Author: John Paulsen (Page 684 of 937)

      Brett Favre to compete for job?

      August 3, 2008 /

      Wow. A source close to the Packers has revealed that the team is going to allow Favre to compete for the starting job.

      Another source close to the club, said that the Packers have agreed to allow Favre to compete with Aaron Rodgers for the starting job and he won’t necessarily be the backup this season. Trade talks with Favre have not advanced and coach Mike McCarthy is expected to come up with a plan that will split the practice repetitions with Rodgers.

      This is a huge shift from the Packers’ perspective. All along, they’ve been saying that they were going to move on with Aaron Rodgers as their quarterback, but evidently Favre’s (understandable) stubbornness, along with the prospect of the media circus that would ensue once he got to camp, has convinced the team to allow him to try to win his job back.

      Regular readers know I am a die-hard Packers fan, and this shift in policy only seems fair. Other than having to deal with the uncertainty each offseason, the Packers’ resistance to Favre’s return never made a whole lot of sense. Cutting him wasn’t an option, as he could go and play for the Vikings. Trading him turned out not to be an option, because Favre wouldn’t meet with the Bucs or the Jets. This is the only fair and equitable course of action.

      So now we’ll have a camp battle between a future Hall of Famer (and runner-up in the 2007 MVP voting) versus… Aaron Rodgers. I wonder who is going to win…

      By all accounts, Rodgers has looked pretty sharp in camp, though one has to wonder how he’s going to play under this kind of pressure. Favre, assuming he hasn’t lost “it,” should be able to seize his old job back.

      Unless, of course, this whole competition is just a farce and the team is planning on giving the job to Rodgers regardless of how either QB plays. Obviously, the preseason games will be vitally important to the public’s perception of the QB battle.

      From the POV of a Packer fan, this situation just went from frustrating to interesting in the blink of an eye.

      Monday morning update (8/4): The Milwaukee-Journal Sentinel is reporting that the Packers have contacted the Vikings about a potential trade. Just when I thought this was over…

      Fantasy Football, NFL, Rumors & Gossip

      Bulls re-sign Luol Deng for six years, $71 million

      July 31, 2008 /

      It was a long, arduous negotiation, but the Bulls finally locked up Luol Deng. I estimated Deng’s value to be $11-$12 million per season, and he ultimately signed for $11.83 million per season.

      Given his modest background growing up in the Sudan and Egypt before moving to London, Deng stressed to the Bulls that he was not bluffing when he vowed to play next season on a one-year qualifying offer worth about $4.5 million for the right to become an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2009.

      The Bulls then gradually raised their offer to a higher annual average that Deng turned down in October, when Chicago was limited to offering him a five-year extension and presented the 6-foot-9 forward with a five-year package worth $57.5 million. As ESPN.com reported earlier this month, Bulls chairman Jerry Reinsdorf chose to personally handle the bulk of the negotiations with Deng’s camp as opposed to the standard practice of Paxson serving as lead negotiator.

      This negotiation seemed like it had been going on forever, so it’s good to see the Bulls lock up their star. Now they just have to figure out what to do with Ben Gordon.

      NBA

      Did the Packers try to bribe Brett Favre to stay retired?

      July 31, 2008 /

      WTMJ-TV in Milwaukee is reporting that the Packers are willing to bribe Brett Favre to stay retired.

      WTMJ-TV Channel 4 in Milwaukee, citing two sources, reported Wednesday that Packers president Mark Murphy at least floated the idea to Favre of paying him a package in the neighborhood of $20 million over 10 years to remain retired. Murphy met most of Wednesday with Favre and his agent, Bus Cook, in Hattiesburg, Miss.

      A source subsequently confirmed that the Packers have discussed monetary compensation with Favre and Cook.

      Murphy arrived back in Green Bay at approximately 9 p.m. and did not stop to talk to reporters as he was driven from the airport. A few minutes later, the Packers released this statement from Murphy:

      “I was in Hattiesburg today and had a nice visit with Brett Favre. We discussed a number of topics not related to football, including Brett’s long-term relationship with the Packers. I consider our conversation to be confidential and am going to be respectful of Brett and his family and keep the details private.”

