When you are a franchise that finds out your starting quarterback is retiring - after nearly reaching the Super Bowl - you tend to be disappointed with the decision, but because you have a job to do you can't be stuck in the past and you have to look toward the future.

The Green Bay Packers were forced to do so when Brett Favre announced his retirement earlier this year. So when I see a headline like this:

Favre: I don't feel welcome in Green Bay

I don't feel bad for Brett. The organization believed the face of their franchise was through with football. Regardless of how selfish or classless Favre has been, Green Bay knew that losing Brett at that time was a liability. Why? Because they wanted to win a Super Bowl and they were so close this past season. Now they have to do it with basically a rookie quarterback. So be it. That is football. That is the way it goes. And now Favre says he wants to come back? The franchise was forced to move forward because YOU moved forward. Now you expect them to take a step back for you? What kind of self-service, me-first athlete are you?

You have put this organization in one hell of a rough spot simply because you've never truly cared for anyone except yourself. Go play for Minnesota or whomever, choke in the playoffs as you normally do on cue and keep padding the career stats so that you make Peyton Manning work harder to blow your records away. And maybe this year you can sincerely congratulate a running back who scores a touchdown that you felt should have been a pass.

- What did anyone expect from Alex Rodriguez? Did you expect him to be a faithful, loving husband? Did you expect him to show class on the ballfield? Did you expect him to come through in the clutch? Did you even expect him to participate in the home run derby? If you said yes to any of these then you should probably take a break from sports and take some time off for personal reasons. It would be out of A-Rod's nature to do the right thing. I bet a long time ago he was a nice kid, did right by everyone and was a tough kid. Then somewhere down the line things changed; he stopped showing guts, he continue to plow through women despite being married and his insecurities caught up to him ON the field as well as off it. The more homers he hits the less impressed we are with him. He just cruised past Yankee legend Mickey Mantle and I could care less about it. Seriously, whatever is making you play without a Richard isn't worth all of this Stray-Rod, so move forward.

- Within 3 years the Washington Wizards will live to regret the Gilbert Arenas signing. First, will he stay healthy. Second, will he ever touch the production he had 2 or 3 years ago before he had the injury? Last, who the hell thought he was worth 111 million for 6 at his very best? Is he even a top 5 guard in the NBA? No way. He isn't a Deron Williams or Chris Paul-type of player, but he's more like an Allen Iverson - and he isn't even Allen Iverson. He may not even be Baron Davis. What a horrible move by Washington. This is a move backward.

- Sticking with basketball, Phil Jackson must think he can coach the cancerous Ron Artest, otherwise there would be little interest. Considering that Phil did win a ring with Dennis Rodman (3 rings) and Isiah Rider, he may be the guy to keep him in line. However, Artest will be asked to do more than what Rodman and Rider were asked to do on the court. And if Kobe doesn't get in Artest's face because Ron is "his boy", then Kobe is softer than you all realize. MJ would never allow a teammate to skate on stupidity. Who knows where the Lakers would move?

- I haven't watched a single minute of Golf since the U.S. Open. In fact I've watched more LPGA than PGA since Tiger announced he was going to the 60-day DL. I have moved forward to next year.

- Over to the NHL...naw, I won't do that to you. Not today.

-

As we sit and wait for a decision regarding Jesse Boulerice's vicious crosscheck to the face of Ryan Kesler this past Wednesday night I can't help but wonder what the decision would have been without the influence of the NBA and NFL. The NHL will not admit that they have taken notes on the disciplinary actions handed down by Roger Goodell and David Stern but it is certainly a coincidence. Just as those sports began handing down stiffer suspensions to those players for their conduct on (and off) the field or court, hockey began to take notice.

They won't admit it. Perhaps there was pressure from the fans and media to push for longer suspensions for brutal acts on the ice. But these other sports forced their hand. Think about it: you see a basketball player suspended for 20 games for a fight on the court, yet a vicious crosscheck in a hockey game gets you 5 games?

Look at Steve Downie, for example. He practically jumped out of his skates to crack Dean McCammond. He gets 20 games, but the AHL decides to keep him out of hockey until November. This means he will have served over 20 games - pending he makes it back to the NHL. If he doesn't, was justice served?

