An American Lion

Football Players, Circa 1916

Would someone please inform ESPN that Brett Favre is finished?

Minnesota Vikings offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell became the first member of Brad Childress' coaching staff to personally evaluate Brett Favre after shoulder surgery when he traveled to Hattiesburg, Miss., last week to watch the retired quarterback perform in a rigorous throwing session that included an estimated 100 passes, sources said.

According to those same sources, at least one of whom has communicated directly with the quarterback, Favre thought his performance that day with the Oak Grove High School team was encouraging. But Favre also warned the Vikings representatives that he might be forced to delay a decision on whether to play until just before the team opens training camp on July 29 in Mankato, Minn.

During their visit to his home last Wednesday, Favre informed Bevell and Vikings head trainer Eric Sugarman that he wants to play in Minnesota during the upcoming season but remains unable to commit because he wants to be totally confident that he can provide the team with 16-plus healthy starts before doing so. Sugarman was making his second visit to Favre's Mississippi home, the first occurring a few weeks before in which the trainer demonstrated some shoulder exercises the quarterback could use to accelerate his recovery.

Favre, 39, is approximately six weeks removed from the arthroscopic surgery Dr. James Andrews performed to release the partially torn biceps tendon in the quarterback's right shoulder. Favre is proceeding cautiously because he remains somewhat concerned about the inconsistency of some throws and worries that he continues to have slight pain, according to sources. While Favre's recovery seems to be following the six- to eight-week rehab timetable that Andrews described, sources say that Favre had hoped the improvement would come sooner and that he had initially planned to make a decision about returning to the NFL before the end of June.

Favre is, essentially, using ESPN to prolong his diva-like exit from football. Not content with records, Favre now wants everyone at his beck and call, and for every hour of every broadcast day to include some mention of his moods, his likes, his dislikes, his preference for lunch, the extent of his love for poodles, whether or not he wants the grass cut, who he wants to win on American Idol should it ever come back on television, and so on and so forth.

One cannot build a team around Favre or simply bring him into an existing system. He is too difficult, at this stage of his career, to coach. I don't believe in "chemistry" on a team, but I do believe in systems and I don't see where he integrates well with any system anywhere. You have to be disorganized, pathetic, and without essential personnel to want him, and if that describes the Minnesota Vikings, then they are welcome to the soap opera that is Brett Favre.

I watched, live and as it happened, Dan Marino's last game as an NFL quarterback. You can read about it here--it was a debacle, to say the least.If Minnesota wants a game like that, by all means, sign Favre and get ready for a blowout. I think he has it in him to top Marino's last gasp of indignity.