Favre’s agent, Bus Cook, did not immediately respond to text messages.

Coach Brad Childress said he had no information to share at a press conference late this morning.

“I’m not a big hearsay person,” Childress said. “I’ve got to hear it from the horse’s mouth.”

Childress would not speculate on what would happen if Favre really doesn’t come back. “You know, those are all if-then hypotheses,” Childress said. “We’re day-to-day right here.”

At one point during the five-minute session with the media, which was broadcast by ESPN and KFAN, Childress said: “I feel like this is Watergate. Have I done something wrong?”

The Vikings’ ownership group, in town for two days of meetings, huddled on the playing field with vice presidents Rob Brzezinski and Rick Spielman earlier in the morning.

“If he’s in we move forward,” Childress said. “If not, we’ve only been in camp for four days.”

Favre has been unwilling to commit to playing a 20th NFL season, in large part because he has felt his left ankle has not responded the way he hoped after undergoing surgery in late May. However, many assumed Favre was simply buying time, as he appeared to a year ago.

In that case, Favre told coach Brad Childress he was retiring days before training camp opened but then changed his mind on Aug. 18 and joined the Vikings after one preseason game.

Nonetheless, Favre’s decision will come as a shock to the many who fully expected he would join the team once the Mankato portion of training camp ended. There still will be many who won’t be convinced Favre will stay retired until he doesn’t play a full season.

Favre, who will turn 41 on Oct. 10, had one of the best seasons of his career in 2009, throwing for 4,202 yards (his best total since 1998), 33 touchdowns (his best total since 1997) and a career-low seven interceptions in 2009.

He led the Vikings to a 12-4 record, a second consecutive NFC title and the conference championship game. Favre signed a two-year, $25 million contract last summer that would have paid him $13 million this season

This was the third time Favre had undergone surgery on his left ankle. He also had procedures performed in 1995 and 2007 when he was with the Packers. He had spent recent weeks throwing to receivers at Oak Grove High School near his home in Hattiesburg, Miss., in what had become his annual attempt to get in shape.

But Favre had expressed doubt about how the ankle felt, just as he expressed concern about his physical well being a year ago after having surgery to repair a partially torn biceps in his throwing arm.

“After almost nine weeks, [the ankle is] not where I would like it to be, but I’m working at it,” Favre was quoted as saying last month. “Maybe it never gets to where I want it to be. Forty years old … three surgeries … that’s all you need to know.”

Childress, who many believed already knew that Favre was going to be back in 2010, had been careful to not set a deadline for the quarterback to make a decision, hoping that by giving him all the time he needed it would make the decision easier. Childress visited Favre twice this offseason at his home in Mississippi but never applied any pressure.

This means the Vikings starting quarterback — if Favre holds true to his word and doesn’t change his mind in a couple of weeks — likely will be Tarvaris Jackson.

Jackson has taken the majority of the reps with the first team in the opening six training camp practices and coach Brad Childress has made it clear that the fifth-year veteran out of Alabama State is his starter.

Sage Rosenfels and Joe Webb are the other two quarterbacks in camp. Jackson and Rosenfels began camp last season battling for the starting job before Favre arrived. Jackson did win the competition because he spent the entire season as the No. 2 quarterback behind Favre.

Jackson is 10-10 in his career as a starting and 10-9 in the regular season. Last year he saw action in eight games in relief of Favre and completed 14 of 21 passes for 201 yards with one touchdown.

Favre has waffled on retiring every summer since 2006. It led to an ugly parting with the Packers that got him traded from Green Bay to the Jets in 2008. After a so-so season in New York, he announced his retirement in early 2009 for the second time, then reconsidered and signed with the Vikings.

Favre is under contract for $13 million this season, but only if he plays.

Nearly everyone had assumed Favre would return and he did nothing to discourage that. He threw passes for a second straight summer with high school students in Hattiesburg, Miss., joked about playing until he’s 50 and said playing another year wouldn’t worsen his already-damaged ankle.

“It’s non-criminal, but what you’re dealing with is the idea of humiliation,” says Nuwer, an associate professor of journalism at Franklin College in Indiana.

Nuwer has seen the opinions expressed by media members, including former coaches and players, that Bryant should simply have gone along with what they say is a routine rite of passage for NFL rookies. He doesn’t buy that.

“It’s wrong to humiliate people, and we’re in an age of sexting and harassment and so forth. To allow this kind of behavior among adults is wrong,” he says.

Cowboys coach Wade Phillips has said he will not tolerate hazing on his team. But Nuwer says professional athletes carry extra responsibility.

“They are role models form high school students who are being arrested … getting felony charges for hazing and who don’t know how to hold it within boundaries.”

In a posting on his blog on HankNuwer.com, Nuwer calls on the commissioners of the major pro sports leagues to institute policies defining and prohibiting hazing. He writes:

“Call it entitlement. Call it what you will, commissioners, but you must call players on it. When it comes to passing the buck on hazing, no one passes it better than the likes ofBud Selig, Roger Goodell and David Stern — and their respective predecessors as commissioners.”

The NFL says such matters as whether rookies have to carry the shoulders pads of veteran is a “club matter,” up to the discretion of individual teams.

“None of this is an adult thing to do,” says Nuwer. “It is just another black mark on sports.”