      When asked if the Packers had a specific comment on WTMJ’s report, Murphy’s spokesman, Aaron Popkey, said no further comment would be coming from the Packers this evening.

      Obviously, this doesn’t look good for the Packers. It appears to be a desperate attempt to keep the Favre circus from making a stop in Green Bay. Given their obvious (yet bizarre) distaste for bringing Favre back as the starter, coupled with their inability to agree on the appropriate compensation for a potential trade package, the Packers have grossly mishandled the situation.

      If this report is true, the leak clearly came from Favre’s camp. I highly doubt that anyone loyal to the Green Bay Packers would reveal that the team president tried to buy off the franchise’s most beloved player (of the modern era, anyway). This news will only serve to poison a difficult situation even further. For that, Favre (or his camp) is to blame.

      I still believe that Favre gives the Packers the best chance to win a title this season. Pundits across the country continue to debate about which team is the “best fit” for Favre. They talk about how he should go to a team that would be a contender if only it didn’t have an unsettled quarterback situation. Isn’t the “best fit” the Green Bay Packers?

      But if the team is 100% committed to moving on with Aaron Rodgers, then they should trade Favre for whatever they can get, whether it be a second- or a third-round pick.

      This ordeal needs to end, and not with a bribe.

      NFL, Rumors & Gossip

      Mike Greenberg said something stupid today

      July 30, 2008 /

      I was watching the Best of Mike & Mike in the Morning on good ol’ ESPN2 (the same network that brings us the daily rantings of Skip Bayless), and heard Mike Greenberg say the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard him say. I’m not a regular watcher/listener, but I’m familiar with the guy.

      He and Mike Golic were discussing John Lackey’s near no-hitter against Boston, and “Greeny” said that since the Red Sox were going to lose anyway (they were down 6-0, so the chances of a comeback were indeed slim), if he were a Boston player he would root for the no-no because he would want to witness history.

      This is the problem with having people who don’t have a competitive sports background commenting on sports. He does a fine job of giving his opinion of an average sports fan, but in a case like this – when he’s saying that the Red Sox players should be rooting for Lackey to complete the no-hitter – he’s spouting utter nonsense.

      Anyone who has played sports at a high level – I’m talking about most college programs as well as a few of the more successful high school programs – would cringe at this thought. No one, and I mean no one, who considers themselves a true competitor would want to see a no-hitter thrown against their team. It’s not just a sign of great pitching; it’s a sign of inept hitting. No competitor wants the opposing team to have its way.

      To my point, Golic, who had a long NFL career, disagreed with Greenberg’s comments.

      My advice for Greeny is to stop trying to put yourself in the shoes of the athletes – just comment on sports from a fan’s perspective.

      MLB, Television

      Ron Artest headed to Houston

      July 30, 2008 /

      First, he decided not to opt out.

      Then he regretted not opting out.

      Now Ron Artest is heading to Houston.

      NBA front-office sources confirmed to ESPN.com that Artest will be dealt to the Rockets in exchange for Houston’s first-round draft pick in 2009, ex-King Bobby Jackson (who arrives with a $6.1 million expiring contract) and the draft rights to Donte Greene. The Kings will also receive more than $1 million in cash, according to The Houston Chronicle, but the deal can’t be announced before Aug. 14 because Greene is not eligible to be traded before then.

      If Artest had opted out, the Kings wouldn’t have received anything for him, so his mistake was their good fortune. Now they’ll get a nice prospect in Greene along with a 2009 first round draft pick as compensation. That’s the way to rebuild.

      On the flip side, Houston seems like an odd fit for Artest. Two of their best players – Tracy McGrady and Shane Battier – are really small forwards, and now the team is adding a third. The Rockets can play McGrady at off guard, Artest at small forward and Battier at power forward. Defensively, Artest and Battier will provide a formidable 1-2 punch at forward.

      Fantasy Basketball, NBA, NBA Draft, Rumors & Gossip

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