Never mind Brett Favre’s ankle. Someone better check his head and his heart. Does he even really want to play? The fact that it took him this long to get there, again, and that his coach and then three teammates had to talk him into it makes you wonder. And if you have to talk him into coming or he has to talk himself into it, then he still has one foot out the door, and the second things do go wrong, it’s going to make it much easier for him to bail. Because he didn’t want to be there in the first place. Or does he. Let’s break this down.

Photos: Gunslinger Showing Up In Minnesota

If he really does want to play, what took him so long to get to camp? The obvious; the Ol Gunslinger just doesn’t do camp. Or OTA’s. Or the offseason conditioning program, that’s for the rest of you (peons). Great, so why waste everyone’s time with this charade? Why turn this into a circus every single offseason? Just tell the team, I’ve been through 20 of these things, I really don’t want it or need it and would rather spend the time sitting on my tractor and killing dillas. I‘ll see you right before the second exhibition game. They’re not going to argue with him; and then, he’s not jerking everyone around and stringing them along and his teammates know he’ll be there. Just much later than them and without doing the work they did. If this really is all about getting out of the offseason work and training camp, just say I’m not doing it. It’s not like they’re going to make him. The guy does whatever he wants whenever he wants.

Then again, if he was that transparent, straight up and dialed everyone into what his plans were, there would be no circus and the organization and the rest of us wouldn’t be hanging on his every word. Maybe, it’s just me, but I’m starting to think the Ol Gunslinger likes it that way. Never mind having the coach pick him up from the airport himself, Brad Childress flew to Hattiesburg to plead with him to come back to the team. And when that didn’t’ work, three of his teammates did the same. Either he really doesn’t want to play, or he really likes making it about him. And it’s not just the organization; we in the media are just as bad; he got ESPN to block out a whole afternoon of programming. We busted format again. And for what, to show a guy going to work. Just like everyone can tell you where they were during the O.J. chase we’ll all be able to recall what we were doing, when #4 got into Ryan Longwells’ beamer and headed to the facility. The Ol Gunslinger is a beauty. This guy is calling all the shots and manipulating an NFL franchise and most of the media while sitting on a tractor in Hattiesburg. I’m starting to think he may not be what he appears a wrangler wearin son of a gun, who just loves the game and would play it for free. Oh and speaking of which, if it’s not about the money, then why did you just work the team for an additional $7 mill potentially on top of the $13 mill they’re already paying you this season. I’m fine with it; just don’t tell me it’s not about the money. Because when you do, I know it’s about pretty much one thing; the money.

So back to the original question; if it really is all about the ankle, and he really wants to play, why wasn’t he there getting treatment for it. To recap A, he hates camp. B, he loves the circus. Or maybe C, the guy knows he can’t duplicate what he did last year and that it could go really badly for him this season. That approaching 41, with a jacked up ankle, and the Saints giving other teams a blueprint for how to get after him, maybe he doesn’t go out on his terms and his career ends on a really sour note. I mean, forget the Super Bowl, I’m not sure they’re getting out of the NFC North this year. No way Favre plays as well as last year and Green Bay is going to be improved. What if, instead ending his career with a trip to the NFC title game and two huge, in your face, wins over Green Bay, he flames this year, the Packers do him, and he misses the playoffs. What if he gets beaten down and knocked out. Or worse, can’t pull the trigger and Chilly jerks him in favor of Tavaris Jackson. Are you going to tell me none of that is rattling around his dome and had nothing to do with his showing up late for camp. If you’re going to tell me that has nothing to do with it; and that he really just hates camp and likes the attention, then I’m going to say that’s now a big part of this guy’s legacy. That ten years from now, assuming he’s not still playing, when I think of Brett Favre, there’s going to be a yeah but attached to him. Unbelievable player, but what a diva and kook he was those last few years, when he jerked everyone around and made it all about him.