Even as Minnesota coach Brad Childress was getting what he desperately wanted, he couldn’t help but further undermine himself in the eyes of his players.
On Tuesday, as Vikings guard Steve Hutchinson, defensive end Jared Allen(notes) and kicker Ryan Longwell were flying back and forth between Minnesota and Mississippi to bring quarterback Brett Favre back for another season, Childress tried to cover up a fact that was widely reported.
Childress, who wasn’t scheduled to talk to media Tuesday, had special teams coach Brian Murphy and offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell tell reporters that the three players were actually at the team facility rather than aboard a private jet.
Murphy went so far as to say that Longwell was kicking inside the team’s indoor facility. “We were kicking inside,” Murphy said. When asked directly if Longwell was at practice, Murphy said: “He was here, he was around.”
There was obviously evidence of this last season when Childress wanted to pull Favre in a game and he didn't come out. However, Favre returned this year despite not having a lot of trust in Chilly. This sure gives us the impression that Childress doesn't have a lot of respect from at least some players in the locker room.
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