By LORI NICKELTed Thompson always found the month of August to be the most agonizing time in his job. Cutting a player loose was never something he took lightly, despite his detached outward appearance. It goes beyond the difficulty of letting good players go. It goes back to his playing days, when he first felt the fear of failure that confronts a man when he is no longer welcome in the NFL.
The situation in which the Green Bay Packers general manager finds himself now with Brett Favre trumps any agonizing decision he has ever faced. The crossroads at which he finds himself might wind up defining his career.
Since July 3, when the news first broke that Favre wanted to return to football, the dilemma has dominated talk in Wisconsin and beyond.
In that time, all the public has learned definitively is that the Packers have moved on at quarterback at the very same time Favre has concluded that he wants to play again. The saga has divided fans and, if the facts are considered, features no villain and no perfect, uncomplicated resolution.
Moving past the matter of which person is at fault, the most important question remains: what to do next?
Thompson is left with few ideal choices.
The idea of Favre as Green Bays backup, a notion that Thomson proposed Saturday, wont fly. The Packers didnt even want Favres old locker looming over Aaron Rodgers, so they most certainly dont want Favre and Rodgers pretending to put on a battle for the starting job in the first week of August.
Thompson could tell Favre to come back for an open competition for the starters job, but it is hard to imagine Favre agreeing to such an arrangement. The Packers wouldnt like it, either. Imagine the media feeding frenzy during training camp, when every pass would be charted and every interception would cause a raised eyebrow.
So Thompson is searching for answers.
Were struggling to do the right thing, he said Saturday in his only interview on the matter. So thats kind of where we are and we dont have all the answers.
If and when Favre contacts the National Football League office in New York and pulls his name off the reserve/retired list, Thompson and the Packers must take him back and decide what to do next.
Those sympathetic to Favre say give the man his freedom. They think his accomplishments and rsum have earned him the absolute right to be released, so he can see what he would command in the open market and control where and how he ends his legendary career.
The Packers have said that wont happen. The risk is way too high that he would end up on the roster of a division enemy, an NFC foe or playoff contender. The NFL is a business first and the Packers simply cannot afford to let Favre go wherever he pleases, especially to a team that is on the Packers 2008 schedule.
It seems Thompson is left with two choices:
Bring Favre back and proclaim him the starter.
Trade the future Hall of Famer. [url=index.php?name=Pro_News&aid=63]Read More...[/url].