Although I do feel Downie'#### was bad, I can at least say that he did not use his stick like a weapon the way Chris Simon did to get a 25-game suspension. If Downie got 20, Simon should have gotten at least 30. Both, however, are better than Todd Bertuzzi's suspension. Whether you care to admit it or not, there is a double standard between an ordinary player and a star player. Bertuzzi was a star player and got the star treatment. Even Wayne Gretzkey did what he could to get Bertuzzi reinstated so that Gretz could pick Bert for Team Canada. Obviously his motivation was personal which makes you wonder how many more games Bert would have gotten if other people didn't feel sorry for him.

Steve Moore still sits a home. And again, at least Downie'#### was closer to a hockey play than what Bert did on the ice.

What is the point of mentioning Bertuzzi's heinous act? Simple: his suspension was a total joke back then and if he did the same thing today that suspension, hopefully, would have doubled. In total, he missed 9 regular season games and 5 playoff games to bring the total to 14 games missed. 14 games for crippling another hockey player? Do you think Goodell or Stern would have let him slide? Ron Artest missed the rest of the regular season for fighting in the crowd and he's just as much a star in the NBA as Bertuzzi was in the NHL.

Because of several missed opportunities by the NHL over the years to crack down on illegal acts on the ice that hurt other players in the process has hurt their product. How can Americans embrace a game where players can run rampant on the ice without having to face severe consequences? They won't, and when the disciplinary committee does not seriously condemn the players who help ruin the game of hockey that translates to disappointed fans and another reason for non-fans to poke fun at the game of hockey.

So we sit and wait for the decision to be made on the latest action. Still, I wonder what the decision would have been had the NFL or NBA not stepped up to force it's players to conduct themselves properly.

***UPDATE - 25 Game Suspension***

Here is a tip for all of you kids out there: Never hit a lady.  With that said...

 - It seemed to be a matter of time until Ron Artest was going to do something to compromise his season.  Last year it was a holdout for a trade, the year before was the palace brawl, and before that was random stuff that proved he was a total headcase.  Well this time he outdid himself by beating up a woman.  At this time (I have not seen much info since noon today), we don't even know if the woman was Artest's wife.  Has that been confirmed?  If it isn't his wife, he's probably been cheating on his wife on top of beating women.  Not a good deal.

Now Sacramento has hung around to make the playoffs.  Unfortunately, they have underacheived this year as a team.  But the deal they made involving Peja was not a bad deal.  Sactown knew they weren't going to get Peja back after the season and they took a risk.  Short-term it worked.  Problem now is they are stuck with Artest as nobody will want to take him at this point.  Or, the Kings will dump him for nothing to a city that needs a draw.  Unfortunately, Artest is a name.

- The whole situation with Gary Matthews Jr tells us one thing: There are other places across North America that are probably doing the same thing with more athletes obtaining the same stuff, legal or otherwise.  Scary to think about the number of athletes that are slipping through the cracks not just today, but over the last 20 years plus.

- The NHL must give themselves a shake if they think more violence will bring more American viewers to the game.  Some of the people on this very blog are actually saying the complete opposite.   Basically the NHL can't admit they don't know their fan base.  Give them a magnifying glass and maybe they'll find out.

If the league continues to condone the illegal actions on the ice and not control what goes on with the players going after players with total disregard to the integrity to the game, the league will never get better.  Canada won't admit this, but with the e-mail tampering, ratings, lack of discipline and rule changes and lack of, the league is a joke.

- THE DALLAS MAVERICKS ARE THE BEST TEAM IN THE NBA (currently).  THEY ARE THE TEAM TO BEAT.
 

- The critics of the Toronto Raptors have silenced as they have been unable to stop teams on defense or rebound consistently.  Just shows how valuable Anthony Parker is to their defense.  Too bad they still can't rebound.

- The New York Jets feel they have their running back in Thomas Jones.  He is an established runner, moreso than Kevan Barlow and Derrick Blaylock.  But I only see him having another good year or 2 left as the Jets will have to draft someone either this year or next to be the next feature back.  Jones will be 29 next season and the time for him is closing.  However...

