TBDS Returns: Favre, Bears, Bulls, Salukis & Everything We Missed

At the suggestion of reader/friend James Durbin, Sophia Bush is here to welcome you back to The Big Dead Sidebar.

Seeing TBDS at full strength for the first time in four days made me very happy. 

The only thing that could have made me happier involves a bottle of fine wine and a girl named Jill.

I digress.  I've missed out on a lot of stuff over the last four days.

See, I've been busy at the real job and I've barely had time to eat, sleep and flirt with girls that are totally out of my league.  So diagnosing our online problems has been the least of my concerns.

But it looks like everything is back to normal.  And here we are on a Tuesday evening thinking this would be a great time to catch up with what's been on our minds.

Did you really think Brett Favre wasn't going to cost the Minnesota Vikings a chance to go to the Super Bowl?

After posting a career best 33-7 touchdown-to-interception ratio in the regular season, it was a matter of when, not if, Favre would revert to his gunslinger ways at the most inopportune time.  Favre channeled his inner Jay Cutler as he rolled right and threw left when he could have easily scampered for a few yards and a positive gain.

And even though the loss cannot solely be pinned on Favre as his teammates, namely Adrian "Butterfingers" Peterson, it was Favre's last-second gaffe that will always stand out in that game.

There is no taking away from No. 4's legacy.  Favre is one of the 10 best quarterbacks in the history of the game, but upon Sunday's defeat, I was ready to let him go.  Completely.  The circus act has become weary in each of the past three offseasons, and while he brings no more drama than any other professional athlete, it is the way it comes about that is bothersome. 

The Green Bay Packers altered the way they went about the draft process to keep Favre and his ego happy before finally getting Aaron Rodgers as a steal in the 2005 NFL Draft with the 24th overall pick.  In 2008, only a few months after retiring, asked for his unconditional release. 

Yeah, like that was going to happen. 

The only GM dumb enough to give one of the league's best quarterbacks his unconditional release because he didn't want to compete for a job resides at 1060 West Addison and is currently drawing up a contract worth a guaranteed $21 million and a full no-trade clause for the next five people who come to him with an agent, a surgically-repaired elbow or shoulder and a track record of failure.

No one will ever deny Favre's greatness.  But if he keeps this up, people will remember the INTs that ended his time with the Packers, Jets and (possibly) Vikings more than the highlights of his 19-year career.

There might come a time when Ron Turner is the best candidate to become the Bears next offensive coordinator.

Is it too early to consider this offseason a failure?

The Bears keep getting turned down, most recently by Hue Jackson, who will reportedly take a job in Oakland, where he could get fired tomorrow.  At least he would last a year under Jerry Angelo and Lovie Smith.  The sad thing is that I don't necessarily blame anyone if they don't want to take this job.

Would you consider taking a job from an employer who told you the company might go under a year from now, or would you wait until a more firm, long-term deal is on the table? 

That is what has to be going through the minds of these coaches, and unless someone can guarantee some stability from the Bears front office, it would be wrong to expect an impact hire as offensive coordinator.

The Chicago Cubs signed Xavier Nady to a one-year deal with a base salary of $3.3 million, according to ESPN.com and other sources.  Nady is expected to be Kosuke Fukudome's right-handed hitting platoon mate in right field, while also spelling Alfonso Soriano in left and Derrek Lee at first base when necessary.

Nady, a former Pittsburgh Pirate, is coming off a season in which he played only seven games with the Yankees before undergoing Tommy John Surgery, making him your run-of-the-mill Jim Hendry acquisition.

There are two things that caught my eye as soon as this deal was announced.

Nady's base salary for 2010 ($3.3 million) is higher than Marlon Byrd's ($3 million) and I find that odd seeing that the Cubs expect Byrd to be the team's everyday center fielder.  Nady is expected to be a fill-in trying to make good on an incentive-laden deal that could escalate to $5.5 million this season.

The second thing is that I find this deal odd considering the Cubs do not have an everyday second baseman, nor is their starting rotation or bullpen complete.  The best remaining pitcher went off the boards today as Ben Sheets signed a one-year deal with a base salary of $10 million.  Heck of a bargaining chip for Billy Beane, who will likely get some top prospects for Sheets if Oakland falls out of the race and Sheets pitches like a former four-time All-Star.

