Favre speaks ... finally

For the first time since his tearful retirement press conference at Lambeau Field on March 6, 2008, Brett Favre will address the Wisconsin media.

This time, it's via conference call from Minnesota Vikings headquarters in Eden Prairie, Minn.

We'll have a running transcript going shortly after it begins at approximately 11:35 a.m.

Here we go (11:49 a.m., right on (Favre) time.
BRETT FAVRE on:

Do you still want to stick it to Ted Thompson: "Never was motivated for that reason, so no. That has nothing to do with it."

What changed: "it wasnt about revenge to begin with. ... I felt like I could play. I think I proved that last year. Being released by NY and talking to Minn, I still had to have the surgery to play at a high enough level. I eventually decided to have it, so here I am."

Did Peter King misquote you about saying you wanted revenge? "What I said with Peter was it's human nature to feel, I didn't use the word revenge, to prove that I can still play."

Why play this year?: "I'd like to win it all. I don't think I have to prove anything to anyone ... I wouldn't play if I didn't think I could contribute."

That throw at end of 49ers game, did you have to prove you still have it?: "When I left NY last year, I knew I couldn't throw -- there were numerous plays I could point to -- for me I knew, not only was there pain, but on that 20-yards seam route, the ball was intended to be low and inside and it's high and outside and it gets tipped. You'd write it off as a bad throw, but it seemed more and more frequent along with the pain. ... I knew that by having the surgery, I wouldn't have to throw with pain anymore. When I had the surgery, yeah I needed, whenever that recovery time, I need to see, the pain for the most part was gone, but I had a dead arm. ... If I was going to play, I had to feel like in clutch time I could turn it loose."

on your image among Packers fans: "I can't answer that. I'm sure there are some people that are disappointed or upset. 16 years I spent there, I know how personal the Packers are to the fans. Very aware of that. That's the beauty of that organization. It's a special place, and I know people take a lot of ownership in that, and that's fine. ... My intentions are not to do anything else but play and hopefully lead this team to a championship. I've said this 100 times, you cant take the 16 years away that I spent there. It was outstanding. I know I left everything on the field. Im proud of the career I had there. There are people disappointed and picked sides, but you can't take that way. I can't control that."

on keeping your emotions in check like going against Holmgren: "I think that goes for every game. ... I thought the world of Mike Holmgren. I was not trying to get back at him or prove something to Mike or get at him for leaving us. I still talk to Mike to do this day and know I wouldn't be here if not for him. That was just bad play."

better at curbing your emotions: "I would like to think so. One thing I have noticed over the last few years is that we all know there are some games that are bigger than others, even though it's still another game. I look at it more that way, maybe that's age. If you've done something so many times, it's not as, I don't want to say exciting, at times I wish I would be more emotional..."

when you decided to come back last year was your choice to play in Green Bay: "Yes it was, and why wouldn't it be? I just had the best year of my career."

why ask for Jets to release you?: "None of that matters now anyway. What matters is that game Monday night."

Why haven't you reached out to Aaron Rodgers: "For what? No one's called me. I talked to Driver every once in a while, and some of the older guys."

Can you believe it's ended up this way?: "I hear that a lot, man it just seems weird. My first day of practice in NY or here was odd. ... But not, maybe one day when I look back, I may."

Can damage be restored between you and the Packers?: "Im sure it can. Right now, that's not on anyone's mind. Their intentions are to win the game, as ours are, and we'll deal with it later."

How hard is it to follow in your footsteps?: "I can't answer that. You guys laughed at me before our 13-3 season and I said this is the most talented team I've ever played one. And we almost got there, and everyone said this team was pretty good. Knew when I left this was a good team and Aaron had slipped through the cracks, but he's got all the tools, very knowledgable, no reason to think that the offense could not be highly productive. You can look at it a lot of different ways, who you're following, it's no different from me leaving and people picking sides."

Do you have troubling making decisions?: "I don't think it's a problem here. It's all based on winning obviously and what have you done for me lately. The only thing I can do is do what's expected of me."

any doubts about lasting for 16 games?: "You know what, I thought about it my first year, second year, third year, the chances of any player playing consistently 16 games, just in one season, is tough. If I have to get hit, I'll get it."

And that does it.

-- Rob Demovsky, rdemovsk@greenbaypressgazette.com
http://www.twitter.com/RobDemovsky