UnNews:Brett Favre traded to Winnipeg Jets

This article is part of UnNews, your source for up-to-the-picosecond misinformation.

7 August 2008

GREEN BAY, Wis (UnNews) - Ending a saga that has seemingly dragged on for weeks on end, Brett Favre has been traded by the Green Bay Packers to the Winnipeg Jets, a National Hockey League team that has not played a game since 1996.

The trade was completed after the Packers made it clear that they were going with Aaron Rodgers - a quarterback with Hall of Fame credentials - over the unproven and interception-prone Favre. The trade allows the Packers to finally move on with Rodgers at the helm and prevent Favre - and his erratic play as a quarterback - from being a distraction to the team.

The deal breathes new life into the Jets - a team that most had written off after their 1996 playoff loss to the Detroit Red Wings and subsequent departure from the National Hockey League. With the acquisition of Favre, the Winnipeg Jets have opened several possibilities as far as revival of the franchise for the 2008 season:

One such possibility is for the newly-revived Jets to switch from hockey - the sport the team played from their beginnings in the old World Hockey Association (WHA) in the 70s - to football. According to ESPN's John Clayton, the team has already been discussing possible membership in several football leagues. One possibility is the NFL, though the requirements to join the league may be tough for the troubled Canadian franchise to meet. Alternatively, the Jets have also begun discussions with the Canadian Football League about becoming Winnipeg's second team in the league. This seems more likely, though Favre would have to share the Winnipeg spotlight with Winnipeg Blue Bombers quarterback Ryan Dinwiddie - which is seen as undesirable.

Another possibility is for the Jets to return to hockey for the 2008-09 NHL season, with Favre switching from football to hockey. This seems like a far more likely proposition for the Jets and for Favre. Given the NHL's abysmal TV ratings, having such star power as Favre would help the league regain fan support. It would also make it possible to establish a fan base in Winnipeg, which has been without an NHL team since the 1996 Jets skipped town for Phoenix. Certainly, Favre's star power would do wonders for the league - a league which has not seen such a superstar since Wayne Gretzky retired. The only downside of this plan would be that Favre would have to adjust to playing on ice with a stick and puck instead of a ball. However, this is thought to be somewhat less of a task than sharing the Winnipeg football spotlight with Ryan Dinwiddie.

When asked to comment, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman refused to confirm or deny rumors about the Jets - and Favre - joining the league. However, Bettman expressed enthusiasm about the possibility for Favre playing in the NHL next season, saying "Brett Favre - with his Hall of Fame credentials and prolific passing game - would be a great asset to the National Hockey League".

Details of the trade have not yet been made available, though it is rumored that the Packers will receive a high-round NHL draft pick for Favre.

Sources

• "Goodbye, Green Bay: Favre traded to Jets" NBC Sports, August 07, 2008