Speaking of All-Stars, how about that D-Rose dunk?  Had we not been in a place that is considered death valley to cell phones, our Twitter feed would have blown up over the dunk.

Derrick Rose is one of the best point guards in the NBA and even though the Bulls are 8-5 in January, I wish he was under the tutelage of championship-caliber point guard.

I mean, Rose is averaging 26 points and 6.5 assists per game this month, to go along with a 51 percent shooting percentage from the field.  Imagine how much better he could be if his top mentor wasn't Vinny Del Negro.

There is lots to be cheering about in Saluki Country, especially after back-to-back home wins against Illinois State and Western Kentucky.

It is apparent that SIU has rediscovered the concept of defense and applied it to Osiris Eldridge's final possessions in overtime on Saturday and throughout the team's win against Western Kentucky.  And who thought Tony Freeman would end up becoming the defacto defensive stopper.

Freeman has been lauded for what he brings to the offensive end of the court, but what he has done against Osiris Eldridge (5-of-29 from the field, 2-of-9 from 3-point land) and A.J. Slaughter (2-for-12, 2-for-7 from beyond the arc) is nothing short of spectacular.

Since Freeman's comments about team focus were published, the team has started off strong and finished stronger down the stretch.  Kudos to play-by-play man Mike Reis, who dropped off one of the best stat lines a team could have.  Did you know that SIU entered last night's game against WKU connecting on 82 percent of its free-throw attempts in the last five minutes of ball games.

In the end, Southern will go as far as Kevin Dillard will take them.  In his last two games, KD has gone 8-for-16 from the field, 2-for-5 from the 3-point line and 17-for-20 from the charity stripe.  He has added 17 assists against six turnovers, which is nearly a 3-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio.  The Salukis' inside-out game featuring Anthony Booker and Eugene Teague is most efficient when Dillard is most efficient.  So is Carlton Fay.

Amidst the turmoil that has surrounded the program with the DePaul rumors and Teague academic issues, the only way for head coach Chris Lowery to escape the Dawg House is to keep his ball club focused and playing well.

Winning cures all.

Except for herpes.

Out Of Hibernation: The Segment Formerly Known As Bears Buzz

Sometime Sunday afternoon, I came up with a more clever name for the blog responsible for the Chicago Bears round-up segment.  Though it lacks the alliteration of Bears Buzz, it is name that seems to fit Bears rewind blogs -- especially after yesterday's game against the Cleveland Browns.

Talk about being Cutlerfucked.  The Bears offense was only able to muster 30 points against the 31st ranked defense in the NFL.  Pathetic.  You can chalk up this anemic offensive effort to a lack of execution and piss poor play calling.

Cutler threw for only 225 yards and a 66 passer rating, but in his defense, it's hard to complete passes down the field when you're flat on your back or running for dear life.  Rex Grossman found that out the hard way.  So did Kyle Orton.  The difference is Cutler has made plays with his feet, but thanks to Rob Ryan's stingy play calling (combined with an offensive line that truly is offensive) Cutler couldn't cut it against the Browns.

At what point will the Bears try to assist Cutler by leaving a back or a tight end to help block because I don't expect offensive coordinator Ron Turner to adjust his pass protection schemes any time soon.  Not because he wouldn't want to, but instead because he just might be too incompetent to do so.  The Bears offense is wasting the fast development of Devin Hester, Johnny Knox and Earl Bennett, all while stunting the growth of Greg Olsen.

Remember how the Bears defensive line coach took the axe last season for Bob Babich?  Anyone know who the Bears offensive line coach is?  If so, warn him of what happened to his former colleague.  Besides, that's how Chicago ended up with Rod Marinelli, isn't it?

One week after sleep walking through a 45-10 loss at Cincinnati, the Bears defense stepped up and forced five Cleveland turnovers.  Those five turnovers turned into 20 of the team's 30 points, including a Charles Tillman pick-six.

Chicago was able to pressure Derek Anderson throughout the game, which was a sign of progress for a defense that failed to lay a single finger on Cincinnati quarterback Carson Palmer.  Remember when Anderson was a must-have free agent quarterback?  Yeah, I vaguely remember that offseason.  Braylon Edwards was good, so was Kellen Winslow.

