So Brett Favre has told the Green Bay Packers that he definitely wants to play again, although he has asked them to release him in order for him to have the chance to pick and choose which team he will play for. A couple of thoughts ran through my mind when I read this.

First, how could Favre possibly play for anyone else besides the Packers? They are already prepared to retire his number on the first Monday Night game of the season, and he is a legend in Green Bay. People don’t view him as just a football legend, but a part of the community. After all we’ve heard and read about him, wouldn’t this tarnish his image not just a bit, but a TON?

Secondly, why would the Packers rather go with Aaron Rogers at QB as opposed to Favre? If Favre had another season like he did in 2006 then I would understand it, but he didn’t! He came back last year, and helped lead the team to the NFC Championship Game. He was selected to play in the Pro Bowl, and finally had a running back to help alleviate the pressure. Going forward with Favre behind center would give the team a much better chance to win in 2008 than it would with Rogers.

With that said, you have to feel badly for Aaron Rogers. First he was supposed to be a top pick along with Alex Smith in the 2005 Draft, but instead fell all the way to #24. Then he’s had to endure the retirement talk from Favre for three years, and just when it looks like Favre is finally gone, he decides he wants to come back.

So where does this leave Rogers and the Packers? Well, if Favre does in fact come back, and it’s with the Packers, Green Bay will have no choice but to trade Rogers much like the way the Atlanta Falcons dealt Matt Schaub prior to last season. Rogers should be able to fetch two second round picks like Schaub did, and the Packers could then groom this year’s second round pick, Brian Brohm, to be Favre’s successor. This would not only help the Packers now, but also in the future.

Now time to go to the mailbag…

PF - I wouldn't pick Philly quite yet, since Iguodala hasn't signed a new deal. He turned down a big offer from them last season.
The power of money. I thought Maggette was San Antonio bound for sure.
Good post. I hope free agency picks up more tomorrow.

PF, thanks for the comment. As for Philadelphia, I’m definitely not picking them to win the East, but I do believe they will be a team to be reckoned with. While Andre Iguodala turned down an extension last season, he is signed through this year, so at the very least they’ll have one year of Brand, Miller, and AI together. In a conference like the East, that should be good enough to get them back to the playoffs, and once you’re there, who knows what can happen.

Banmeplease - I disagree about GS overspending for Maggette in this age of inflated contracts five and fifty is not that bad, 10 per isnt too much if Lamar Odom makes 14 mil, especially given he is young and probably going to put up 30 points a game under Don Nelson, and if his weakness is defense who cares they dont play it anyways. I am wondering if Davis backs out of his deal now as it was not signed yet... we shall see.

Banmeplease, Corey Maggette could very well get 30 points a game, although even in Golden State’s up-tempo offense I think that’s a bit high (I think 26-27ppg is much more realistic). With that said, I think you may have missed my point about his contract. You’re absolutely right, $10 million per year is not that high in today’s NBA, however I am a firm believer that just because you have the money doesn’t mean you have to spend it.

Is Maggette a good player? Absolutely. But is he going to be the difference in helping that team get back to the playoffs? Well that’s where I believe the answer is no. Therefore, if he is not going to help you at least get to the playoffs, let alone win, then I would not spend $50 million on him for five years. Rather, I would keep that money in my pocket, and give myself the financial flexibility to make other moves when they are more appropriate.

Corzo14 - I admitedly know little about basketball. But it does not seem that the Seventy Sixers have done enough to over come the talent that the Celtics have even in the east. How much would losing Posey be for the Celtics? Should they over pay him to keep him for his defense and clutch three point shooting.

Corzo14, that’s a good question regarding Posey. When you say overpay, I think it depends on how much. Is it giving him four years as opposed to three, or is it giving him 3 years and 21 million compared to 3 years and 15? Posey reminds me a little bit of Bruce Bowen. He’s not as good defensively, but he still good, and he knocks down the big 3’s like Bowen does. As we have seen, having Bowen with the Spurs has been a big reason why they have won NBA titles every other year.

Unfortunately for the Celtics, keeping Posey is not the only move they need to make. I don’t know what it is, but I get the feeling that everything kind of went right for the Celtics this year, and they are not a team built to last. As I have said time and time again in this blog, I am a big fan of both Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett, and Paul Pierce certainly took a very important step to that next level during the playoffs, but this is a team that needs more athleticism up front. PJ Brown is likely going to retire, and it would be nice to give Garnett some rest throughout the course of the regular season. The same could be true for Allen and Pierce in the backcourt. Maybe Bill Walker will turn out to be a very serviceable rookie, but re-signing Posey should be just the start.

I’m not saying by any means that they need a complete overhaul, I’m merely saying it would benefit them to bring in some fresh faces.

