Morning Report: Favre goes public

Brett Favre essentially ended his retirement last night, revealing that he has talked to the Minnesota Vikings, and is even working with a team trainer to rehabilitate his surgically repaired right arm.

The longtime Green Bay Packers star not only said playing for rival Minnesota "makes perfect sense," but actually referred to the Vikings as "we" at one point.

Favre spoke at length on the debut of HBO's Joe Buck Live. He told the host that the Vikings' head trainer, Eric Sugarman, had visited him in Hattiesburg, Miss., on Sunday to show him some exercises related to rehabbing his arm.

So this is no longer a "maybe." Favre made it clear that only if his arm fails to respond to surgery will he stay retired. And that Minnesota is the only place he'll play.

Favre said he was told by famed surgeon James Andrews, who performed the arthroscopic surgery on his right arm, that he should know if it was a success in four or five weeks.

Since the surgery took place more than two weeks ago, it seems likely Favre will be announcing his "official" return sometime around the Fourth of July.

But you knew that already. Didn't you?

What's going on? New York Mets lefthander Johan Santana spent the day denying that he was injured after the worst start of his career a day earlier. Santana was torched for nine runs Sunday in a 15-0 thrashing by the Yankees, and seemed to be somewhat less "filthy" than usual.

Former Mets pitching coach Rick Peterson told ESPN Radio he had heard rumors that Santana was bothered by his surgically repaired left knee - a report the team denied.

According to Newsday, pitching coach Dan Warthen said Santana had been affected by a blister on his big toe and another on the middle finger of his left hand, which may have caused him to change the grip on his fastball.

Santana denied any sort of physical problem and tried to laugh the whole thing off by saying it was just a "rough day."

That was putting it mildly.

Follow the money. Geoff Ogilvy and Paul Casey could make golf history this season.

Both players have won three tournaments already, which has put them in position to become the first player ever to win the money title on both the PGA and European Tours in the same year.

Since the U.S. Open is one of several big-purse tournaments that count toward both money lists, the winner will get a strong boost toward both titles.

"That would be pretty cool," Ogilvy told the Associated Press. "No one has ever done it? I'm sure Tiger has done it, hasn't he?"

But just as he asked the question, Ogilvy realized that Woods has never played the minimum of 11 European tournaments to be eligible for that tour's money title.

So, no - it might be the only thing in golf Tiger hasn't won.