Fumbled exchange sends Favre to sidelines for first punishment as a Jet

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HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. -- Even Brett Favre isn't immune to some punishment at practice.

The New York Jets quarterback fumbled a snap from Nick Mangold on Sunday morning and knew what was coming next: his first penalty lap.

"He's one of the guys," coach Eric Mangini said. "You put the ball on the ground, you have to run. And that's the way, when we talked about it, he wanted it and that's the way I wanted it."

So, there was No. 4 at his second practice with the Jets, jogging along the sideline with Mangold -- to hearty cheers from the 4,000 fans there to catch a glimpse of their new quarterback. Favre was given the day off from speaking to the media, but commented through the team.

"It's not punishment," said Favre, who couldn't recall if he had ever run a penalty lap in his previous 17 seasons. "It's more of a team unity thing. Nick and I ran it. I told Eric, Day 1, that unless I pass out, I am going to try to do everything that everyone else does.

"I'm no different aside from being a little gray-headed and a little bit older."

Sure, Brett. But it might have been the NFL's first penalty lap to draw cheers.

"We missed on the exchange," Mangold said. "You get used to a new guy and it takes a little bit of time and usually you get the luxury of doing it in the spring where no one's really around or cheering for laps."

Video of the disciplinary jog was already posted on the Internet an hour after the morning practice ended and had gotten over 200 hits on YouTube.

"I need to call my mom and have her tape ESPN," Mangold said with a chuckle. "Hopefully I got on there today with a penalty lap. It was weird because it's a penalty lap and you're running it because you've done something wrong and people are cheering. It was a little different."

Mangold, who worked mostly with Kellen Clemens and Chad Pennington during his first two NFL seasons, said quarterbacks and centers have to adjust to each other when they first start working together.

"There's a good amount that goes on," he said. "You have to get used to a guy's voice, his placement of his hands, how quickly he's getting out. You try to make it look as effortless as possible."

Mangold asked Favre if he was at fault for the wayward snap.

"He made me feel good and said, 'No," Mangold said. "I don't believe him."

Either way, Favre took it all in stride.

"I'm not embarrassed by it," he said. "I think it's kind of funny, but yet serves its purpose. I think things like that are important in the fact that everyone is involved in it."

The crowd at Hofstra University was scaled down from Favre's first practice Saturday, which drew 10,500 fans, but was still double what the team usually attracts for a Sunday morning practice.

"It makes it fun," safety Kerry Rhodes said. "When you come out here and the fans are going crazy and having fun, it just helps you get through the day."

Favre, acquired late Wednesday night from Green Bay, gave the fans a few things to cheer about other than his long jog. He zipped a 15-yard pass into the hands of Laveranues Coles and hit Jerricho Cotchery for 35 yards on a go-route down the right sideline. The biggest cheers were for a pretty, long spiral that hit Cotchery in stride down the left sideline for 75 yards, about 65 yards in the air.

"There's going to be an adjustment for us," Cotchery said. "We've just got to make sure we're handling everything around him so we have the chemistry we need to have before the season starts."

In between Sunday's two practices, Mangini was asked for his assessment of Favre.

"The ball comes out hard and fast and straight and long, so that's always good," he said with a smile. "It's been a whirlwind for him and there's a lot of new information going in. We're progressing quickly."

Favre hadn't run the hurry-up offense yet; that will come later as the quarterback becomes more familiar with the system. Mangini also has cut down, for now, on the loud music he plays during practice to simulate crowd noise "until I can see the cadence and see the mechanics."

Mangini understands the excitement surrounding the acquisition of Favre, and worked some humor into his opening remarks for those dying to know the quarterback's every move.

"Brett had his two hard-boiled eggs, a little bit of orange juice," Mangini said with the slightest grin. "There was a garnish, I think, and some hashbrowns. And I can take you through minute-by-minute after that."

Hold on, Coach. Don't leave everyone hanging. What did Favre eat first?

"It was a tough call," Mangini said, smiling. "The eggs were mixed with the hashbrowns, so I don't know which one actually hit his mouth first. I'll film it next time."

Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press

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