Brett Favre and the Packers Bumble Their Way Through Disaster

When Brett Favre left the Packer organization at the end of last season, many knew that his career was not over. For all the pomp and tears in Favre's retirement press conference, fans got the sense Favre would be back. I was not one of those people and yet I'm still not surprised over this turn of events.

Favre wants to play and has expressed his desire to do so. Unfortunately he has shown that by coming to this decision at a late hour he lacks a total commitment to a team first mentality.

OTAs are over; free agency and the draft are things of the distant past. Favre should realize that the football world doesn't wait for him to make a decision about whether he should play or not.

The NFL is business and Favre needs to respect that as business. The NFL won't heed Favre's every whim.

However, Favre has catered only to his needs this offseason. He sent the Packers a message with his retirement. He told them "it's time to move on." And so the Packers did. They drafted two quarterbacks to backup heir Aaron Rodgers and prepared for life A.F.

Then Favre decided to send a different message to the Green Bay front office. He told GM Ted Thompson that he had "an itch."

Hold on now Brett.

You wait to tell your team you want to play the month after the team has begun to jell? The team has addressed their needs this offseason according to your absence and now that they settling in you tell them you want to return.

Green Bay really can't be expected to put their entire business on hold because Favre hadn't filed his retirement papers. They even sent a message to Favre by the drafting of Brian Brohm and Matt Flynn, an indication that they were moving on.

Favre doesn't seem to realize that he can't skip over OTAs and the NFL offseason waiting for an "itch" without consequences. He has shown himself to be far too self-absorbed with his legacy the past few years constantly hinting at retirement and then coming back.

I know he is an emotional guy who makes some erratic decisions, but he needs to realize life off the field is different from life on it. He has to keep his emotions in check when handling his public life. He hasn't been good at that thus far.

On the opposite end however, Ted Thompson needs to realize what an idiot he is. He obviously has an ego, as he has always seemed to clash with Favre.

Thompson is guy who builds through the draft and wants this team to be his team that he assembled. Favre has always been that player who he didn't find, who isn't part of the team he built. But that legacy Favre had always kept him from axing him.

Once Favre retired everything was good. He could now bring forth his pick in Aaron Rodgers while parting ways with Favre on a good note.

However, Favre had other plans.

Thompson has reportedly declined to allow Favre back onto the team leading to Favre requesting a release.

I can understand Thompson's frustration as Favre's ill timing displays his egotistical side. Nevertheless Thompson has failed to realize this is a blessing in disguise.

Despite Favre mishandling the issue, Thompson should swallow his ego and let him back. Favre is not just a legend; he still gives them the best chance to win.

It would be a smart move from almost every perspective. Fans would love it and the team would be more successful.

I know that having Favre can be a bit of headache as he usually expresses his every discomfort and displeasure, but that's a small price to pay for a top flight signal-caller.

Overall, this is story in which both sides really bungled their respective duties. Yet things could still  end on a happy note if Thompson would just extend the olive branch.

Sadly this appears unlikely and thus America will watch Favre don another team's jersey and undoubtedly make a run at a Super bowl. The Packers just don't seem to want to do that this season.