- Travis Henry has an opportunity to really turn his career loose in a run-happy environment.  If he runs with the same kind of aggressiveness he had last year he could have his best season yet.  Reminds me of Corey Dillon's first year in New England when he ran for over 1600 yards.  Playing in Denver's system with their O-line he could really have a break out year.  Although, with the new fad that is the 'two-headed backfield', he could lose some carries to Mike Bell.  Now Henry will also be 29 next year so who knows how long he will be able to run at a high level.

- Moneyball.  It does not work unless you are Billy Beane running it  Boston did some Moneyball work to go along with big contracts Theo Epstein had  when he arrived in the city.  Now he spends like a mother.  JP Ricciardi tried that tactic with a low payroll and got rolled.  Now he has boosted payroll to play with the big boys.  If Oakland played in the East TODAY in a full season they would not last.  They would be a 3rd place team.  But one thing they did and Toronto didn't back in the day: Pitching.  Toronto never had a great #2 pitcher while Oakland had Mulder, Hudson and Zito.  Back then they were all studs.  But again, bring Moneyball with a low payroll in the East and it will be tough to win.  Unlike JP, Beane at least build a good farm system.  If Toronto falters early they are in DEEP trouble.

*What's the Deeley-O is still on this Thursday.  Send to chevradionoise@gmail.com and get a Canadian to answer your troubling questions.  Will be read at 11AM EST on www.chevradioam.com.  Cheers.

Let's begin by saying the pre-season does not matter. That is obvious to some but in case there are people who aren't on board with that analogy, just take a look at the Toronto Raptors as the prime example. Granted, pre-season matters for the teams to get into game shape for the season as well as getting to know teammates and establishing on-court and off-court relations, but pre-season RECORD does not MATTER. It is not a reflection of how a team will perform.

My hometown Raps are on the brink of losing their 5th consecutive road game against a Western Conference team. In fact, every West team they have faced they have lost to. The West is continuing their dominance over the East. Sure we have seen 2 East Conference teams win the NBA championship over the last 3 seasons, but we never accused the East of having primarily weak teams. The East traditionally has a few good teams in their Conference. In terms of depth, the West has it.

The Raptors are not the only ones feeling the wrath of the West; The Chicago Bulls have gotten their butts handed to them by West teams over the past week as well. You know when a team like the Phoenix Suns are in last place in their division that you know its a strong Conference. Heck, when the worst NBA West division (Northwest) could be the 3rd strongest in the NBA, you know the Conference is stacked.

Already there have been some surprises and some stumbles out of the gate. The consensus top 5 (Spurs, Heat, Mavs, Suns and Pistons) have not played up to expectations thus far with the exception of San Antonio. It seems you can always count on Tim Duncan and Gregg Popovich to get things done. And apparently Miami needs a healthy Shaq as well as Detroit needs a defensive big-man like a Ben Wallace.

Other things:

- I don't want this to sound like I'm knocking Carmelo Anthony's game because he is having a phenomenal year, but is this year the time where he develops the other parts of his game to be more dominant. Will he rack up more steals, assists and rebounds? Will he be a better defender than years previous? It seems like every scorer finds a new dimension within themselves eventually.

- When will someone give Michael Redd the respect he has earned? Wouldn't this guy be the perfect shooter off the bench for Team USA in the Olympics?

- Is it just me or has Lamar Odom ever been better than he has been playing lately? I must think he is playing some inspired basketball ever since his son* died tragically during the off-season.

- The demise of Chris Webber's game isn't funny. At one time or another, the guy was a damn good basketball player.

- Chris Paul is developing into a superstar. That might explain why New Orleans is kicking butt right now.

- Will Utah stay healthy enough to keep this pace?

That's all I got tonight. Cheers.

The Western Conference is still deeper, better and more watcheable than the East.  You might disagree with that notion but over the past 5 years or so two of these teams have been regarded as the most exciting team to watch: Dallas and Phoenix. 

Some of the teams that will miss the playoffs this year will have enough talent where if they were shipped to the East they would be in the playoffs.  That is something I truly believe in.  However, you cannot choose the division to play in so you have to make due.  Let's break it down:

SOUTHWEST:

- This has to be the best division in basketball.  Last season, the injury-plagued Houston Rockets were in last place.  The same team that has studs like Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming.  There are really 2 questions that surround this division: 1) Who will take first. Dallas or San Antonio?  And 2) Will all 5 teams make the playoffs?  Stay tuned for that answer but here is answer number 1...

