Networks often hesitate to admit interest in on-air candidates — they don't want to seem like losers if things don't work out — but there was no point Tuesday in trying to hide the lust for TV sports' hottest prospect in years.

"If the opportunity were right, we'd look to add him to our team," CBS vice president Harold Bryant said. Eric Weinberger, an NFL Network executive producer, said Favre has "a unique personality with a great sense of humor. He's seen it all and could analyze any situation." ESPN's Mike Soltys said it was business-as-usual with the latest supposed retirement since "we've said for years that when he retires, we'd like to talk to him." Fox senior vice president Lou D'Ermilio summed it up: "Any network that claims to not be interested in Favre is nuts!"

Fox, more than other networks, would prefer Favre keep playing: Its NFC package has 10 Minnesota Vikings games.

Vikings games in Sunday regionalized action, on Fox and CBS, would presumably get less exposure without Favre. And national games such as NBC's Sept. 9 Minnesota-New Orleans Saints opener and Nov. 21 Green Bay Packers-Minnesota contest lose their blockbuster aura without him.

NBC could have Favre at those games by putting him in a three-man booth with Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth, who excelled in a three-man booth with Troy Aikman at Fox. Fox could up the ante by creating a three-man booth with Favre, Aikman and Joe Buck, thus guaranteeing Favre a trip to this season's Super Bowl because it airs on that network.

ESPN might not break up its Monday Night Football trio of Jon Gruden, Ron Jaworski and Mike Tirico— although MNF has done stranger things — for Favre. But ESPN could find on-air roles for him day and night, assign a production truck to his driveway if he didn't want to go anywhere and maybe rig ABC's Dancing with the Stars so he'd win. (Not that we'd find out those details.)

NFLN, with the least star power among the NFL carriers, could let Favre be league commissioner for a day if necessary.

Assuming TV networks still exist when Favre actually retires and that he ends up in a broadcast booth or well-catered studio show, he'll just need to be himself: He's already shown unparalleled prowess at being able to stay in the limelight.