Where the Browns have failed the most is on draft day.  Do you think they're regretting taking offensive lineman Joe Thomas rather than running back Adrian Peterson?

If the Bears offense was a joke in Sunday's win, the Browns' offense was the punchline.

I could fill this space with an expletive filled rant.  I won't.

Instead, I'll politely ask Ron Turner to turn in his play book and kindly ask him to never return to Soldier Field again.  Bland and predictable, Turner's offense looks like it has yet to move on beyond the early-to-mid 1990s.  There is personnel on the field that is capable of scoring more than 30 points against Cleveland.

The Bears have struggled in the red zone this season, and that's great for Robbie Gould's fantasy owners, but not good for a team that needs to score touchdowns seeing that its best defensive player is out for the season while the team's best healthy defender has mentally checked out as well.

Runs up the middle with guys marginally bigger than your local high school baller.  Screen passes on 3rd and long situations.  It's a playbook so conservative, conservative politicians think it's too damn radical.  Heck, even when the Bears broke out into the Wildcat formation ... they lost yards.

Only under Ron Turner could this happen.

Turner has been around this game a long time, but so have John Madden NFL video games.  Maybe if Turner uploaded the recent Madden NFL 10 updates, he could learn a thing or two just by asking Madden.

And just when you thought the Bears offense was the worse, I'm reminded of the Oakland Raiders.

Two touchdowns, 121 yards from scrimmage (90 rushing) ... welcome back Matt Forte.  If only for one week.

CBS spent more time re-telling the sad story of how the Bears have had a billion shitty quarterbacks since Sid Luckman than they did on honoring Walter Payton.  While the references throughout the game were a nice touch, showing only about 10 seconds of the halftime tribute left me wanting more.

Thankfully, chicagobears.com comes through in the clutch.  Just like Sweetness did time and again.

Favretoberfest is o-vah!  Brett Favre conquered his former team at his former home as the Vikings held off the Packers in a 38-26 win.

The game left me with the following conclusions:

• Aaron Rodgers is the real deal.
• No one in the NFC North is catching the Vikings.
• The only person Thom Brenneman loves more than Brett Favre is Tim Tebow.
• I wish the Bears had the Vikings' Adrian Peterson.
  

I guess I'll start with my analysis of Aaron Rodgers, who has been the NFC North's best quarterback this year.  Blah. Blah. Brett Favre this.  Brett Favre that.  With no offensive line, a declining Ryan Grant and a swiss-cheese defense, Rodgers has thrown for 1,989 yards and 14 touchdowns against 2 interceptions.

Does he benefit from having excellent receivers in Greg Jennings and Donald Driver.  Sure.  But Rodgers has been harassed more than the only girl at a college frat party.

If you want to crown 'em, then crown 'em.  The Minnesota Vikings are going to win the NFC North barring some kind of stunning collapse that is generally reserved for the Chicago Cubs.  Their defense is good and their offense is efficient.  It doesn't hurt when you have Adrian Peterson, but it is the emergence of Sidney Rice and Percy Harvin that keep this team moving forward.

Harvin is the new Devin Hester.  Do not kick to him under any circumstances.

The only shot the Bears have at a playoff spot will be to win a Wild Card berth.  They'll have to duke it out with the second place finishers of the NFC East and NFC South.  The Bears already blew it against Atlanta, but they can make it up at home where they play four of their next six games.

As for Favre, I'm sick of the divorce comparison.  It's just not apt.  Packers fans have the right to be pissed at Favre and boo.  You want a better analogy?  Well, here goes nothing.

Favre and the Packers are married?  Cool.  Favre & Ted Thompson are getting up there in age.  The kids have graduated college and really there's nothing else to be done around the house and both parties are better off moving on with their own assets.  Then Thompson gets mad at Favre for hanging out with his friend Retirement.  It wasn't like he was banging Retirement with no rubbers or anything.  It was more like Favre would go out late with Retirement but always coming home to Thompson.

One day, Thompson was fed up when Brett hung out with Retirement for too long before coming home one night.  Thompson then sent Brett to New York on a vacation.  However, it pissed Brett off to be kicked out of the house he helped build.  So after a year in New York, Favre returned to the Midwest ... not with Retirement ... but like Hugh Hefneras he traded in Retirement a slew of hotties that are DTF known as the Minnesota Vikings.

