I guess it’s about that time. I’ve tried to stay away from it, but it won’t go away, and this is a sports blog. As much as I don’t want to contribute to the useless stories that are Brett Favre, I suppose I’m going to swallow my pride and do it anyway.

So guess what: The guy wants to come back.

If there’s anyone out there that’s say, “Man, I can’t believe it!” then you clearly haven’t been paying attention to the last decade of what has been Brett Favre’s long awaited, neverending retirement game. I want to quit, I want to come back, I want to quit, I want to come back, I want to quit. . . I’m really gonna quit, no wait, I’m going to come back.

Regardless of where your allegiance is, at some point you’ve got to start feeling sorry for Aaron Rodgers. The guy may be the best QB out there, but no one will ever know because Brett Favre just won’t hang it up.

The word yesterday was that the Packers said Favre can come back, but he’ll have to be a backup. This would be the absolute worst idea in the world, because every time Rodgers threw an incompletion, he’d be booed.

Now, after speaking with Fox, Favre is clearing it up: He wants to play, but not for the Pack.

“I am guilty of retiring early and there is a reason for that,” Favre said, according to an excerpt provided to The Associated Press. “And the major issue is ‘Why did he retire,’ and ‘He asked for a release because he doesn’t want to play in Green Bay.’ That’s not true. And I hope people are hearing this and saying ‘OK, that clears it up.’ ”

“Them moving on does not bother me. It doesn’t. I totally understand that. By me retiring March 3rd I knew that could possibly happen. All I was saying is you know I’m thinking about playing again. The ‘itch’ has been used. That is the word that has been used if you want to say itch, or the fire is coming back, or whatever.

“If I’m going to play it’s going to be 100 percent commitment. … And so if you move on, you tell me one thing, don’t come back and tell the public … just say it. ‘You know, we’ve moved on and we’ll work with Brett on whatever it is.’ Don’t make up a lot of stuff or give half of the truth.”

Brett: Leave the poor city alone. Leave football alone. You were there — you were right on the edge of it, and you’d actually jumped — for retirement. . . stay retired. We don’t need to have the debates every year from this year forward if you’re going to be around anymore. And when you do retire, we don’t need to continue debating if you’ve really retired.

There. I’m done. No more publicity for the guy. It’s what he wants. Brett, I hope you go to a team and throw another pick in the playoffs, ultimately ending your team’s chance at a Super Bowl. Just give it up, man. Just give it up.