Tom E. Curran • E-mail

ALBANY, N.Y. - At each of my training camp stops, I’m going to buttonhole a few players and get their reactions to the ongoing Brett Favre saga. Until Brett’s firin’ we’re inquirin’!

Let’s hope this is a short-term project.

Justin Tuck, Giants DT
"It’s not surprising to me. It’s remarkable to me that you don’t see Michael Strahan coming out and saying, ‘I got that itch now.’ I know how it is. I haven’t played for as long a time as they have but at a certain time of year you get that click that it’s time to go. You get to a point where you say, ‘There’s something I’m supposed to be doing right now…’ Honestly, I’m really intrigued to see how I’ll handle that situation when it’s my time to hang up the cleats. It’s like clockwork. Beginning of June is when guys get back to it. It’s not surprising to me. Do I agree how he’s handled it? Maybe not."

Antonio Pierce, Giants LB
"It’s drawn out too long. Just let the guy…I love my guy (Jeremy) Shockey but if somebody don’t want to be here and they want to go, you gotta make them happy. If not, you’ve got this whole drama going on. You forget about the most important thing: guys getting back together and getting ready for the season. Instead, you’re talking about old stuff that’s not even relevant. Instead of talking about Aaron Rodgers or the up and coming wide receiver or the D-tackle in Green Bay, you’re talking about someone who’s not in camp and might not ever play there again.

"Every player who does that (creates) a distraction. Even for us with Michael Strahan. You just get tired of answering the question. Same thing we had with Tiki Barber. Make your decision and live with it. At the end of the day, that player – Brett Favre – has to answer to these questions. At the end of the day, he’s the one people are going to be pointing fingers at. Right now it looks like the Packers (are the bad guys) but as a player, you made the decision to retire and you put the team in limbo and obviously the team’s going to do what’s best for them."

Grey Ruegamer, Giants OL and former Packer
"It’s a tough situation for the club and Brett. You have Brett Favre, one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history, wants to come back and play and yet you have a franchise that wants to move on after he retired.

"This is the business of the NFL and what’s getting harder for people to comprehend it all is that we don’t always understand the business side of the NFL. Teams have to make business decisions. Fans don’t like it; players don’t like it but the bottom line is whether you’re a starter or a backup like me you are meat on the hoof. And you are a team’s possession. They will trade you, they will cut you, they will do what they want with you and that’s the bottom line.

"The NFL is as cutthroat as any other thing. You have a $100 million salary cap, you’re dealing with egos, you’re dealing with people who think they’re better than they are. It’s a business first and foremost. That was probably one of my toughest lessons coming to the NFL is learning that you are replaceable. There are hundreds of college guys who would be killing to do what you are doing. But there’s only so many opportunities. When you get treated like cattle, sometimes it’s a wakeup call. But it is a business."

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