Tuesday, August 5, 2008

News conference detailing Favre plans canceled

GREEN BAY, Wis. - There was no parade, no motorcade, and no photo opportunity — hardly the way you’d expect Brett Favre to return to the Green Bay Packers after spending most of the past month as the league’s longest-running daytime drama.

Favre reported to the Packers as expected Monday, but managed to do so without being noticed by fans and media members staking out several entrances to Lambeau Field managed to catch a glimpse of him.

The team announced Monday afternoon that Favre had been reinstated and returned to the Packers’ active roster, as was expected. To make room for Favre, the team placed cornerback Condrew Allen on injured reserve with a knee injury.

Coach Mike McCarthy had scheduled a news conference for 9:15 p.m. EDT to talk about his plans for Favre. But the news conference was rescheduled for sometime Tuesday because McCarthy was still meeting with Favre.

Both Favre and McCarthy drove out a back gate at Lambeau at 12:22 a.m. EDT. Favre waved to a small crowd of fans and media from his dark red SUV, and McCarthy followed immediately behind him in a black SUV.

Meanwhile, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell ruled Monday that he found no violations of league policy in the Packers’ tampering complaint against Minnesota Vikings. And Minnesota coach Brad Childress denied reports that the Vikings have talked to the Packers about a potential trade for Favre.

“We haven’t had any contact” with the Packers, Childress said.

Vikings coaches apparently did have contact with Favre in the offseason, but Goodell found that their conversations didn’t violate league tampering rules. In a statement, Goodell said, “None of those conversations suggest that Favre was soliciting a job or that other teams were soliciting his services.”

In a statement, the Packers said they consider the matter closed.

“Based on the information that we had, the Packers thought it was appropriate to bring this matter to the league’s attention,” the team said. “We respect the commissioner’s investigation of this matter and we now consider it closed.”