Basketball needs a professional league, not the NBA

Just finished watching the Denver Nuggets / Dallas Mavericks game, yet another NBA game decided by the officials not the players on the floor. I didn't watch a single NBA game this regular season, and since the playoffs seem to have already been decided, I don't see much sense in wasting my time watching them either.
Football has the NFL, baseball has MLB, basketball is a beautiful game, and it deserves a legit professional league, not a business modeled after the WWF, ran by the likes of David Stern (does that man have any integrity?), games decided by the officials, star-treatment that gives players like Kobe a trip to the foul line if they get touched, and no penalty for them if they go for a another players' neck. College ball is great, and the Final Four is much more professional that the NBA playoffs, but these players deserve to play in, and fans deserve to watch, a league with integrity.

Coming: Why Cardinals Must Keep Kurt and Cut Matt

Who should be Arizona's QB is a no-brainer. Tune in tomorrow to learn why the Cardinals must cut Leinart for the sake of the team.

New York Yankees Fire Two Scouts for Skimming

Carlos Rios and Ramon Valdivia, New York Yankees scouts in South America, were fired for skimming from the contracts of players a baseball official said Friday.

Favre Jersey sets record

First day sales for Favre's Jets Jersey broke 7,000, setting a new record.

Favre will start for the Jets Saturday against Washington

I doubt this will be pretty, jumping into a new system after only one week of practice. Maybe it will serve to temper expectations. Then when he gets comfortable in the regular season he can wow everyone.

Madden will have two Brett Favre covers

EA sports has announced that they will release Madden 09 as scheduled, with Brett Favre on the cover... as a Packer. If you would like your game case to show Brett in his new, record setting, Jets jersey, a download will be offered, that you can slip in the case over, or replacing, the original cover.

Brett Favre traded to Tampa Bay Bucs...errr Jets

Time to cross out the "Green" on your Brett Favre jersey and replace it with "Tampa." According to the Journal Sentinel and SaveBrett.net Tampa Bay and Green Bay have agreed on a trade for Brett. "A source close to Brett Favre" has been cited as the source. Close, but not accurate.

Best preseason game ever?

Year after year we get hyped up for the first preseason game of the year - the hall of fame game. "Yeah, football is finally back!" And then we have to endure a game of missed blocks, bad tackling, holding penalties, dropped passes and yellow flags everywhere. Usually I turn off the game I've waiting for weeks to watch by halftime. This years Redskins - Colts game was looking like more of the same. The biggest offensive stars on both sides - Manning and Portis weren't even playing. But man what a game. Maybe three flags the whole game? Some great runs. And watching Colt Brennan for the Redskins was magical, too early to say if he'll even make the team, but he looked like a future hall of famer tonight.

The Wacky Green Bay Soap Opera: Brett and Grant will be back along with Bush's press secretary

If it isn't obvious to everyone already, I am a Packers fan. And that is a VERY hard thing to be these days, especially THIS day. Green Bay has flip-flopped again, and will welcome Favre back, and let him compete for the starting job - does anyone not know how that will turn out? They also caved to Ryan Grant, and gave him the big bucks. For some reason I thought they were going to be reasonable, and make him prove himself first. He was fun to watch last year... well fun until the Giants game, and then he was unbearable. Perhaps the biggest news is they hired former Bush press secretary Ari Fleischer, in related news they tried to hire Kenneth Lay as their accountant, but he had other commitments, mainly being dead.
Green Bay doesn't practice Monday, so Tuesday will be Favre and Grant's first practice, they do have an open scrimmage Sunday night, it will be interesting in Brett makes an appearance then.

Is ESPN just stoking the Favre soap opera?

Yesterday (July 31) ESPN reported the following;

A. The Packers are willing to deal Brett to the Vikings after all.
B. The Vikings are the only other team Brett is willing to play for.
C. Brett is likely to take the $20 million and retire.
D. Green Bay is in "serious talks" with the Jets regarding a Favre trade.
and a bunch more crap (John McCain won't help, rocking chairs for Brett etc.)

I wonder how much of all the drama over the last month would have evened happened with out ESPN stoking the flames?

Report: Packers offer Favre $20 million to stay home

The Packer's Blog is reporting that Green Bay offered Favre $20 million to stay retired.
The Green Bay Packers are so desperate to not have Brett Favre report to training camp that they reportedly offered him a substantial amount of money to stay home.
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.
If WTMJ's report is true, it could potentially cripple the Packers in court of public opinion as it could be interpreted as a bribe to Favre, a player that has said he wants to continue his career.

Yankees get Pudge Rodriguez from Tigers

The Yankees acquired the 14-time All-Star from the Tigers on Wednesday for hard-throwing reliever Kyle Farnsworth, a trade that filled needs for both contenders. Rodriguez will try to fill the void in the Yankees’ lineup created by catcher Jorge Posada’s season ending shoulder injury.

Ichro Hits 3000

Ichiro Suzuki reached 3,000 combined hits in the major leagues and the Japanese League with a first-inning single Tuesday night against the Texas Rangers.

Only one player in Japanese League history reached 3,000 hits: Isao Harimoto with 3,085. A total of 27 players have compiled at least 3,000 hits in major league history.

“That’s a tremendous achievement for the short time he’s been over here,” Mariners manager Jim Riggleman said before the game. “I think that’s the most (hits) anyone’s ever had in that period of time.”

Asked to list the factors behind Ichiro’s achievement, Riggleman said, “Number one, it’s his talent. You’ve got to have longevity, can’t have too many injuries, can’t miss a lot of playing time.”

Riggleman said the feat should not be downgraded because Ichiro had more than 1,200 hits in Japan.

“Not at all,” Riggleman said. “The hits he accumulated over here exceeded what he did over there. He’s understanding the magnitude of it. It’s really weighed on him. He realizes how few people have done it.”

Favre will play this year - faxes his letter of reinstatement

Yes, that's right, it is finally official - Favre is coming back this year. Where he will be - New York? Tampa Bay? Green Bay? - is still up in the air.

With latest trade, New York Yankees / Boston Red Sox / Tampa Rays Battle is shaping up to be epic

It's getting to be a tight race between Tampa, New York and Boston. Tampa lost again tonight, as I write this Boston is looking to rally against the Angels, and the Yankees are losing. If it stays like this Boston will be a half game back, and New York two games behind them.
The Yankees - Pirates trade didn't get much attention, but it could have an impact on this battle. Nady will start in the outfield for the Yanks, he's got a nice bat, and he's having a strong year. He's batting .330 and they needed another right-handed bat. Marte gives them some much need Lefty relief out of the pen. It's almost repulsive how the Yanks seem to always get just what they need this time of year, I guess limitless funds helps.
It's looking like a great battle, and the Yankees definitely are not out of it, with their latest acquisitions, they may even be the favorite.

Favre to Packers: 'You know I'll win this job'

"I said, 'Let me compete, you'll know I'll win this job' and Ted said again, 'Brett, things have changed. Aaron Rodgers is our quarterback,' " Favre said. "It's pretty clear — and this is what I told the commissioner — that they want me to go away, stay retired. They would much rather see me in a Packers' uniform, paying me $12 million to be a backup — which you know they really don't want — rather than see in another uniform, no matter what they say. They'll drag this out, asking a king's ransom [in a trade], hoping it all goes away."

49% of local Packer fans would like to see Favre retire

According to this online poll at WTMJ, 49% of Packer fans would like to see Brett retire. Pretty shocking.