took away their first-round picks for the next five seasons - a move the organization from which the organization is still recovering.

One must wonder after reading ESPN’s snippet of a Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel Packers Insider story if the Minnesota Vikings might soon be in for the NFL’s version of the Wolves’ punishment. The paper reports that the tampering charges the Green Bay Packers filed against the Vikings are based on phone records showing that Brett Favre had numerous conversations with both his friend, Darrell Bevell, the team’s offensive coordinator, but also head coach Brad Childress.

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I almost regret writing most of the soap opera script that I have on the Brett Favre saga over the last week and change and nothing would make me more sorry than if ProFootballTalk.com’s post from last night is true.

That post suggests that the Packers gave Favre a list of three teams they would consider trading him to and that Favre didn’t like any of the three so he now plans to stay retired. What a horribly boring way for this saga to end.

In today’s early hours PFT has cited the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel and the NFL Network in reporting on separate posts that the Packers have called the Baltimore Ravens and at least one NFC team about dealing the bipolar quarterback.

Whether Favre does or doesn’t ultimately come back apparently doesn’t change the Packers’ tampering charge against the rival Minnesota Vikings. So - as PFT puts it - this story isn’t going away for months and months whether they want to cover it or not.

We, on the other hand, will just choose to ignore it if it continues to bore us. After all - training camps are starting and games are just around the corner. It won’t be long before we’re sitting at the sports book in the Wynn or Caesar’s Palace or the Golden Nugget — or all of the above — enjoying week one of the NFL regular season - and hoping the red eye flight home Sunday night doesn’t get canceled so I make my wife’s Monday birthday.

ESPN Radio’s Freddie Coleman says Vikings fans can stop trying to decide whether they’d like to see future Hall-of-Famer Brett Favre wearing his trademarked number four in purple and gold this fall.

“Forget it, boys and girls,” he says. “It’s not going to happen.” During his Friday night GameNight broadcast Coleman says there are three teams Favre could end up with - and the Vikings aren’t one of them. It’d be too painful for the organization to deal with Favre coming out of the Lambeau Field tunnel with Minnesota, he claims.

Actually, Coleman insists that because of salary cap issues and the roster turnover that would be required by most teams to fit him under the cap it is most likely that Favre remains a Packer. But if a trade does happen - and his release is highly unlikely, Coleman says - three teams make the most sense.

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In an effort to beat the Brett Favre soap opera to death, Zoneblitz is now reporting that the Minnesota Vikings have inquired about his availability, pending his release from Green Bay.

WSSP-AM SportsRadio in Green Bay is citing Green and Gold Insider Mike Clemens who is reporting that the Vikings made the inquiry. The station reports that Favre talked with the Packers in March about coming back but was told he would be the backup to Aaron Rodgers, so as a result he wants out, having officially asked for his release.

The Packers released a statement saying “the organization made the commitment to move forward with our football team” when Favre announced his retirement in March. The team has spent considerable time grooming Rodgers and also drafted Brian Brohm in the second round in April, leaving Favre on the outside looking in.

Favre is apparently working out, throwing footballs, and definitely in preparation for the season, according to NFL.com, whose writer, Pat Kirwan, now estimates that there is at least an 80 percent chance the two-time Super Bowl quarterback plays in 2008.
So… it’s looking more and more like Favre is going to play somewhere during the upcoming season. Now the biggest question becomes where.

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