Month: July 2008 (Page 36 of 39)

      Jay Mariotti is a stone cold hypocrite

      July 2, 2008 /

      Chicago Sun-Times columnist Jay Mariotti has always been mildly irritating, but I haven’t been exposed to him enough to be truly bothered by his shenanigans.

      Well, that changed today when Mariotti (and his oddly-coiffed eyebrows) invaded the “Pardon the Interruption” set to act as co-host with J.A. Adande. The duo discussed the news that Brett Favre may return to football and Mariotti went on this rant about how everyone is sick of Favre’s tease. He brought up his boy Michael Jordan and said that he never teased the public with his retirement.

      I don’t know what’s worse, Mariotti’s inane comment or the fact that Adande didn’t call him on it. Michael Jordan retired… three times. How is that not a tease? Sure, when he said he was going to retire he did walk away from the game for a year or two, but he came back twice. How is that better than what Favre has done? At least Favre’s struggles with the thought of retirement are understandable. He didn’t walk away in the middle of his prime and waste a few of his best years trying to play another sport. This all started when Favre had a bad season or two and people started to question his ability. Then he comes back last season and has a MVP-caliber year.

      Why can’t people understand that this is a difficult decision to make?

      NFL, Rumors & Gossip

      Did Favre ask the Packers to release him?

      July 2, 2008 /

      This story is getting stranger by the minute.

      Just hours after news broke that Brett Favre might be getting the itch to play another season, the Wisconsin State Journal is reporting that Favre has already contacted the team about returning and the Packers rebuffed him. The conversation ended with Favre’s agent, Bus Cook, demanding that his client be released and the Packers refusing to do so.

      However, an NFL source said Wednesday afternoon that Favre — or Cook on his behalf — actually contacted the Packers “within the past few weeks” about returning, and the conversation ended in him asking the club for his release. The Packers refused.

      The source wouldn’t say why Favre would’ve asked to be released, but the logical reason he’d have made such a request would be because the team told him it had moved on with new starter Aaron Rodgers and did not want him back. The Packers also could’ve been testing Favre’s resolve to see how serious he really is about playing again.

      The Packers placed Favre on the reserve/retired list on April 25 and continue to hold his rights, which they could trade to an interested team if Favre wants to come back and is willing to do so with another club.

      If Favre is serious about reporting to training camp — the first practice is July 28 — and the Packers are committed to moving on, it would set up a potentially awkward parting of the ways between the franchise and its preeminent star. Favre could demand to be activated from the reserve/retired list, and that would give the Packers three options: Re-activate him, release him or trade him.

      The thought of Favre playing for another team makes me sick to my stomach. The last thing I want to see would be for this relationship to get contentious. If Favre is serious about coming back and serious about the commitment it would take, I say let him come back. Apologize to Aaron Rodgers and ask him kindly to wait another year for his shot.

      I do like the theory that the Packers are testing Favre to see how serious he is about returning, but this situation has the potential to get very ugly very quickly.

      NFL, Rumors & Gossip

      Warriors offer Brand max contract

      July 2, 2008 /

      It’s all fair in love and war… or in this case, love and basketball.

      A day after the news broke that Baron Davis agreed to sign with the Clippers, his old team turned around and offered a max contract to the Clippers’ best player (and supposed Davis running-mate) Elton Brand.

      Since the Clippers have agreed to terms with Davis, it was believed that the most they could offer Brand something in the neighborhood of a six-year deal worth $81 million. The LA Times is reporting that the Warriors offered a five-year deal worth $100 million.

      So what will Brand do? Well, he recently implied that he liked what the Celtics did when a few stars checked their egos at the door and came together for a common purpose. But none of those guys had to take a major paycut or turn down an extra $6.5 million per season. My guess is that if Brand was lobbying Davis prior to the Clippers/Davis agreement, that he’ll take less money and stay in L.A. If not, all bets are off. If you put Brand on the Warriors, they’re certainly a playoff-caliber team. One could argue that Brand would have a better supporting cast in Oakland with the likes of Monta Ellis and Steven Jackson roaming the perimeter along with Andris Biedrins and Brandan Wright in the middle (assuming the team successfully re-signs both Biedrins and Ellis).

      So will Brand put his money where is mouth is and take a pay cut to play with another star?

      What was looking like a pretty boring free agency period has suddenly become quite interesting.

      Fantasy Basketball, NBA, Rumors & Gossip

      Is Brett Favre getting the “itch” to play again?

      July 2, 2008 /

      ESPN is reporting that “sources close to the team and player” say that Brett Favre may be getting the “itch” to play again as a result of his family “tugging” him to return to the Packers.

      Favre has communicated his potential desire to coach Mike McCarthy but talks have not advanced to a substantive stage, a Packers source said.

      The source said the Packers would be reluctant to open the door for Favre because “Brett retired for the right reasons, even though I know his family is tugging on him [to play].”

      However, Favre’s agent downplayed the likelihood that the quarterback could un-retire or that he was prepared to report to camp July 28.

      “As far as I know, right now, Brett Favre is retired and until he tells me something different, that’s what it is,” James “Bus” Cook, Favre’s agent, said.

      If Favre decides that he absolutely wants to play this season, the Packers could be confronted with a sensitive issue. The entire offseason has been spent preparing Aaron Rodgers to play quarterback to the point where “the offensive scheme has evolved” and, psychologically, closing the door on Favre’s legendary 17-year career.

      If the Packers resist a stronger push by Favre to return, sources speculate that the quarterback could press the team to release him from his contract so that he could seek a job with another team. A league official said that Favre could force a decision by asking the Packers, in writing, to reinstate him to active status. The team would have to comply or release him.

      Regular readers know that I’ve been a Packer fan since I learned how to walk and I’d love to see #4 under center again. But I have mixed feelings about this. Psychologically and emotionally, I just recently got over the fact that Favre retired and that we have a new quarterback, Aaron Rodgers, to rally around. What would Favre’s return do to his state of mind? By most accounts, Rodgers has looked great in the minicamps, so it would have to be demoralizing for him to take a back seat to a guy who can’t decide whether or not he wants to stay retired.

      Are the Packers a better team with Favre under center this season? Probably. Are they a better team two or three years down the road? I’m not so sure. As much as I’d like to see Favre come out of retirement and lead Green Bay to the Super Bowl, chances are that’s going to happen. Maybe it’s time to move on and see what this kid Rodgers can do.

      Honestly, I’m really torn about this news.

      Fantasy Football, NFL, Rumors & Gossip

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