And while Ted's got a looker on his own arm that he can boast, it's underdeveloped.  Kind of like Miley Cyrus.

Thus concluding this wonderful analogy and this new segment.

The Day of Reckoning

Here we go.

Unless you have been living under a rock the last week, you know that the Green Bay Packers will be facing the quarterback that accomplished so much during his 16 year career in Wisconsin. That quarterback will be wearing purple and yellow on Monday night instead of the familiar green and gold that football fans have been accustomed to seeing for years.

Growing up, Michael Jordan and Brett Favre were my idols. I became a Packers fan in large part due to number four. But Favre’s ‘will he or won’t he’ antics have not just began over the last two years. Packer fans know the drama that Favre creates in the offseason as his rumored retirement began all the way back in the 2002 offseason.

Let it be known that I was one of the fans that wanted the organization to appease Favre during the training camp fiasco last year. Even though the Packers finished 6-10 last year, Aaron Rodgers established himself as a premier quarterback in the NFL and he was the much better quarterback between him and Favre. Green Bay’s GM, Ted Thompson, took a lot of flack for his decision to stick with Rodgers but he’s looked like a genius. Favre had a messy divorce with the Jets at the end of last year and as we all know, he decided to come back to the Minnesota Vikings after a desperate effort by head coach Brad Childress.

The legend of Favre continued to grow after last week’s game against the San Francisco 49ers. Favre threw a 32 yard game-winning touchdown pass to Greg Lewis with two seconds left to give the Vikings a stunning 27-24 win over the Niners. The Vikings moved to 3-0 on the season ahead of the big tilt against the Packers.

One thing that the Vikings need to stray away from in this game is the overuse of Favre and the under utilization of Adrian Peterson. Last week against San Francisco, Favre threw the ball 46 times while the best player in the NFL only received 19 carries. In the first two games of the season against Cleveland and Detroit, Favre threw the ball 21 and 27 times respectively. Peterson had 25 carries against the Browns and only 15 against the Lions. If Childress continues to let Favre air it out against better teams, he will not be as fortunate as he was against the 49ers.

The Packers would be wise if they stacked the box with eight defenders and as weird as it sounds, they would be better off letting Brett Favre beat them compared to Adrian Peterson. Peterson has destroyed the Packers in his short career – like many teams in the league. In his four games against the Packers, Peterson has ran for over 100 yards three times with the lone exemption coming in 2007 when Al Harris injured Peterson’s knee on a tackle early on in the game. Last year at the Metrodome, Peterson ran for 192 yards on 30 carries against the Packers. There is no question that if Green Bay wants to win this game, they have to contain the best player in the game at all costs.

For the Packers, they come into this contest at a mark of 2-1 and they were able to down the St. Louis Rams with relative ease last week. Aaron Rodgers threw for a pair of touchdowns and also ran for one as the Packers won 36-17. The big concern for the Packers is how their offensive line stacks up against the Vikings All-Pro defensive line, which boasts Jared Allen, Kevin Williams, and Pat Williams. It’s not a good sign for the Pack when they can boast about ‘only’ giving up two sacks last week. Rodgers has been sacked 12 times in three weeks, which is the most in the NFL. Starting right tackle Allen Barbre has been horrid this season as he has allowed Adewale Ogunleye, Antwan Odom, and Leonard Little to run rampant on Rodgers. Look for Jared Allen to be in the backfield early and often for Minnesota.

This is obviously a very important game for both teams, but there is more pressure on the home team to win home division games. If the Packers can somehow steal this game from Minnesota, they will be in the driver’s seat in the NFC North at 3-1 heading into their bye week. And after the bye week, the Packers face the likes of Detroit, Cleveland, and Tampa Bay with the Lambeau Field rematch against Minnesota sandwiched in there.

It pains me to say it, but Minnesota is the favorite and should win this game because the Packers weaknesses play to the Vikings strengths. If there is a given, the game should be competitive as the last six contests at the Metrodome have been decided by seven or less points. The circus will be in Minneapolis on Monday night, but just remember that there will be a game in the middle of all the nonsense at around 7:30 tonight.

