Brett Favre listed stress as the reason for his retirement today, and he said the more the Packers won, the more stress he felt.

You can listen to his explanation, via a voicemail to Chris Mortensen of ESPN. Favre seemed emotional, and his rationale leaves a little doubt about whether there still may be a chance he can be persuaded to return. He said the only outcome that would justify a comeback would be to win the Super Bowl, and he said he wasn’t up to that kind of pressure.

He may not want to leave that impression as his final one — that the quintessial competitor can’t face up to that kind of challenge. He’ll have another shot to explain: The Packers have announced a news conference for 4 p.m. on Tuesday.

At The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, that feeling of doubt was voiced by Favre’s agent, who said the Packers didn’t make a big effort to make him feel wanted.
Excerpt:

His agent, James (Bus) Cook, told me a few minutes ago that he believes Favre wants to play another year and didn’t get the sense that the Packers wanted him back all that badly.

“That’s just my opinion,” Cook said of the Packers’ lack of interest. “I know he wants to play one more year. I do not know much conversation there was (between Favre and the Packers) and I don’t think anyone forced him to make that decision. But I don’t know that anyone tried to talk him out of it.”

Cook said that Favre feels physically and mentally capable of playing at least one more year.

“I think he wanted to play,” Cook said. ” I think he’s still got it. He knows he’s still got it. I think he felt he could play one more year. I don’t know if they told him they really wanted him to play. That’s just the feeling I got.”

Cook was asked whether he thought Favre could be talked into returning: “I don’t know,” he said.

Reactions from around the blogosphere:

At Packer Palace, a comparison to a funeral
Excerpt:

Well the day we all dreaded but knew was coming is here but strangely I don’t feel suicidal or really even sad. It’s kind of like going to the funeral of a grandparent that 98 years old had a great life traveled around the world and done every thing they ever dreamed of. Those funerals are usually more of a celebration life than a sadness of loss.

Looking ahead to a Favre-less future, Michael David Smith at AOL Fanhouse assessed Green Bay’s prospects with Aaron Rodgers at quarterback.
Excerpt:

Not great, but not terrible either, according to the new Super Bowl odds posted today by Bodog. The Packers were listed at 14/1 before the Favre retirement announcement and are now listed at 20/1. I would have thought Favre’s retirement would drop the Packers down a bit further than that.

A tribute page for Favre at Packers.com

Our Colts may not have been there, but Peyton was. Eli did an amazing job. Next year - the Manning Bowl - brother vs brother?

Here is a great article about Tony Dungy and his new long-distance lifestyle.

From Robert King at the Indianapolis Star

Tony Dungy’s decision to stick with the Indianapolis Colts next season, even as his family remains in Florida, pleasantly surprised many fans who thought he was about to ride off into the sunset.

But it also has brought attention to the difficult issues facing a fast-growing number of people who work in one state while their family lives in another: Do the benefits of a job outweigh the costs of temporarily separating the family? Can a commuter parent still be effective? When can the strain of separation break a family?

The Dungy family calculus includes some unusual variables: a $5 million salary, access to a company jet — and the pressures of fame. But some universal elements play a role, too: young children who can’t grasp the big issues, a teen whose stage in life may be better suited to the arrangement, and a marriage that will need nurturing from afar.

Dungy’s use of his platform as an NFL coach to promote the importance of fathers in their children’s lives, and that family should always come before career, prompted some — including Indianapolis Star columnist Bob Kravitz — to question the choice. But many more folks seem to have faith in Dungy and see no disconnect between his message and his choice.

finish the story at The Indianapolis Star

After more than 20 years in the RCA Dome, the Indianapolis Colts will play in one of the NFL’s finest stadiums in 2008 when Lucas Oil Stadium opens.  In December 2004, the Colts and the City of Indianapolis came to an agreement on a new stadium for the team. At an estimated price tag of more than $625 million the stadium will be completed by the 2008 season. In March 2006, Lucas Oil Products won the naming rights to the stadium. The deal is valued at $122 million over 20 years.

From the outside, the stadium will have a facade of brick and glass  allowing it to fit in with the surrounding area. Lucas Oil Stadium will be a three-deck, seven-level multi-use building with a retractable roof that will seat 63,000 for football and 70,000 or more for NCAA basketball, concerts and other special events.  The Fieldturf playing field will be 25ft below street level, allowing fans easier access to their seats. Many modern amenities will be found in the stadium from the high definition replay/scoreboards to the 140 to 150 luxury suites. Other than being the home of the Colts, the stadium will host the NCAA Basketball March Madness Tournaments and will be the permanent back up host for the Final Four Tournament. Lucas Oil Stadium will have one of the largest videoboards in the NFL. Consisting of three screens each, the 97-foot-wide-by-nearly-53-foot-high scoreboards will hang in the northwest and southeast corners of the building. The stadium is being built on a downtown site bounded on the north by South Street, on the east by Capitol Avenue, on the south by McCarty Street and on the west by Missouri Street.

The ONLY thing standing between the Colts and Super Bowl XLII is the New England Patriots. Mark my words - the true Super Bowl XLII will be the playoff game between the Colts and Patriots.

We are seeing some really remarkable football this year. Perhaps, some of the best football ever.

Peyton has set records, Tom Brady has set records, Brett Favre has set records, these guys are amazing. We live in an outstanding era when we get to see these guys play each week.

The Denver Broncos are headed to the Dome for a Sunday, September 30th, 4:15PM start.

One loss between them and two wins by the Indianapolis Colts the Denver Broncos surely remember. Those came in successive Wild Card games in 2003 and 2004 (the last time they played) in Indianapolis. But now they meet in Denver, where the Broncos have won their past 13.

It will be the usual high-powered Colts offense (No. 3 in the NFL) against the Broncos’ No. 4 defense that has surrendered a league-low 7.3 points per game, allowed two TDs, and held five consecutive opponents to single digits.

It’s the first time all season that Tony Dungy’s team has gone into a game and not been considered the favorite. But the Colts are considered, in some quarters anyway, to be a something akin to paper tigers when it comes to playing games in the great outdoors.

in 2007 RCA Dome Preseason Opener
from Colts.com

The Colts didn?t get exactly what they wanted Monday.

What they wanted in their 2007 preseason opener was a victory in a game that featured the teams that met in Super Bowl XLI this past February.

But the Colts did get some things they wanted, Colts Head Coach Tony Dungy said.

They got good play from several players.

They got a good drive from their starting offense.

And they got physical play from the starting defense.

What they didn?t get yet again was a preseason victory. Instead, the Chicago Bears ? the team the Colts beat in Super Bowl XLI last February ? beat Indianapolis, 27-24, in the teams? second preseason game in front of 56,769 at the RCA Dome Monday night.

finish it at colts.com