NFL Says Favre Must Sign With Vikings Before Jerseys Can Be Made

NFL Says Any Report Of A Mass- Produced Favre Jersey Premature

NFL VP/Communications Brian McCarthy indicated that "any report of a mass-produced, league-approved Brett Favre Minnesota Vikings jersey is premature," according to Sean Jensen of the ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS. McCarthy: "We wait until there is a player contract that has been approved; then we begin mass producing them. But nothing has transpired from here." Jensen reported it is "believed that Reebok already has prepared screens of a Favre Vikings jersey, just as it would for the teams in the Super Bowl." If Favre does not sign with the Vikings, the screen for mass production "would be destroyed." McCarthy in an e-mail said that a "couple dozen Favre jerseys have been pre-ordered" from NFLShop.com. He added that the company that fills orders to NFLShop.com "could have inadvertently shipped a Favre jersey." A fan "still could order an official Reebok jersey with his or her own last name on it ... in Vikings purple with the No. 4." But a No. 4 Favre Vikings jersey "would not be approved for distribution at this point" (ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS, 7/3).

COMING BACK FOR THE WRONG REASONS? Dr. James Andrews conducted surgery on Favre's shoulder several weeks ago, and he said, "I visited him in Hattiesburg two weeks ago. He wants to play and he wants to play for the Minnesota Vikings. He wants to end his career on a high note" (Jackson CLARION-LEDGER, 7/3). SI.com's Don Banks discussed the possibility of Favre signing with the Vikings and said, "It's not all about the love of the game with Brett Favre, and it's not all about revenge (against the Packers). I think that dollar sign is firmly in his eyes" ("Jim Rome Is Burning," ESPN, 7/3).