Dallas
San Antonio
Houston
New Orleans
Memphis

- The answer to question number 2 will be addressed but let's read on...

NORTHWEST:

- Considerably weaker than the other two conferences, it boasts the most questions and parody out of any division.  Looking at all 5 teams, they have all been a division winner since 1999.  With this division, its all about staying healthy, making clutch shots and getting off to a good start to the season.  Then again, every team in the NBA would like to do that...

Denver
Utah
Seattle
Minnesota
Portland

PACIFIC:

- Phoenix will dominate.  They are one team that can play through the adversity of injuries as they experienced a few key injuries last season and during the playoffs (Amare Stoudemire and Kurt Thomas to name a couple).  The next few spots will depend on how the teams hold up together: Can the Clippers maintain that high level of play in the regular season?  Will the Lakers be more than just a Kobe-led team?  And will Sacramento be better with a full season having Ron Artest?  And is Golden State ready to take the next level?  I keep looking at the Warriors and think they are too loaded to not be a better team.  They just might be a victim of a deep Western Conference...

Phoenix
LA Clippers
Sacramento
LA Lakers
Golden State

- Now, from 1 to 8 here is how the playoff structure will stack up:

Phoenix
Dallas
Denver
San Antonio
LA Clippers
Houston
Utah
Sacramento

This will be a dogfight for the final few spots between a bunch of teams.  I can see every team in the Pacific division competing for a spot, and if Pau Gasol get's back with Memphis in the playoff hunt then all the Southwest teams will be a factor as well.  Remember one other thing: Seattle is only two years removed from winning their division.  This will be a very interesting and compelling Western Conference battle for the playoffs this season.

 

Without a shadow of a doubt the Dallas Mavericks have what it takes to win the NBA Championships this year. Not only can they score points, they have quietly developed their defensive game over the last couple of seasons thanks to Avery Johnson. They were the second-best team in the Western Conference, and they were rewarded with the 4th best ranking in the Conference thanks to the number 1 team being a division rival, the San Antonio Spurs. David Stern talking about playoff tinkering after this year is nice and all, but Dallas put themselves into this position simply by not finishing teams they should have. That's where the title of this particular post comes in.

Does Dallas have it inside their chest? Right off the bat this question's their heart. It's not funny at all. This is a team who has been very exciting to watch over the last 5 or 6 seasons as their scoring has been the draw for basketball fans. We remember the magic between Dirk Nowitzki, Steve Nash and Michael Finley. That use to be the one team shown in Canada if the Toronto Raptors were not playing or were finished their game. Dallas was a fun team to watch. Having said that, watching them often gives people the right to question what's inside the team.

Game 1 of this year's series with the Spurs was one of many examples we have witnessed in the past of the Mavericks not being able to drop the hammer on a team. Remember their first round defeat against Sacramento a couple years ago? How can a talented team like Dallas lose in round 1? Granted, the West that season was DEEP in talent, but losing in round 1 the way they did was horrible. Now we watch what could be the best Mavs team they have produced in their franchises history. Problem is they have had a knack of not finishing.

Game 2 against the Spurs was a Mavs 22 point win. What will happen when San Antonio makes the game tight once again? Will Dallas falter or will they succeed?

Few people ever want to see a talented team like Dallas lose early in the playoffs once again. If any year was calling for Dallas to check his heart and check his guts it would be this year. Talking about it is one thing, doing it is another. Guess we shall wait and see.

Here comes part II of a 2-part series of back-to-back playoff predictions.  To basketball we go Blog-Nation...

EAST

Detroit v. Milwaukee - Well if the Bucks can shoot...If the Bucks can contain...If the Bucks can do this effectively...AH SCREW IT!  Detroit in 4.  I said Detroit was winning the moment you glanced at 'v.'

Miami v. Chicago - Again this seems like a one-sided affair.  Though the Bulls have been played effective basketball down the stretch I see them posing no fear in the eyes of the Miami Heat, led by Shaq-Diesel, D-Wade and Pat Slick.  Miami in 5.

New Jersey v. Indiana - This could be the making of an upset, but because Indiana lacks total consistency I find it very hard to believe in them.  Jersey can be taken, just not by Indiana unless everyone is healthy and all of a sudden wake up.  Jersey in 6.

