"Vikings fans rooting for the team to sign Brett Favre got more reasons to cheer on Friday: Coach Brad Childress said Favre is "pain-free right now" during a radio interview in which he lavished praise on the future hall of fame quarterback.It was an important update on the status of Favre's surgically repaired arm. The widespread belief is that Favre will sign with the Vikings as long as his arm wouldn't prevent him from playing at a high level.
Childress' effusive comments serve as the latest mounting evidence that the Vikings want the marriage to happen, and Favre appears more ready, at least physically, to walk down the aisle.
"My understanding is that he is pain-free right now," Childress said during an interview with KFAN-AM 1130. "Does he have the endurance and the stamina in that arm yet? He doesn't know that yet. It's no different than grabbing a golf club for the first time during the year when you rip around 18 holes, and you wake up the next day and your side hurts. You say, 'Geez, I haven't felt that muscle in a while.' So he's got to build some endurance in that and see if he thinks he can get it back to where he wants to get it."
Childress again said that it is not a foregone conclusion that Favre will sign to play for the Vikings, but he spoke glowingly about him.
Vikings defensive end Ray Edwards said during a recent interview with ESPN that Favre could help the team win but that some of Favre's actions last season while with the New York Jets, including dressing in a separate area away from his teammates, wouldn't be welcomed in Minnesota. Edwards said he doesn't want Favre to bring his "prima-donna attitude" because he believes that "will break a team apart."
Childress told KFAN he wasn't bothered by Edwards' comments. "I think it was all in jest. Defensive linemen, usually by nature, hate quarterbacks, and that's OK."
Childress added: "I talked to (former Viking) Tony Richardson, who was (Favre's) teammate at the Jets. He had nothing but great things to say about him. Did I get into, Did he have a separate locker? It's hard for me to see that. Of course, I know how Winter Park is set up. I think he'll be a great locker room guy. He's probably one of the better practical jokers out there over the course of 16 years, and he's not afraid to give it to anybody, and I think he'll be a tremendous teammate, as well."
Childress said Favre understands the benefits of going through a full training camp with a team, and more pressing than getting to know the Vikings' offense would be getting to know his new teammates and their abilities on the field.
Don't expect the Favre signing to happen until close to training camp, though. Childress plans to leave Monday for a weeklong fishing trip to Alaska with Philadelphia Eagles coach Andy Reid. And Childress' daughter, Cara, is getting married July 11 in the Twin Cities area.
Reports of Favre's diva attitude with the Jets would seem to run contrary to how he was perceived around the NFL by opponents and teammates throughout most of his career.
"I think what that is is that's a guy that plays with passion, to a degree wears his emotions on his sleeve," Childress said. "You really don't really like quarterbacks that ride a roller coaster. Obviously his standard was usually pretty good. Could he get wild? Could he throw some interceptions? Sure he could. But he plays the game with enthusiasm and with excitement. There's kind of a boyishness even though he's approaching 40 years old." "
No comments:
Post a Comment