Thanks to everyone for their comments and questions. Please keep them coming…

The day has come in the NBA where verbal agreements can now become contractual agreements, and in the last 24 hours, we have learned where the top players are going. Baron Davis is leaving Golden State to join the Los Angeles Clippers. Elton Brand, who Davis thought he was going to team with, is heading back east to play for the Philadelphia 76ers. Corey Maggette is essentially taking Davis’ roster spot on the Golden State Warriors, and Gilbert Arenas and Antawn Jamison have re-upped with the Washington Wizards. So, with that all said which team did the best?

In my mind there’s no doubt that the 76ers are the clear-cut winners in this year’s sweepstakes. They got a low-post scoring option to join the likes of Andre Miller and Andre Iguodala in the backcourt. Throw Brand up front with Samuel Dalembert, and all of a sudden, the Sixers are a legitimate team in the East.

While there was a great deal made about Brand and Davis joining forces out in LA, I believe this will actually be a better fit for the former #1 overall pick. He gets the chance to play with a pass-first shoot-second point guard in Miller, while being the only true low-post threat (Dalembert just cleans things up). The pick-and-roll could turn out to be a great play for Philly over the next couple of years.

As for the Clippers, well that’s just bad luck. They do what Brand asked them to do by signing Davis, yet Brand still leaves the team. For someone who has always been thought of as a high-integrity guy, this is a move that certainly raises some eyebrows. To me it’s a bit reminiscent of Carlos Boozer having a verbal agreement with the Cavs, and then signing with the Jazz. While Brand never had a verbal agreement, I think everyone thought there was a deal in place once Davis committed.  

The Clippers will still be a pretty good team as Davis can now team with Chris Kaman, but without Brand, they are still on the outside of the playoffs looking in.

Maggette, who flirted with taking mid-level offers from Boston, Detroit, and San Antonio, finally decided to follow the green, er…I mean his heart. Obviously you can’t blame Maggette, but you can blame the Warriors. What are they thinking?!?! Just because you have money to spend doesn’t mean you have to spend it. While they didn’t go over the top in signing the 2-guard (5 years/50), they definitely spent more than they had to. Maggette is a good player, but he’s not one that improves the team in a way that gets them back to the playoffs. The Warriors would have been better off keeping that money in their pockets, and using it at another time.

The Wizards re-signing Arenas and Jamison was nice, but the money they gave Arenas is going to come back to haunt them. He is coming off a major knee injury, doesn’t play a whole lot of defense, and has a scorer’s mentality as a point guard. If I were the Wizards, I would’ve contacted James Dolan and asked how giving Allan Houston the max worked out for the Knicks. It crippled the team, and handicapped them for years to come. While Arenas may be a better player than Houston was, this too will be a deal that cripples the team in the future while other teams in the East continue to pass them by.

The NBA Draft is one of my favorite days of the year. Unlike the NFL Draft where there are practically 3,000 players selected over two days, the NBA Draft is over in one and you only have to worry about 60 players. With that said, it’s time to reflect upon last night’s event…

• The New Jersey Nets had a great day. I have been reading and hearing a lot about how the Nets got fleeced in their trade with Milwaukee, but I actually disagree. People have been making the argument that by getting Yi and Bobby Simmons helps them in the future (by freeing up salary), it certainly hurts them in the present. My question is why? While I’m a big fan of Richard Jefferson, what exactly did he do for the team in the present? Heck, in the past when the Nets had Jefferson, Vince Carter and Jason Kidd, what did they do?? Nothing, so why not go in a different direction?

• As for the Draft, taking Brook Lopez in the 10th spot was a no-brainer. I’m not one who’s in love with his game, but as the best big man in the Draft, it was the only logical pick. The pick that I love though is getting Chris Douglas-Roberts with the 40th selection. How he slipped to the second round is beyond me, and then to fall 10 spots in that round…well that’s just ridiculous. You may think I’m crazy, but I am going to go out on a limb right now and say that CDR will be an NBA All-Star one day.

• There wasn’t too much surprise in the Miami Heat taking Michael Beasley with the number 2 pick, despite all the talk about working out OJ Mayo and Jerryd Bayless, but trading for Mario Chalmers in the 34th spot was a very nice move. Again, I’m not in love with Chalmers’ game, but getting him in the second round to fill a spot of need for your team is a job well done.

• For the third straight year the Portland Trailblazers and GM Kevin Pritchard have done a great job on Draft Day. Taking Brandon Rush with the 13th pick was a very nice move, but then dealing him along with Jarrett Jack and Josh McRoberts for Jerryd Bayless and Ike Diogu, well kudos to Pritchard. With Brandon Roy, LaMarcus Aldridge, and Jerryd Bayless providing the offense, and Greg Oden acting as the security blanket in the paint, the Blazers are going to be a team to watch for the next decade up there in the Pacific Northwest.