Cleveland v. Washington - I expect LeBron to be on his game but I also see Gilbert Arenas answering the call.  This will be an entertaining matchup unless one of these guys falters or gets hurt.  I see it going the full tilt.  Cleveland in 7.

WEST

San Antonio v. Sacramento - Kings could be a threat to the Spurs but the biggest difference in this series will be the depth of the San Antonio bench, something Sac-Town does not have anymore.  No more Brad Miller, Bobby Jackson or Hedo Turkoglu coming in off the bench.  San Antonio in 6.

Phoenix v. LA Lakers - People will say Kobe should be the MVP and though he has played great he still won't help his teammates like he did his legal defense team.  Steve Nash will show why he is the more worthy MVP even with Bryant dropping 40 per game.  Phoenix in 6.

Denver v. LA Clippers - I'd like to think the playoff system will be salvaged by a playoff loss for Denver, but what I see is an inexperienced Clippers team who really has one guy with significant playoff tenure: Sam Cassell.  The series hinges on one guy for LA: Corey Maggette.  If he is healthy and Brand plays like a champ then they should win.  Until then...Denver in 6.

Dallas v. Memphis - Throw out head to head matchup for a second because Memphis will pose problems for Dallas who really should be facing the Lakers if the playoff system was in a perfect world.  Until Dallas takes their game to the next level in the playoffs, this is what you should see in the series:  Dallas in 7.

Deep down I want to see Dallas v. San Antonio in the conference finals rather than the semi's.  But, anything can happen.  West looks strong, East bottom feeders look weak, nothing has really changed.  Can't wait to watch what goes down.  Enjoy.

Scenario 1: I am at a basketball game with my buddies. A person walks up to one of my buddies and starts throwing haymakers. I promptly step in and throw a Suzy-Q or 2 or several hundred until the person cannot see through all the blood trickling from his forehead.

Scenario 2: I am at a basketball game with my buddies. I am completely tanked and I see one of the opposing players give a hard foul to one of my favourite players with a great set of hair. My boy pushes the foul committer and massive arguing ensues. The 'fouler' goes over to the scorers table and promptly streches out on top of it. Since I am a bit out of my head, I decide to throw my cup of half-finished beer at the player on the scorers table to put my bud to good use (so I thought).

Which one of these scenario's should I have gotten in trouble for?

Apparently, the jurors in the Artest/Green case did not think about that. Green was guilty of punching Ron Artest and could be facing 93 days in jail plus a hefty fine. But, he was found innocent for throwing the cup at Artest. For those of you who are fromt Detroit/Michigan I have a question: What kind of dumb ####ks do you have chilling in your city/state?

Look, scenario 1 was caused because of what I did in scenario 2. Except, since I'm not guilty of scenario 2, that negates scenario 1 (or so it should).

We know about Artest running into the stands along with teammates to lay some average joes out. That said, if an athlete comes into the stands to attack you or your friend(s), what will you do? I know if that happens to me, I will let my friend get lambasted by a baller because I don't want to end up like Green. Granted, I won't be committing any kind of throwing of objects toward any athlete ever. But there is a fine line. Take Jermaine O'Neal: He cracked a guy in that game who was ON the court. Shouldn't I be able to lay out someone who jumps into the stands that are occupied by we, the fans? Artest should have never crossed the line of going in the stands regardless of what was thrown at him.

This should teach fans a couple of things: 1) Refrain from throwing any foreign objects toward the playing area or else players will get their redemption. I will take Pros over Joes...2) No matter what just let your good buddy take an #### kicking even if your buddy did nothing wrong...3) The next time an athlete comes into the stands to attack you, pray you don't attempt to defend yourself.

The verdict was complete horseshit. Green should have been completely guilty for the throwing of the cup. Once someone attacks you or those around you, it becomes a time to defend yourself and others. Isn't there are law in the U.S. stating its your duty to help other man-kind when in need? Well, someone will be in need if a 6 foot 6 brute starts busting up 5 foot 8 fat dude's jaw.

Perhaps the jury thought it would be stupid to see someone try to fight a guy twice his size. If that is not the answer, then something is wrong. Yet another athlete getting over on society.