I didn't watch the interview Brett Favre did with Joe Buck last night on HBO, but reading the articles today makes it seem like he wants to play for the Vikings if his arm will let him.  I'll post the transcript from the interview (read from the bottom up), then what Lance Briggs has to say.

Ok, Favre spoke for about 14 minutes. Come back to the blog a bit later for analysis. Thanks!


9:24 p.m.: We're moving on to the theme of the show, celebrity status for athletes. I think this will about do it.

9:23 p.m.: More on Green Bay: "It's football. It's not life or death."


9:22 p.m.: As for his legacy in Green Bay: "I don't know what to tell them. Vince Lombardi went to the Washington Redskins when he left ... Time heals a lot of wounds."


9:21 p.m.: Favre says John Madden has told him, "When you are gone and away from this game, you can't go back." Meaning, at some point soon he won't have this opportunity.

9:20 p.m.: Favre issues his first curse word. Thanks HBO! He's basically saying there are some people in his corner and some people who don't care for him.

9:19 p.m: On the issue of tarnishing the legacy: Favre says the 16 years he spent in Green Bay speak for themselves.

9:18 p.m.: On the deadline issue: He says there was not one. "It's not like I talk to those guys every day," he says of the Vikings. Coach Brad Childress asked him to come to OTAs. Favre said he chose not to. Favre admits that Childress wanted him to be "part of the team" but says "I chose to stay away" because of the likely media frenzy, especially if his arm was not ready. "So why not just have one media frenzy, and that would be later on," he says. It's not because he didn't want to be at OTAs, he says.


9:17 p.m.: Favre says it all about the arm. If it's not up to par, "I can't play," he says.


9:16 p.m.: Favre: "It makes a lot of sense because the pieces are in place." He mentions the Vikings running game. "If I go there, there's no guarantees," he says. But Favre said "I think every player would like to believe he is a difference-maker." If he goes to Minnesota, he says, "We should be pretty good."

9:16 p.m.: Favre says he met with a Vikings trainer on Sunday to work on different exercises. Favre says it makes "perfect sense" to play for the Vikings and he hasn't talked to anyone else. He says, "I could teach the offense" in Minnesota because he knows it so well.


9:15 p.m.: He says he has talked to the VIkings, nothing other than "Are you interested?" and vice versa. It's "more or less how my arms feels and we'll go from there," he said.


9:14 p.m.: Favre says he had surgery 2 1/2 weeks ago with Dr. Andrews. He says it will be a 4-6 week recovery.


9:13 p.m.: Can't make it up. Favre says "maybe" when asked if he will play in 2009.


9:12 p.m.: Buck says he can't ignore the elephant in the room.


9:11 p.m.: Favre says "I know people are tired of it." He says his intentions are not to "create controversy."


9:10 p.m.: Finally, Favre introduced. He's wearing jeans and a black shirt. His right arm is attached.


9:08 p.m.: Ironic that a show about athletes' celebrity status is now showing us a retrospective of reports that include live shots from outside Favre's home in Mississippi.


9:06 p.m.: Favre video history commences. We are teased that we will find out if he wants to play this year or retire.

9:05 p.m.: We're not interested in the set design, Joe.


9:03 p.m.: For those wondering, the show is live from New York City.


9:01 p.m.: We open with a humorous skit playing off Favre's well-known tendency to waffle. Favre re-commits that he's going to show up for the interview.


8:58 p.m.: Joe Buck, the host of this show, is a "beloved" sportscaster in a promo. This is going to be fun.

  And from Briggs:

"He’s going to hurt you, but he’s also going to throw you a few," said Briggs. "He threw me the first interception I ever returned for a touchdown in the NFL.  We know he’s going to throw us a few," said Briggs. "He’s thrown me a few, but I’ve also dropped several that I should have caught. We’d love to see Favre go there to play. We’d welcome it."

How would you feel about Favre rejoining the NFC North?