This Just In: Brett Favre Will No Longer Tease Us

Favre: "I'm crying for Vikings fans who have to put up with Tarvaris Jackson for one more year.

There is a God, and his word has been passed down to Star-Tribune reporter Judd Zulgad who let it flow freely (first?) via the interwebs:

"Brett Favre won't be joining the Vikings. Vikings coach Brad Childress told the Star Tribune late this afternoon that the quarterback informed the team he has decided to remain retired. "

So does this mean the Vikings will go after Mike Vick?

Have fun with Michael Tito Tarvaris Jackson and Ken Rosenthal Drew Rosenhaus Sage Rosenfels as they attempt to boost the morale of a team that was expected to get a future Hall of Fame quarterback in the fold. The only person celebrating this more than yours truly is John David Booty, who gets to keep his beloved No. 4 jersey.

That is, of course, until Favre announces his return before Week 4 -- when he will suit up against the Green Bay Packers.

A Hollywood producer is writing this script, isn't he?

Childress: Favre Is Staying Retired [Star-Trib]

Brett Favre To Stay Retired, ESPN To Send Pedro Gomez To Stalk Manny Ramirez

Beating the Green Bay Packers twice was apparently not enough for Brett Favre to come back and play with the Minnesota Vikings.

The only bigger losers than the Vikes in this situation is the Chicago Bears secondary, which will not get a chance to pick off numerous overthrown Favre passes.

Source: Favre rebuffs Vikings, will stay retired [Yahoo! Sports]

It's Time To Put Brett Favre Down

Brett Favre is a drama queen, attention whore in the mold of your crazy ex-girlfriend.

After whoring himself out of Green Bay nearly a year ago, now Favre finds himself warming up to the Minnesota Vikings ... again.

And the best thing the Vikings could do is ignore him.

At this point of his career, Favre is the chick at the bar that was hot a few years ago, but you couldn't hook up with because she was already in a relationship ... but now, you want no part of it because now that she's available, you realize she's flippin' nuts.

Oh crap, here we go again

Brett Favre has tortured football fans, management and media types over the past few years as he has dangled retirement from the Green Bay Packers in front of them like a man holds a chew toy over his puppy.

Now, the drama queen quarterback is taking his act to New York City.

Via Bloomberg.com:

The 39-year-old told reporters a day after being named to his 10th Pro Bowl that, regardless of when his career ends, "I got everything outo f it that I wanted to."

"I'm well aware of the fact that there's two games left," he said at the team's practice facility in Florham Park, New Jersey. "I'm expecting us to make the playoffs, as I hope the rest of the team is, but it very well could be my last. It could be my last three games, last four games, I don't know."

When Favre went into his cowboy riding off into the sunset moods in Green Bay, the fans and media swooned and turned into butter as they hoped and prayed their hero would return for just one more season wearing the familiar green and gold. This year, Brett is wearing a different shade of green and guess what? That act ain't gonna fly in the Big Apple.

There are two games left in the season and I'm pretty sure that nutty New York media isn't going to shed a tear as Favre cries his crocodile tears as he ponders whether or not to return to the NFL. If the Jets don't make the playoffs, Favre won't need to ride out into the sunset as the closing credits commence because New Yorkers will treat him like a slice of deep dish pizza or a hot dog with mustard ... they will kick him to the curb like a crummy girlfriend and won't think twice about it.

In fact, these five sports storylines will rank higher than Favre's retirement:

1. Counting down the days 'til LeBron James becomes a free agent
2. What eateries will CC Sabathia spend the majority of his $160 million contract.
3. Plaxico Burress' club attire.
   
4. Mr. Met's offseason drug and alcohol abuse that followed the Metropolitans second straight season ending collapse.
   
5. Who LBJ will bring with him to New York City in 2010: D-Wade, Amare or Bosh.

The point is, Brett, you're not in Green Bay any more. So if you want to stand at a podium and play your teasing games ... call someone who gives a damn first.

And allow me to give you some words of advice that I overheard when I was in New York a month ago.

"You can't do that, this is f*cking New York."

Truer words have never been spoken.

Photo Credit: Yahoo! Sports

Brett Goes Broadway

Is it too late to change that Madden cover?

