MANKATO — Scott Wojcik used to live a block from Minnesota State, but as a lifelong fan of the Green Bays Packers, he couldn’t bring himself to attend any of the Minnesota Vikings training-camp practices.
But if the rumors of quarterback Brett Favre’s “unretirement” are true, and he ends up signing with the Vikings, Wojcik will reconsider.
“I can honestly say, if he shows up, I’ll attend the first one,” Wojcik said.
The Minnesota Vikings begin training camp at Minnesota State on July 31, staying until Aug. 12. The biggest question surrounding the team right now is will Favre be here, getting his rehabbed shoulder ready for a 19th season in the NFL?
“I think it’d be great. I think it’d be huge for Mankato and the (training camp) turnout,” Wojcik said. “Growing up as a Packers’ fan, it’d be tough, but it would be worth it. My loyalties will always lie with Green Bay, but I’d watch a few more Vikings games if Favre is there.”
The Vikings have improved their record in each of coach Brad Childress’ three seasons, culminating in a 10-6 regular-season record and a playoff berth last year. The most glaring weakness on the team, however, is quarterback, where Tarvaris Jackson and Sage Rosenfels, who was acquired in the offseason and signed to a three-year contract, are expected to compete for the job in training camp, if Favre isn’t here.
“At first, I was a little iffy on the whole thing,” said longtime Vikings fan Mike Willaert, who doesn’t live far from campus but only occasionally stops by practice to watch his favorite team. “But I totally support it now.
“I don’t think of him as a missing piece. I think the quarterbacks we have would do a fine job, but with his experience, and he won’t have to pass it for 400 yards every game, he has Adrian Peterson and plenty of weapons and a good defense, (Favre) would be a bonus piece.”
Favre is a Hall of Fame quarterback, having played nearly all of his career with Green Bay. He retired after the 2007 season but then changed his mind. The Packers, set at quarterback with Aaron Rodgers, decided to trade Favre last summer, creating plenty of speculation in Minnesota that the Vikings would pursue him.
However, the Packers traded Favre to the Jets, where he played well last season until suffering a shoulder injury late in the season. He again retired and was released by the Jets, creating the opportunity for him to join the Vikings.
When he decided that he might want to play another season, he had surgery on his shoulder, and he said on HBO’s Joe Buck Live last month that he would know by early July if the surgery was successful and he would have enough arm strength to play again. He also said that the Vikings would be his team should he “unretire.”
Recent media reports suggested that a contract may already be in place and Favre has been house-hunting in the metro area, and it’s just a matter of time until something is announced.
“I’m willing to let bygones be bygones,” Vikings fan Tim Halldin said. “The fact that the defense couldn’t stack the box against Peterson thrills me to no end, and with Percy Harvin, the offense could be reminiscent of ’99 when you had to pick your poison.”
Halldin, who lives near Cleveland, said he won’t likely attend more than one or two training-camp practices, as he does every summer, but he might be more willing to buy game tickets. He figures that if Favre is the quarterback, only the head coach stands in the way of a successful season.
“I hope Brad Childress is willing to open the playbook, that a quarterback that’s been in the league 18 years might know more about running an offense than him,” Halldin said. “(In the playoff loss to Philadelphia), it’s obvious that the Eagles came up with a new game plan at halftime, and we didn’t. That was the difference, we had more talent than they did.”
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