Nuwer says the NCAA and the National Federation of State High School Associations have taken stands against hazing.

“We’re in an age of extremes, but we’re also in an age when players have gone through lecture after lecture at the high school and college level to say that you don’t have to put up with hazing,” he says. “And then you suddenly get into the NFL, and it’s ‘OK.’ But it isn’t.”

“They called early, like 2 o’clock (Sunday) morning, telling us he’s not coming,” said Cornelius Corprew, director of Camp Elite Sports’ two-day football camp. “And then we couldn’t speak to him. It was through one of his associates. We’re not crazy. No state agency is communicating at 2 o’clock in the morning that he’s not allowed to come. I think that was a selfish act.”

Corprew said Vick was paid half his $,4000 fee and that campers were promised photos and autographs.

“I’m upset because our camp is built on integrity and character and that’s what we teach to our kids,” Corprew said.

8. 2001 South Carolina Gamecocks

When it comes to college football there are very few teams that have an intro as intense as the fighting Gamecocks. Clemson, eat your heart out. While running down a hill is cool and all, it just isn’t on the same caliber as your instate rivals.

7. The 1996 Chicago Bulls

This team was a dynasty during the game as well as before. The intro for the 1996 Chicago Bulls (or any of their 90s team for that matter) is something that will never be forgotten.

6. Let’s Get Ready to Ruuuumbleeeeeeeeee

Probably the most iconic phrase in all of boxing . . . it even has its own video game on the Dreamcast.

5. Alaska Nanook’s 2010 Intro

Alaska is a weird place in itself. With the wilderness, darkness, and disconnection from the lower 48 states, there’s not a lot to get excited about in Alaska. However, the Nanook’s 2010 intro has taken hockey to a whole new level.

4. Boston Celtic’s Intro

The Boston Celtic’s intro is to the 2000’s as the Bulls was to the 90’s. Classy, ahead of its time, as well as memorable, it’s something that we will be talking about into the next decade.

3. The 2008 Bejing Opening Ceremonies

Since this is technically a sports intro, it had to be included. Some of the shit the Chinese pulled off in the 2008 Bejing opening ceremonies was absolutely, utterly, and insanely ridiculous.

2. Stone Cold Steve Austin Intro

If there were ever a master to any intro, it would be Stone Cold Steve Austin. If you’re a man and have never wanted to enter a room like a WWE professional wrestler, then you’re lying to yourself.

1. 2009 Alaska Nanooks Intro

No comment needed. The 2010 video couldn’t even compare to this one.

Fergie gave coaching legend Don Shula the serenade of a lifetime for his 80th birthday. Shula needed some assistance to enjoy it because I’m sure he, like so many others, believe Fergie is a hermaphrodite.

8. Fauxjohnmadden

The best things John Madden has brought to professional football is his football game and the approval of “The Annexation of Puerto Rico” in the movie Little Giants. Other than that this husky, boisterous sports personality is more annoying than insightful. However, his twitter account is absolutely ingenious.

7. Notjakedelhomme

Jake Delhomme has been the poster-boy for the Carolina Panthers organization for nearly a decade now. While he has led the Panthers to several playoff appearances and even a Super Bowl, he is still a f*ck up in every sense. While other QB’s boast large endorsements from national brands and chains, this Rajun’ Cajun’ is the spokesman for Bojangles. Even if we could understand a word he was saying, chances are it wouldn’t be as clever as this Twitter account.

6. Fakebrett

I tell ye what ye dere hushpuppy Brett Furrr likes to wear dem Wrangla’ jeans while playin’ for da Vikins’ yeeeeee. Brett Farve is easily the most hated, attention seeking quarterback in the National Football League. If we could understand half the crap that came out of his mouth, he might make for a more interesting quarterback. However, we’ll just have to settle for the antic of Fakebrett.

5. Fakefatjamarcus

Jamarcus Russell is a fat ass, a terrible quarterback, yet a great personality. Sure he may be riding the bench in Oakland, but that simply gives him more time to tweet on the sidelines. Also note he was caught 2 weeks ago with a bag of Skittles in his game pants.

4. Notkurtwarner

As Kurt Warner gets older, he only becomes closer to God. As he becomes closer to God, he will only become a better father, quarterback, and religious nutcase. Sure, his wife Brenda may be most notoriously known for her mother-like appearance while he was with the Rams, but they’re a good family. This also makes for some GREAT tweeting.

3. FauxTigerWoods

In the past month, Tiger has royally screwed up his personal and professional life in a major way. He might have given up a life with a smoking hot Swedish supermodel and his golden boy image, but that doesn’t mean we can’t make fun of him for doing it. While backing out of the driveway might be the only way I can ever outdrive Tiger, this account give me comfort and solace in the fact that even the best go down.

2. FakeTomBrady

Tom Brady might be one of the NFL’s pretty boys, but he has his faults. From the knocking up a chick prior to putting the ring on Giselle to somehow becoming an injury factory every season, it’s easy to hate on Brady. Other than that, he’s also a great fantasy quarterback.

1. Notjaycutler

Cutlerfucker is a drunk. He’s also a party boy, horrible quarterback, fat ass, cocky, guido-esque and can somehow still pull the ladies. I don’t have to say much for this account, it’s simply the best of the best.