1990s, 20 years before Ray Rice or even before O.J., Lapchick said

GREEN BAY, Wis. -- The Green Bay Packers will definitely retire Brett Favres No. 4. It just wont happen during the upcoming 2013 season. Speaking Tuesday after his annual meeting with reporters to discuss the teams finances, Packers president/CEO Mark Murphy made it clear that retiring Favres number and reconciling with the future Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback is important to the franchise. But when asked if Favre could have his number retired this season, Murphy replied, "I dont anticipate that, no." Murphy did not rule out the quarterback making an appearance at Lambeau Field in another capacity, however, perhaps as an honorary captain or as part of the alumni weekend festivities "Well see," Murphy said. A cornerstone of the Packers renaissance in the 1990s, Favre was revered in the state after he led Green Bay to the Super Bowl title following the 1996 season. But he tested the patience of fans and franchise alike with his annual retirement watch late in his career, and his decision to retire and then unretire in 2008 prompted perhaps the messiest divorce in state history. The Packers had already made Aaron Rodgers the starter, and wound up trading Favre to the Jets during training camp. After a year with the Jets, Favre infuriated fans further by signing with NFC North rival Minnesota. But Rodgers helped smooth the way for a reconciliation between Favre and the Packers, sharing the stage with his predecessor at the NFL Honors awards ceremony in New Orleans in February. Murphy, who has been in contact with Favre since then, said again Tuesday that the appearance was a "first step." Murphy recently said the team wants to make sure Favres number is retired before he would enter the Hall of Fame as part of the class of 2016, assuming he is a first-ballot selections. "Were definitely going to retire his number. I really feel strongly that he deserves it," Murphy said. "(But) the timing has to be right." Asked what the holdup is if both sides are talking, and what would constitute the timing being right, Murphy was vague. "I cant tell you exactly what time might be right," he said. "But I am optimistic that you will see it. "We want to be an NFL team where all of our former players feel good about coming back. And hes a big part of that." Wholesale Jerseys Review China Jerseys 2020 . Klitschkos management company says the bout will be the Ukrainian fighters 25th world championship fight. The 1.83-meter (6-foot) Leapai defeated the previously unbeaten Denis Boytsov in November to become the WBOs mandatory challenger. https://www.wholesalejerseysreview.com/ . The lawyers filed a 33-page amended complaint Tuesday in federal court in Manhattan, expanding on the suit originally filed Oct. 3 in New York Supreme Court. Arbitrator Fredric Horowitz last week refused to compel Selig to testify in the grievance, and Rodriguez then walked out of the hearing without testifying. Wholesale Jerseys Review . The Montreal Canadiens announced on Friday that the veteran forward will return to the teams line-up on Saturday night when the Habs visit the Nashville Predators. Cheap Authentic Jerseys 2020 . Haas said he "felt a lot of pain" in his right shoulder when he slammed his racket to the ground in frustration after losing his serve at 3-3 in the first set. BOSTON -- From his den in Huntsville, Alabama, Onree Jackson will quietly root to see Jacoby Brissett under center when he watches New England host Houston on Thursday night.Almost 50 years have passed, but Jackson still remembers his excitement when he was drafted out of Alabama A&M in 1969 by the Boston Patriots -- the franchises first black quarterback.Back then, the team hailed his potential to be the Willie Mays of pro football. But he never played in a regular-season NFL game.Now, Brissett could establish a footnote for a franchise born in a city with a complicated racial past, its first African-American player to start at quarterback. While the Patriots have been racially progressive in other ways, the New York Giants are the only other NFL team to have never started an African-American quarterback.Brissetts opportunity comes because of two unusual factors. Tom Brady, the teams cornerstone, is suspended four games for his role in using underinflated footballs in the playoffs in 2015. And Bradys backup, Jimmy Garoppolo, has a shoulder injury and is listed as doubtful for Thursday.While none have started a regular-season game, the Patriots have drafted eight African-American quarterbacks. Michael Bishop played the most, appearing in eight games in 2000.The potential distinction shows how much things have changed in 50 years.When I got there, there was a baseball player with the Red Sox and he said in the paper, `You know theyre not going to have an N-word quarterback here in Boston, Jackson, 69, recalled in an interview with The Associated Press.It was funny to him, I think, because they had a picture of him laughing in the papers, Jackson said. I had a shot, and I didnt make it under their rules.Bostons professional teams -- like the citys neighborhoods -- had different reactions to the civil rights movement and the integration of professional sports.While the Celtics and Bruins broke barriers in pro basketball and hockey, the Red Sox were the last Major League Baseball team to field a black player. Pumpsie Green took the field at Fenway Park in 1959 -- more than a decade after Jackie Robinson played for the Dodgers and even after Willie ORee took the ice for Boston in the all-white NHL. The Red Sox gave both Robinson and Mays tryouts in the 1940s before opting not to sign them.Meanwhile, the Patriots neither led nor trailed the pack on such issues.Jackson was drafted by Rommie Loudd, the AFLs first black assistant coach before he joined the Patriots in 1966. He moved to the teams front office and became its personnel director in 1969, one of the first black personnel directors in the NFL.Jackson said he thought everything was fine until he drew consisteent ire from then-coach Clive Rush, who told Jackson: Joe wouldnt do that.ddddddddddddHe was talking about Namath, Jackson said. Me being who I am, and where I was from and all, I just accepted that and went on.Jackson was waived after a few months. Rush told the Frederick Daily Leader at the time that Jackson was behind three other quarterbacks.As Ive grown older, I can see little signs that said, `You arent going to make it because youre a black quarterback. Thats the way I interpreted it, anyway, Jackson said.Rush was fired after a losing season in 1969 and 1-6 start in 1970.New England has never had a black head coach. Romeo Crennel, now defensive coordinator in Houston, held that job in New England before he was head coach in Cleveland and Kansas City. Bobby Grier, who is black, was an assistant coach with the Patriots who rose to be vice president of player personnel from 1997-2000.Richard Johnson, curator of the Boston Sports Museum, said while the quarterback milestone would be unintentional, there has never been talk of race influencing the Pats personnel decisions.Under Bill Belichick, the best player has always played, Johnson said.Richard Lapchick, who has pushed for diversity across college and professional sports from The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sports, said the Patriots under owner Robert Kraft have consistently pushed for inclusion in several ways.They were working in the community on gender violence prevention in the early 1990s, 20 years before Ray Rice or even before O.J., Lapchick said.The Patriots were also one of the first teams to help NFL players finish their degrees.Josh Johnson, who is black and one of three Giants quarterbacks, was surprised when told his team could be the last to cross this particular racial benchmark.It shows progress, he said. Thats all you want to see, progress. Good luck to (Brissett), I hope he goes out and takes advantage of it. Opportunities come far and few.Though it didnt work out for Jackson, he said hes proud to have played a part toward seeing a day when no one notices who is or isnt under center.Its a pride thing now, he said. Im proud of what happened. Though I didnt make it, it was kind of a foot in the door type-thing.---This story has been corrected to show that Michael Bishop, not Rohan Davey, has played the most games for the Patriots as an African-American quarterback.---AP Sports Writers Jimmy Golen in Boston and Tom Canavan in East Rutherford, New Jersey, contributed to this report.---Follow Kyle Hightower on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/khightower ' ' '