NFL

Favre-Childress Call Doesn't Seem Necessary

Posted Jul 23, 2008 4:00PM By JJ Cooper (RSS feed)

Filed Under: Packers, Vikings, NFC North

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The news that the Packers may have the Vikings dead to rights on tampering charges thanks to their phone records of calls between Brett Favre and Brad Childress is a pretty big blow for the Vikings.

If it's true, than the NFL will likely be taking away some draft picks in the next week or so and slapping a fine.

San Francisco is the only other team punished for tampering in the past decade, and all they lost was a fifth-round pick, which isn't a particularly painful penalty. As I said last week, losing a fifth-round pick for the chance to bring Favre to Minnesota seems like a pretty decent trade, especially when it also throws Green Bay into turmoil.

But while trying to get Favre to Minnesota may have been worth taking some risks, if what is being reported is true, it's a pretty big black mark against Childress, and a stupid way to go about it.

The Vikings had an in with Favre. He knows offensive coordinator Darren Bevell from their days together in Green Bay. Bevell could have talked to Favre in ways that could have conceivably remained on the right side of the rules.He could talk to the retired Favre about the Vikings need for a veteran quarterback. And if Favre talked about coming back, Bevell could have told him that the veteran quarterback still had plenty left in the tank and should consider it. All of that would have been just two friends talking, like they have for years. And it would have been enough to establish each sides interest in the other.

And if Favre decided after those talks that he'd like to come back, and maybe even wouldn't mind playing in Minnesota, that would have been his decision.

But the minute Childress got involved in actual talks with Favre, all of that likely went out the window. Childress doesn't know Favre, so it will be very hard to explain away any conversations between the two. Even if Favre called Childress, it would have been wise for Childress to simply politely explain that he didn't want to violate tampering rules (a 25 second call between Favre and Childress would actually be a useful piece of exonerating evidence).

It's hard to see exactly what would be gained by Favre and Childress talking. It's not like Favre would have to find out if he would be the starter in Minnesota--Tarvaris Jackson knows he's not winning that QB battle. And if Favre had any questions about the Vikings offense, he could ask them to Bevell.

The tampering charges will make it much less likely that the Vikings will ever get Favre--the 49ers didn't land Lance Briggs even when he became a free agent after their tampering. It was always hard for Favre to get to Minnesota unless he could induce the Packers to simply cut him. This will make it much tougher, even if Favre apparently wants to come to Minnesota.

So now it looks like the Vikings might get slapped with a pretty embarrassing tampering penalty. The cost of the penalty might not be that bad, but it's hard not to wonder whether it all could have been avoided.

Tags: Brad+Childress, BradChildress, Brett+Favre, BrettFavre

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