Brett Favre has once again fanned the flames of rumor surrounding his return to the NFL for a 20th year as he told a Mississippi newspaper that he would ‘love to go beat the Saints’.  The top ranked QB has had fans on holding their breath about his return since the end of last season as he has neither confirmed nor denied the possibility of a return to the field.

Favre came out of retirement for a second time last season to take the helm of the Minnesota Vikings.  Many thought it was a terrible decision for the former Green Bay QB, though he proved that he can still play with the best of the league as he posted his best year to date as he led the Vikings through a fantastic regular season and deep into the playoffs.  When asked outright if he had made a decision on returning, he said no.  It’s reported that Minnesota head coach Brad Childress has given Favre as much time as he needs to make the decision, and since the Vikings passed on the opportunity to pick up some new QB talent in this year’s draft, many are taking it as a sign of Favre’s imminent return.

His ankle rehab is reportedly going well, but, as he famously dislikes preseason training, don’t expect any confirmation of his decision until after NFL training camps.  In the meantime, check out BetUS to check out their list of NFL Futures.  They are offering some early lines on the upcoming season, including:

Week 1 Lines:
Vikings +4 ½ Points: -115
Saints -4 ½ Points: -115

Bengals +6 Points: -115
Patriots -6 Points: -115

Colts -3 Points: -115
Texans +3 Points: -115

Packers pk Points: -115
Eagles pk Points: -115

They are also offering Futures on the 2011 Super Bowl, 2011 NFC Champions, and the following division odds:

To Win the AFC East
Patriots: +130
Jets: +140
Dolphins: +300
Bills: +2500

To Win AFC North
Bengals: +300
Ravens: -120
Steelers: +225
Browns: +1500

To Win AFC West
Chargers: -350
Broncos: +600
Raiders: +750
Chiefs: +700

To Win NFC East
Cowboys: +125
Eagles: +270
Giants: +260
Redskins: +550

To Win NFC North
Vikings: +140
Packers: +130
Bears: +350
Lions: +2000

To Win NFC South
Saints: -165
Falcons: +200
Panthers: +600
Buccaneers: +2000

To Win NFC West
Cardinals: +225
49ers: -110
Seahawks: +300
Rams: +1500

There is plenty more available at BetUS, so visit their site to check out all of the latest NFL futures.

ESPN announced their nominees for this year’s ESPY Awards on Thursday afternoon, and the NFL was well represented.  Seth Meyer’s is set to host this year’s awards show, which is set to air on Wednesday, July 14.  Once again, the winners will be determined by the people, so get to ESPN right away to cast your vote on this year’s best athletes.  Voting closes at midnight on July 10.

Here’s a look at this year’s list of NFL nominees:

Best Male Athlete
-    Drew Brees (NFL)
-    Kobe Bryant (NBA)
-    LeBron James (NBA)
-    Jimmie Johnson (NASCAR)
-    Albert Pujols (MLB)

Best Breakthrough Athlete
-    Brittney Griner (Baylor Basketball)
-    Chris Johnson (Tennessee Titans)
-    Stephen Strasburg (Washington Nationals)
-    John Wall (U of Kentucky Basketball)

Best Record-Breaking Performance
-    Usain Bolt (100/200 Meter World Records)
-    Brett Favre (NFL record for consecutive starts)
-    Roger Federer (Most Grand Slam Titles)
-    Connecticut Women’s Basketball (Longest Winning Streak)
-    John Isner and Nicolas Mahut (Longest match in tennis history)

Best Moment
-    Joannie Rochette (Winter Olympics)
-    Landon Donovan (Soccer/USA v Algeria)
-    New Orleans Saints (Super Bowl XLIV)
-    Phil Mickelson (2009 Masters)

Best Team
-    Alabama Crimson Tide (NCAAF)
-    Chicago Blackhawks (NHL)
-    Connecticut (NCAA Women’s Basketball)
-    LA Lakers (NBA)
-    New Orleans Saints (NFL)
-    New York Yankees (MLB)

Performance Under Pressure Award
-    Sidney Crosby in Olympic Hockey Gold Medal Game
-    Landon Donovan in World Cup v Algeria
-    Brett Favre in his return to Green Bay
-    Stephen Strasburg in MLB debut

Best Coach/Manager
-    Geno Auriemma (Conn Women’s Basketball Team)
-    Joe Girardi (NY Yankees)
-    Phil Jackson (LA Lakers)
-    Mike Krzyzewski (Duke Basketball)
-    Sean Payton (New Orleans Saints)
-    Nick Saban (Alabama Football)

Best NFL Player
-    Drew Brees (New Orleans Saints)
-    Brett Favre (Minnesota Vikings)
-    Chris Johnson (Tennessee Titans)
-    Petyon Manning (Indianapolis Colts)
-    Darrelle Revis (New York Jets)
-    Charles Woodson (Green Bay)

The latest news coming out of the NFL offseason is the rumors surrounding a possible 18-game regular season.  NFL officials added fuel to the fire by discussing the idea in a negotiating meeting on Wednesday.  It was their first since February.