If you're looking for the exquisite analysis of deal that sent Brett Favre to the other New York football team, you're out of luck. Instead, I want a different approach to the matter. So I'll give it to you by presenting three places Favre's impact will be felt the most.


1. Jets fans, show yourselves!

Acquiring Favre makes the Jets relevant again in the greater New York metropolitan area. The superstar QB supposedly at the twilight of his career gives credibility to a team holding an open competition between Kellen Clemens (he's not Roger so he's not newsworthy) and Chad Pennington (more arm troubles than a Chicago Cubs pitcher.)

And for all you kids watching at home, if your team has two options at quarterback it really has none.

Now, with Favre sharing the island with Eli, instead of the NFL season opening up by revisiting Big Blue's Big Upset over the Pats, the football world will (again) revolve around Favre's retirement, unretirement and subsequent trade to the in-city rival. Fans of the G-Men can't be happy with the Green Machine stealing their headlines.

2. Rivalries Renewed

Are you ready for an on the field storyline? I know I am.

And even though I am sick of the New York/Boston sports headlines, how can you not ignore this one? Favre, now in a New York state of mind, really gives Bill Belichick something to spy on. The Man-genius now has a little more firepower to go up against his former mentor, hence spicing up the Patriot Games.

3. Fantasy Land

Not only will Favre's impact be felt on the field, it will be felt online in fantasy football. I think it's safe to say you can draft Favre higher than the 16th round he's been projected by some. I think drafting a New York Jet wideout (Laveraneus Coles? Jerricho Cotchery?) or tailback Thomas Jones could bring you some fantasy points somewhere down the line.

Should you expect Favre to throw for more than 4,100 yards and 28 TDs? Yes! Remember, he gets to play the Dolphins twice in '08.

For Brett Favre's new theme song, click here.

As Brett's World Turns

Here I am preparing a post previewing the Green Bay Packers' open quarterback competition between a guy that has 441 more career touchdown tosses than his closest competitor and then the news hits the fan.

"This probably isn't going to work."

Those are words generally reserved for guys trying to break it off with a stage five clinger. Instead, with those six words, the 15-year relationship between Brett Favre and the Packers looks to be coming to an end.

Will Favre be released to the open market or seek a trade with the teams he tortured the most, the Minnesota Vikings or Chicago Bears. Or maybe the quarterback-less other team from New York or the QB collector Jon Gruden in Tampa Bay.
This is a disappointing end to a saga I was sure would end with a shot fired from a grassy knoll by an Aaron Rodgers-hired sniper.

All jokes aside, there's nothing like pushing out the face of your franchise. Ask Jerry Reinsdorf.

Now Favre, who will be a motivated gun-slinger by the time Opening Day rolls around, will be moving on and I'm damn sure he'll be looking to rack up about five TDs and 500 yards against his former mates just to spite a front office that has tried desperately to rid itself of its flip-flopping crazy-clingy ex-girlfriend.

Brett Favre: The Saga Continues

Ted Thompson and the powers that be in Green Bay are doing their best to keep (arguably) the best quarterback ever out of the city he singlehandedly put on the map.

Like when Jerrys Reinsdorf and Krause booted Michael Jordan into retirement, the Packer management is trying to keep Favre in that predicament. Sure, he announced his retirement a long time ago but nobody bought it. And if you did, I've got a bridge in Brooklyn that I'd like to sell you.

Now the Packers are, as the kids like to say, between a rock and a hard place. They've done all that they could to separate themselves from Favre as they ready themselves to hand Aaron Rodgers the key to the offense. However, No. 4 still has that itch and you know if it itches you've got to scratch it.

The dilemma is how (better yet, where) is Favre gonna scratch it?

Will the Green & Gold management swallow its pride and give the people what they want? Will they try to trade the gun-slinger elsewhere? Will they do the unthinkable and cut him?

Only time will tell. And as difficult as it might be to envision him not in a Packers uni, I know a team that resides in a stadium that looks like a spaceship from the outside that should be jumping through hoops if Favre did indeed hit the open market.

