Jason Whitlock  

NFL has Favre where it wants him — in New York

On Monday, I’ll share my thoughts about the Chiefs’ surprising and inspiring effort in their preseason opener. Today, I have a final thought on the Brett Favre saga.

Imagine that this tale had played out in the NBA:

Michael Jordan, the biggest star in the game, gets in a protracted dispute with the Chicago Bulls about his desire to rejoin the franchise he’s carried for more than a decade. In an effort to mitigate the situation, commissioner David Stern gets on the phone with Jordan and Bulls management.

With a stated justification of giving the Bulls and Jordan time to work out their differences, Stern delays for several days ruling on Jordan’s reinstatement paperwork. Jordan states publicly that he wants to return to a handful of playoff-caliber teams — the Bulls, the Pacers, the Bucks and the Suns.

And then, from seemingly nowhere, Jordan agrees to be traded to the last-place New Jersey Nets.

What would’ve been the media reaction?

We would’ve strongly speculated that Stern manipulated the situation to get Jordan into America’s No. 1 TV and media market.

Well, the NFL is all about television ratings, too. No one thinks it’s odd that arguably the NFL’s No. 1 TV draw will spend his final year or two in New York? This deal isn’t conveniently good for the NFL?

Brett Favre is the most intriguing reality TV show since the first season of MTV’s “The Real World.” He’s pals with everyone in the media. Speculation inside the Big Apple says there’s a bidding war among NFL writers and broadcasters about who gets to be roomies with Favre.

ESPN should just move Favre, Chris Mortensen, John Clayton, Ed Werder, Michael Smith, Wendi Nix, Rachel Nichols, Skippy Bayless and Emmitt Smiff into the same house where “The Real World: New York” was shot and just broadcast live 24 hours a day.

I’d pay money to see Wendi and Skippy fighting over the bathroom mirror.

On a serious note, I can’t figure out how Roger Goodell is skating on this issue. He’s obviously the Brett Favre of sports commissioners. Stern, Bud Selig and Gary Bettman routinely get pounded by the media.

Goodell cracked the whip on Pacman Jones and a few other clowns, and now he can do no wrong. He’s a media darling, and it’s beginning to go to his head.

I didn’t have a problem with Goodell looking into the Favre matter. It’s his job to do what’s best for the league. When a team is considering paying the 2007 MVP runner-up and proven TV ratings star $20 million to sit out, it makes sense for the commissioner to want to know what’s going on.

I had a problem when Goodell gave the Packers (and seemingly the Jets) extra time to work out a solution. When Favre faxed in his reinstatement papers, Goodell should’ve immediately reinstated Favre and forced the Packers to make a move.

All the delay makes me think something fishy was in play. The delay makes me think someone wanted Favre to have extra time to wrap his brain around the concept of joining a 4-12 ballclub.

The delay gave the NFL media time to sell the myth that the Jets are a vastly improved team with a chance of making a playoff run … if they just have the right veteran quarterback. Allegedly Eric Mangini is a terrific young coach who has made all the right moves in the draft and free agency.

There’s a chance this is true — a remote chance.

There’s a better chance that Favre will struggle mightily in a new system with new personnel and a coaching staff he doesn’t know.

To reach Jason Whitlock, call 816-234-4869 or send e-mail to jwhitlock@kcstar.com. For previous columns, go to KansasCity.com.