Vikings owner breaks silence - DJ's Blog

DJ's Blog

Vikings owner breaks silence

Posted on August 27, 2009 at 12:29 PM.

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After three weeks of play, the Minnesota Vikings appear to be sitting pretty with a 3-0 record. But, what lies beneath that shiny veneer is a massive division of loyaties in both the locker room and management.

Current team owner, Prince Jackson, opens up to the media about the current state of the team.

Reporter: Mr. Jackson, why haven't we heard from any of the players or coaches this season?

Jackson: Well, that was my decision. You see, there's a lot of drama going on behind the scenes that I didn't want to get out. But, I think now is the time to finally address those issues.

Reporter: What issues are you referring to?

Jackson: Brett Favre. Look, it's no secret that I was against this decision from the very beginning. Brad (Chidress, the team's head coach) was adament about bringing this guy in, saying that he was the player we needed to reach the Super Bowl. Personally, I didn't see it that way. Look at how things ended last year in New York (where Favre played with the Jets); he struggled the final month of the season and then started complaining of all these injuries to his throwing arm and shoulder.

I have all the respect for what Brett Favre has accomplished on the football field. But, I don't respect the way he's handled himself in the off-season going back to 2006. It seems every year he flip-flops on whether he's going to come back or retire. I give the Green Bay organization a lot of credit for finally telling him, 'enough is enough. We're moving on without you.' Sure, it ticked off the fan base but look at the Packers now; Aaron Rodgers is rolling and the Packers are a team I'm very concerned about.

I would've been more at ease with the decision had Favre decided to join us at the start of training camp. But when he told us no and then changed his mind three weeks later, not coincidentally right after we broke camp, well, I just wasn't pleased. And, I know that there is a good-sized faction of the players that are uncomfortable with him being here as well.

Reporter: Care to name names?

Jackson: No, I won't go that far but I will say that there's still a lot of guys that feel we'd be better off with Sage Rosenfels or Tavaris Jackson at quarterback. Look, we're 3-0 right now but no one is really happy. Why? Well, it's because we've had to scratch and fight to get there against teams that, let's be frank, are teams we shouldn't be struggling with. It's clear that Favre's timing with the receivers is off. He's overthrown Percy (Harvin) and (Bernard) Berrian countless times and on other plays he's just winging the ball across the field, hoping someone comes down with it. That's hurt our running game as teams aren't worried about our passing game. You'd think with a guy of Favre's capabilities, that wouldn't be the case.

Reporter: Is Favre's job in jeopardy?

Jackson: Well, I'm not the coach so I won't make that decision. If I were the coach, I would certainly have Favre on a very tight leash. It's like we're still in preseason mode and the season is nearly 25-percent complete. It shouldn't be that way.

Reporter: What are your thoughts on the defense?

Jackson: The defense has been outstanding. They've won us two of the three games with turnovers. E.J. Henderson is having a great year at middle linebacker and the defensive line is really doing a solid job against the run and also getting after the quarterback. Most of the points the defense has allowed has been the result of being forced to play with a shortened field after a Favre interception.

Reporter: You've got a big game against the rival Green Bay Packers this week. Thoughts on that game?

Jackson: No question it's a big game. I think it's clear the division is going to come down to ourselves and the Packers, with the Bears also pushing hard. Green Bay is very explosive on offense and defenisvely, that new 3-4 scheme seems to be working well for them. I just hope our offense figures out what it's doing on the field and responds with a solid effort.