Will Brett Favre follow in the footsteps of Michael Jordan, Roger Clemens and Mario Lemieux and step out of retirement? It could happen. (Rotoworld)

Milwaukee's Best

It's a great honor for me to be invited on the best blog on the web. It's a tremendous accomplishment, one of my biggest yet on this planet. I have to thank Matthew Hartwig and Luis Medina for allowing me to contribute here. I'm quite sure they'll get sick of my witty, sarcastic, and snide remarks, but what's the fun if there isn't any of those remarks?

So now it's time for me to pop my blog cherry. For good reason, this blog has a Chicago-style theme to it. Unfortunately for those Chicago fans, I don't share the same taste when it comes to my football teams. I like my football of the green and gold variety. I like my football that has the passion and the tradition of winning. I like the GREEN BAY PACKERS.

And today in Titletown USA, rumors continue to swirl that the one and only Brett Favre will renounce his plans to try out for the PGA Tour and instead try for one last Farewell Tour at a Super Bowl. This comes on the heels after the Milwaukee Brewers finalized a deal that netted them big guy and pitcher C.C. Sabathia. But as it goes in the old cheese state, football is king. Even in July when it is a complete dead period for football, rumors of Favre coming back took center stage over Sabathia's arrival. And of course, there's a twist that comes with it. Favre could come back, but not as a Green Bay Packer.

As Shaggy would say, "WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?" I'll tell you why Favre won't go anywhere else besides the Packers, if he does indeed come back to the National Football League. Close Favre friend Al Jones, a writer for the Biloxi Sun Herald, says that while Favre is working out daily and trying to get back into "game shape," there is no way that he would play for any other team besides the Green Bay Packers. And why wouldn't that make sense? Here's a guy that is going to be 40 years old in a couple of months. When Mike McCarthy installed the west-coast offense into the Packers' playbook, Favre absolutely hated it. He did not want to learn a whole new playbook for his final couple of years in the league. So would he want to do the same thing if he went to another team? His family has been embraced by the Wisconsinites for 16 years. Favre's family has said repeatedly that they love it in Green Bay. Both of his daughters wanted him to keep playing as long as he possibly could, in Green Bay. I don't think any of that has changed.

Of course, there's one small obstacle to all this. Meet Packers' General Manager Ted Thompson. Thompson got off to an extremely rocky start with the fan base when he took over the team as the team embarked on a 4-12 record his first year at the helm in 2005. However he won the NFL Executive of the Year award last season after the Packers compiled a 13-3 record, flanked by the youngest team in the NFL (even with Favre on the team). But Thompson's entire reputation in Wisconsin is at stake on this one move. No one doubts Thompson's drafts anymore. No one doubts his inactivity in free agency anymore. But if Thompson says no to Brett Favre coming back because they already promised Aaron Rodgers the starting job, you can bet he'll be on the hot seat faster than a brat going through an overweight Wisconsin man.

Personally, I have bought into Aaron Rodgers as the starting quarterback. And really, how can you not when you see the other quarterbacks in the NFL's Norris Division? There's a big difference in being a playoff team and a Super Bowl team. Even though the Vikings made a big improvement by acquiring Jared Allen to help their pass defense, they still have Tarvaris Jackson as their quarterback. Defenses are still going to run the gauntlet and put eight or nine men in the box to stop the two-headed attack of one Purple Jesus and Chester Taylor. The Packers have the same team as last year, with the exception of Favre. Rodgers' ability fits perfectly into a west-coast offense. He gets rid of the ball extremely quickly, he's accurate, his throwing motion fits best in a system that uses screens, slants, and outs.

There's one small problem though. The Packers' probably wouldn't be a Super Bowl team with Rodgers as the quarterback. I don't think there's any chance that they would get by the likes of the Cowboys or the Giants in the playoffs. Favre, on the other hand, makes the Packers a Super Bowl contender. He was the only other player in the NFL to receive a vote in the MVP voting last year as he put up one of his best statistical years in his NFL career. At age 39. The ol' gunslinger still has it and could probably play for another five years if he wanted to. Ultimately, I believe that Favre had a talk with his close buddy Michael Strahan and Strahan probably told Favre how great of a rush it was to go out on top. Favre's the biggest competitor in the game. There's no way he wants to go out with an interception to Corey Webster in overtime of the NFC Championship Game. He won't go out that way. Thompson will make the right decision, save his home, his family, and his well-being and Favre will lead the Packers to the promised land.