Before you start the celebration at the idea of a 22- game season, let me just explain the possible shakeup.  Each team would continue to play 20 games.  However, instead of four preseason games and 16 regular season games, the league would shift to two preseason games for each team and 18 regular season games.
The idea has received substantial support from owners as they consider the deterioration in fan support of the preseason.  Many choose to surpass this portion of the NFL season as it has become increasingly evident that big name players often opt out of these games to save their bodies for the rigor of the regular season.  I guess NFL officials are suggesting that a shorter preseason could possibly make the games more tolerable.  It’s certainly less of a wait until the real NFL action gets underway.  And, let’s not forget that more regular season games mean more money.  It’s no wonder the suits approve.

Even though more revenue means higher paychecks, some players aren’t so anxious to jump on the 18-game bandwagon.  There has been some expressed concern that a longer season would take more of a toll physically, which could end up costing the team in the long run.

It’s all in the developmental stages at this point, but one thing is certain.  The collective bargaining agreement expires in March, which means decisions must be made in the near future.

So, what do you think?  Should the NFL expand the regular season to 18 games?

St Louis Rams’ WR Isaac Bruce is retiring from professional football after 16 seasons in the NFL.  He was a formidable player that has conquered nearly every single franchise receiving record.  He also ranks second in the league for career receiving yards (15,208), tied for second for yards per catch (14.9), fifth in catches (1,024), and ninth in receiving touchdowns (91).  During his career, he  was named Rookie of the Year in 1994, named True Value Man of the Year, made four pro bowl appearances, and helped the Rams to their Super Bowl win in 2000.

Bruce played the last two seasons with the San Francisco 49ers; however, the 9ers allowed the Rams to sign the WR on Monday, which meant Bruce could retire as a St Louis Ram where he played 14 of his 16 seasons in the NFL.  His teammates and coaches remember him as a highly professional and talented receiver.  Bruce’s number 80 will be retired later on in the upcoming season.

He joins a slew of offseason retirements that includes former St Louis teammate Kurt Warner, Zach Thomas, Walter Jones, Junior Seau, Bertrand Berry, Jeff Feagles, Deuce McAllister, Jason Elam, Chris Samuels, Patrick Kerney, Ryan Tucker, Craig Hentrich, Casey Fitzsimmons, and Mike Schneck.

And now for something a little different …

We’re still counting down the days until the regular season gets underway, so here’s something fun to keep you entertained in the meantime.  It’s a look at some of the best touchdown celebrations in the NFL.

The Squirrel by Kelly Washington: Baltimore Ravens
It’s hip, it’s cool, and all the kids are doing it.  Kelly Washington shows off the Squirrel in this clip.

Snow Angel by Wes Welker: New England Patriots
There’s one benefit to having a game in the snow and that’s … well … playing in the snow as Wes Welker demonstrates.

Riverdance by Chad OchoCino: Cincinnati Bengals
He’s become known for his zany celebrations, but here’s my pick for one of the best.

The Ray Lewis by Terrell Owens: Philadelphia Eagles
A controversial player for sure, and even more so since he likes to rack up the fines with his outrageous touchdown celebrations.  Here’s his tribute to Ray Lewis.

The Icky Shuffle by Icky Woods: Cincinnati Bengals
Everyone knows it and it’s become as much of a classic as the Lambeau Leap.  Watch Icky Woods perform his iconic dance on the sidelines to avoid the penalty.

The Lambeau Leap: Green Bay Packers
You can’t talk about touchdown celebrations without mentioning the Lambeau Leap.  It’s become a football tradition that still thrills the crowd.

Be sure to remind us about your favorites in the comments.

It’s reached that time of the offseason when the NFL gives their rookies a taste of what it’s like to compete in the big league.  The NFL mini camps kicked off last Friday with 24 teams hitting the field for some drills.  This included Indianapolis, Arizona, Carolina, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Green Bay, Kansas City, Miami, Minnesota, New England, both of the New York teams, Oakland, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, St Louis, San Francisco, Seattle, Tampa Bay, and Tennessee.  Jacksonville started theirs on Saturday.

Only seven of those 25 teams will have veterans on the field wit the new guys, running them through their paces as they adapt to the life of a pro football player.  Six other teams will start up their mini camps later on this month, but the Houston Texans until June.

Early news coming out of these mini training sessions is that St Louis, Detroit, and Tampa Bay have hope for the upcoming season.  The three finished off last season as the worst in the NFL, but they grabbed three of the most talented college players in the draft: Sam Bradford, Ndamukong Suh, and Gerald McCoy.  Though there is still plenty of work to be done for these three teams, things are starting to look up.

On a side note that has little to do with mini camps, Tim Tebow’s number 15 Denver jersey has come in number one in April sales.  Let’s hope the decision to draft Tebow will payoff in more important ways when the season starts.  Veteran QB Donnovan McNabb’s number 4 Washington jersey came in second.