Brett Favre Returns To Green Bay

Bret Favre Statue Built In Green Bay

In anticipation of the Packers-Vikings game in Green Bay on October 24th, the mayor of Green Bay, Mayor McCheese, has asked Packers fans to welcome back Brett Favre but to keep the welcomes “tasteful.”



“So a statue of Brett wiping his behind with a slice of funky French fromage is out of the question?” asks petulant Packers fan Jack Pepper.



“What if we draw up a banner showing Brett sandwiched between two waffle slices?” asks pretty perky Packers fan Pamela Muenster.



“I’ve got it! We’ll have a dummy wearing No. 4 mashed under a big pile of cheeseheads!” offers pesty Packers fan Colby Asiago.



“What if we make fun of Brett’s commercial where he can’t decide which TV to buy by showing the TVs have sprouted legs and are walking off in disgust?” asks particularly prickly Packers fan Jack Monterey.



"What if we showed Brett trying to make phone calls, but instead of getting reception, all his phone calls are intercepted...or maybe showing him making phone calls without his pants?” proposes pompous Packers fan Paneer Provolone.



“How in the heck are you going to depict phone calls as being intercepted?” asks perplexed Packers fan Feta Monchego. "I can see depicting him holding the phone in the crotchital area—but being intercepted?"





Adam Bettcher/Getty Images “I’m not exactly sure,” Provolone posits,“but we could hire the artist, Mike Krawczyk. He can draw anything.”



“I’m not sure we can afford Krawczyk,” says prudent Packers fan Brie Camambert, “and even then, I hear he might be a Steelers fan.”



“OK, how’s this?” replies the priggish Provolone, “We show Favre sitting at a big table in a Waffle House, since he’s such a waffler, and someone at the far end of the table asks him to pass the syrup. Then, when Favre passes the syrup, instead of the guy at the far end of the table who originally asked for the syrup getting the bottle, another guy in a Packers shirt intercepts it.”



“That would be a very complicated mural,” ponders periodontally prominent Packers fan Parmesan Ricotta. “I’m not sure that even an artist like Krawczyk could complete such a project in this short period of time.”



“Okay, how’s this?” the preening yet pragmatic Provolone poses. “We erect a statue of Brett facing a group of Packers fans who all have knives in their backs...with Jenn Sterger carrying the biggest knife.”



“Guys!” yells Mayor McCheese while wearing a cheese coat and a cheesehead hat with string cheese hanging from his nose. “Keep it tasteful!”

Sidney Rice Is Back In A Minnesota Vikings Uniform.

The Pro Bowl wide receiver, less than two months after hip surgery, was catching passes today during the Vikings' practice session at Winter Park.



Wearing a purple No. 18 jersey and black sweats, Rice slowly jogged across an empty practice field while injured reserve receiver Jaymar Johnson threw him a couple of passes in stride. When we say slow, we mean slow — his lower-body movements were minimal.



But it's progress for a guy who was on crutches last week. Rice ditched the crutches on Tuesday, and he should find out soon when he can return to football activities.



Quarterback Brett Favre threw passes during the media's 15-minute window of availability. Favre was limited in Thursday's practice and did not participate Wednesday because of elbow tendinitis. He likely will be listed as limited again today.



Guard Chris DeGeare (ankle) is the only Vikings player not participating in practice.

Favre Surronded By Receivers Again

Greg Camarillo

Brett Favre Embraces Percy Harvin

Jevon Walker

Brett Favre

Brett Favre And Sidney Rice

 


EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. (AP)—One of the biggest reasons Brett Favre(notes) decided to return to the Minnesota Vikings this year was his familiarity with an offense that he enjoyed being around so much in 2009.
Suddenly, in some ways, Favre feels as if he’s starting all over again.
His two favorite targets—Sidney Rice(notes) and Percy Harvin(notes)—have struggled with ailments throughout the preseason. Rice had hip surgery on Monday and likely will miss the first half of the regular season while Harvin has hardly practiced because of recurring migraines.

“Not a lot different than last year as far as chemistry is concerned,” Favre said Wednesday. “It would have been nice to come in and go to bat with the guys that we finished with last year, but that is part of football. Every coach will say the same thing. Regardless of who is put in there we have to play the same way.”
With Favre leading the way, the Vikings changed from a run-oriented offense in the first three years under coach Brad Childress into a pass-first unit that finished second in the league in scoring.
Vikings receivers caught 207 of the 377 passes completed last season, nearly all of which were thrown by Favre. When Favre stepped into the huddle in San Francisco on Sunday night, Rice and Harvin were not even in the stadium, meaning 143 of last season’s receptions weren’t around.
Bernard Berrian(notes) (55 catches) and Greg Lewis(notes) (eight) are the only healthy receivers on this year’s roster who caught a pass from Favre in 2009.
Harvin did practice on Wednesday for the first time since a scary collapse last week brought on by migraines. He was taken from the field in an ambulance, spent the night in the hospital and did not make the trip to San Francisco. His availability for Saturday night’s game against Seattle is in question.
The reigning rookie of the year forged a bond quickly with Favre last year, emerging as his security blanket on third down. Harvin missed one game in the regular season because of migraines and several practices in the playoffs as the Vikings marched to the NFC title game.
“Percy’s situation is kind of iffy,” Favre said. “We expect big things from him, bigger than last year. He has to take care of himself first.”
While Harvin dealt with the headaches last year, Rice’s need for surgery came as a surprise to nearly everyone. He was injured in the NFC title game loss to New Orleans, but said that doctors told him his hip would heal without surgery.
Rice posted an update on his blog on Wednesday, saying that he tweaked the injury during minicamp in June but still hoped to avoid surgery. But doctors told him on Monday that a new MRI showed “a problem that could shorten my career.”
“Once the Doc got in there and checked everything out, he said having the surgery was the best move I could have made, so I don’t regret it now,” Rice wrote. “He said it could have been much worse if I would have tried to play on it during the season. He said it could have been my last year of playing football, so I know I made the right decision.”
Favre said he kept in contact with Rice, who led the team with 83 catches and 1,312 yards, while he spent the summer deciding whether he should come back for a 20th NFL season.
“I really felt like at some point here in training camp he would be able to go,” Favre said. “Obviously that’s not the case. Probably like most people, I was pretty optimistic that he would be OK.”
So Brett, if you knew Rice would be out so long, would you have come back?
“I don’t know that for certain because that obviously wasn’t the case,” Favre said. “It’s hard enough at 40 to play. You take a guy out that had roughly 90-something catches and was obviously pretty productive … but there’s more guys on this team, too.”
Rice said he hopes to be back before the first half of the season ends. There have been theories that he did not get the surgery because he was in the final year of his contract and was hoping to sign an extension, and Rice addressed that issue in his blog.
“It’s not my concern what people say about my contract, whatever happens, happens,” Rice wrote. “If the Vikings decide to give me an extension, that’s great. If not, life goes on. I’ll continue to work hard and do everything I can to be successful in what I’ve been doing my whole life, and that’s playing football.”
The Vikings scrambled this week to add depth to a receiving group short on experience, signing veteran free agent Javon Walker(notes) on Tuesday and trading with the Dolphins for slot receiver Greg Camarillo(notes) on Wednesday.
Walker caught passes from Favre for four years in Green Bay, but he has just 41 receptions in the past three years combined in Denver and Oakland.
Camarillo has 105 receptions for 1,165 yards and two touchdowns over the past two years in Miami.
“Without Sidney, it sure makes it tougher, Favre said. “But going into the season last year, no one expected the season that Sidney was going to have. So, maybe there’s another guy that can step up and do that.”