It's July.

        90 degrees outside, and Brewer fever runs even hotter.

       Yet, the collective eyes and ears of Wisconsin are on Brett Favre who today asked the Green Bay Packers for his release.

        ESPN's Chris Mortensen broke the story Friday afternoon, and the team released the following statement a short time later:

The Green Bay Packers are aware of the latest developments regarding Brett Favre.
 
Brett earned and exercised the right to retire on his terms. We wanted him to return and welcomed him back on more than one occasion.
 
Brett's press conference and subsequent conversations in the following weeks illustrated his commitment to retirement.
 
The finality of his decision to retire was accepted by the organization. At that point, the Green Bay Packers made the commitment to move forward with our football team.
 
As a retired player, Brett has the option to apply for reinstatement with Commissioner Goodell.  If that were to occur, he would become an active member of the Green Bay Packers.  As always, the Packers will do what's right and in the best interest of the team.
 
As with all Packers greats, Brett's legacy will always be celebrated by our fans and the organization, regardless of any change in his personal intentions.
 
Brett and Deanna will always be a part of the Packers family.

         Favre remains consistently mum, letting brother Scott reiterate the feeling from Camp Brett that the Packers somehow disrespected him and pretty much told him he's no longer wanted.

        Mortensen says that, yes, the Packers brass told Favre as much during a conference call this week.     Mortensen has a source who says Favre told Coach Mike McCarthy, GM Ted Thompson and others that he wanted to come back, with McCarthy and Thompson saying that the team moved on based on his March fare-thee-well.          That prompted today's release request.

        The interesting part of the team's news release is the one that reads as follows: "As a retired player, Brett has the option to apply for reinstatement with Commissioner Goodell.  If that were to occur, he would become an active member of the Green Bay Packers.  As always, the Packers will do what's right and in the best interest of the team."

        I'm just guessing that means there won't be a release, which would allow Favre to pick the team he wants to torment Green Bay with.       They'll keep him, then trade him.      Or, there's the third possibility, brought up a few days ago by Press-Gazette sports editor Mike Vandenmouse who thinks the team might have Favre and heir apparent Aaron Rodgers go at it in camp, mano-a-mano to see who should be number one.     Let the best man win.      Even if that means Favre watches from the bench.    Just because the Packers told Favre they'd moved on, it doesn't mean they have to let him go (and get nothing in return) or trade him (they wouldn't get much from other teams who'd try taking advantage of the Pack's distress sale).

        Did Favre lie at his teary March news conference, when he said he wasn't being forced out?      Probably not--I'm guessing the team did truly press him for a quick end to the annual Tractor Watch.      If you're in Brett, great, but if not we have to make draft plans.     He opted out, and the team drafted not one but two quarterbacks.

        Indecision isn't new to athletics, nor are wavering loyalties.     College coaches who vow to stay at schools for the good of the kids they recruited flee overnight when a more prestigious school wags larger dollars under the nose (see: Tom Crean).      Players hop to dreaded foes (Johnny Damon from the Red Sox to the Yankees).          Many of us thought Brett Favre would be different.     He's not.    He's just another confused jock who looked at life outside the locker room and blanched at the thought of being just...a guy.

       It's July.

       It's 90 degrees outside, and Brewers fever runs even hotter..

      The games being played in Green Bay and Kiln, Mississippi aren't going to keep me from enjoying the true feel-good story of the summer, that being the renaissance of the MLB in Milwaukee.       It's new, it's fresh, it makes us feel good about who we are and where we live.     Favre's annual love-me-love-me-not charade grew old years ago, but usually packed a happy ending with the quarterback once again under center in September.      The 2008 version is leaving some pretty ugly scars and it has yet to reach what promises to be an intriguing conclusion.

        Until it does, pass the remote: the Brewers are on.