• I did not see the OJ Mayo-Kevin Love trade happen live, but when I read about it on my phone I was a bit surprised. While I believe Mayo will ultimately be the better player, and I think by a long shot, I don’t quite understand why Memphis made this deal. Love seemed to fit their team better. They already have Mike Conley, Jr., Kyle Lowry, and Javarris Crittendon in the backcourt, and were in desperate need of a front-court player. On top of that, they traded away one of the premier shooters in the game, Mike Miller. With the gluttony of young guards, it only seems logical that this deal is a prelude to many more for the Grizzlies.

• So maybe a possible trade partner is the New York Knicks. The two teams had already discussed a deal for the 5th pick that was apparently close, and with the Knicks unable to get a point guard they were looking for, the Grizzlies now have quite a few to choose from. Just throwing it out there but maybe David Lee for Conley? That could be one of those deals that help both teams, and who knows, it could even expand to include more players…

• Now as for the T-Wolves side of things, it’s a good move because they get Love and Miller. Plus they deal away Marko Jaric’s bad contract for Brian Cardinal’s bad contract, but at least Cardinal can provide six fouls at the forward position. The Wolves also gained size in Jason Collins, so overall it was a deal that improved the team as a whole while losing the best player.

• The New York Knicks picking Danilo Gallinari drew the expected boos from the crowd, and while I don’t necessarily blame them, I have to believe that the Knicks felt there was no real point guard who could lead their team, therefore they’d try for a point forward. D.J. Augustin was available at the 6-spot, but that was too high for him, so if they didn’t take Gallinari, then maybe they could’ve traded down (although that would’ve received boos as well). As it turns out, they may get their point guard after all if they end up dealing with Memphis. Stay tuned Knicks fans, the offseason is just getting started…

• I am very disappointed in the Charlotte Bobcats draft, and that seems sacrilege considering it’s Michael Jordan calling the shots. But selecting Augustin at #9 when Brook Lopez was still on the board did not make any sense to me. The chance to combine Lopez with Emeka Okafor, and then have Sean May provide depth off the bench seemed like an opportunity for Charlotte to build a strong frontcourt. And then to use the 20th pick, which they acquired from Denver, to select Alexis Ajinca, well that’s just mind-boggling. Just when it looked like the Bobcats were going in the right direction by trading for Jason Richardson at last year’s Draft, and then hiring Larry Brown this offseason, they go and do this. Very disappointing…

• The Boston Celtics made a mistake by not taking Chris Douglas-Roberts with the last pick in the first round, but they made up for it by acquiring the rights to Bill Walker. Walker has a big body for a guard, is a very good athlete, and can provide depth at three different positions. This could turn out to be a sleeper pick in years to come.

Please feel free to send me your comments and questions, because as I said before, this is one of my favorite topics to discuss. Thanks…

A weird phenomenon has transpired over the past couple of years, and it was never more on display than Thursday night… People in New York, when in a bind, are actually rooting for Boston teams. I swear, I witnessed it myself.

Having gone to school in Boston, and experienced what the fans there can be like, I never thought this day would come. Yet here I was at a bar on the Upper West Side of Manhattan watching people cheer for the Boston Celtics against the Los Angeles Lakers, and it got me thinking.

First, could it be that people dislike Kobe Bryant so much that no matter who he is playing they would root for the opposing team? Second, do people sympathize with players like Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen, two guys who have acted professionally throughout their entire careers, that they feel they deserve a championship? And third, have sports changed so much because of stars changing teams, that people are bigger fans of the players than they are of the actual teams?

When going back and looking at all of these options, I think it’s actually a combination. Kobe Bryant truly is a polarizing figure. People love to watch him, and look on in amazement as he does some extroardinary things, yet ultimately they like to point out all of his negatives and watch him fail. I am certainly guilty of it, as I wrote about Kobe being the A-Rod of the NBA (with the exception that he is actually clutch and has won championships), and then another perfect example would be Curt Schilling’s recent blog. I’m sure there are many other superstar athletes that yell and berate their teammates, but Schilling felt it was necessary to tell on Kobe because he’s, well… Kobe.

In regards to Garnett and Allen, I think this is the ultimate reason why people are rooting for the Celtics. Ever since Boston made the trade to acquire Garnett, there has been a certain lure about the team. In a league that has had its image tarnished by the Malice at the Palace, the Donaghy scandal, and players covered in tattoos, these two guys have been first-class citizens. Both are clean cut, respectful, articulate, and have paid their dues by playing for crummy teams. So when they came together to join forces and try to turn around a once-proud franchise, people saw this as a good situation, even the people in New York.

They didn’t feel that Garnett and Allen were true Celtics, rather they were just players wearing that uniform, therefore, they felt it was okay to cheer for them. So that brings me to the next point, are people bigger fans of players than they are of actual teams? I don’t think that’s necessarily the case, but I do believe that when your team is not involved you tend to root for your favorite players. In the case of New Yorkers, the Knicks are certainly not involved, so what’s the next best-case scenario? As witnessed Thursday night it’s seeing Garnett and Allen get a chance to lift the championship trophy.

Celebrations

There has been a great deal of talk the past couple of weeks about Joba Chamberlain and his antics on the mound, particularly his celebrations. David Dellucci called them “bush league,” Goose Gossage said there is no place for that type of action in baseball especially with the Yankees, and many well-respected writers across the country have agreed. I, however, disagree with those people.

If Chamberlain pumped his fist after every strikeout, or yelled and screamed each time he did something positive, then yes, it would be too much and definitely “bush league.” But he doesn’t do it after every performance, or even every other. When Chamberlain pumped his fist after striking out Delucci, he did so because it was a big out for him. After giving up a pinch-hit three-run home run to Dellucci just two nights earlier, Chamberlain faced his “demons” and got the out. In all honesty, if it were me, I think I would have done the same thing.

Now for those of you who say he was showing up Delucci, and a pitcher should not do that, then I ask you why is it ok for a hitter to stop and stare at his home run ball, and that’s not considered “bush?” How come Manny Ramirez can stand at home plate for three seconds while watching his ball sail over the fence and people excuse it as “Manny being Manny?” Or how about when a batter flicks the bat and “pimps” it? This is not showing up the pitcher?

Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that two wrongs make a right, but I am saying that if Chamberlain or other pitchers show some emotion on the mound, it’s not always a bad thing.

 Yankees Regret Not Trading For Santana

I know I write about this fairfly frequently, but I just can’t stand how people continue to say the Yankees regret not making the trade for Johan Santana. Obviously Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy are not pitching the way people had hoped, but no offense, neither is Santana! The guy has a 3.00 ERA in the NATIONAL LEAGUE! If he’s in the American League, that’s more like a 4.00, and he’s making how much money??? On top of that, if the ace is all you need to win, how come the Mets are only a game above .500? I cannot stress this enough: do not look at the immediate results, but think about the future. Keeping Hughes, Kennedy, AND Melky Cabrera was the right move for the Yankees, regardless of how Santana does against the Yankees today.

The Mets in Disarray

Speaking of the Mets, it turns out their problems from last September did not end when the season ended. Rather, many of the same problems exist today including the clubhouse dissention. On Thursday Billy Wagner lashed out to reporters saying how ridiculous it was that he had to sit there and answer questions on a day in which he didn’t even pitch because the “other” guys got up and left. The “other” guys he was referring to were the Hispanic players, more specifically Carlos Delgado and Carlos Beltran. If you remember correctly, this was a similar issue last year with Paul Lo Duca.

On Friday, this issue was discussed on ESPN’s Pardon the Interruption, and Michael Wilbon, who I respect a great deal, made a statement that really upset me. He essentially made excuses for the “other” players by saying that maybe it’s time for the newspapers to start hiring bi-lingual writers in order to help the Spanish speaking players communicate to the media. What?!?!

A couple of years ago I had the opportunity to go to Beijing, China for work, and I remember getting frustrated the first couple of days I was there because many people didn’t understand what I was saying. I found myself getting angry that people didn’t speak English. Then I thought to myself, “Wait a minute. I’m in their country. It’s not their responsibility to know MY language, it’s my responsibility to know THEIR language. The same is true here. If these players come to the United States to earn millions and millions of dollars, then it’s their responsibility to learn the language of the country. No more excuses!

Bizarro World

Over the past couple of weeks we’ve seen small-market teams sign young stars to contract extensions years before they become free agents. The Marlins shelled out $70 million for Hanley Ramirez, the Brewers gave Ryan Braun $45 million, and the Rays gave Scott Kazmir $28.5 million only a couple of weeks after giving Evan Longoria an extension. While this is a great trend, and something I hope continues, it now poses another problem for baseball.

For several years now the large-market clubs have essentially used teams like the Marlins and Rays as another minor league team. When the players became too expensive, the large market teams either traded for them, or signed them as free agents. Now that those players will no longer be available, it’s going to put even more importance on developing one’s own talent, even for the Red Sox, Yankees, Mets, etc.

So how exactly is this a problem you ask? Well as much as revenue sharing and luxury tax have allowed these clubs to lock up their own players, it hasn’t solved the problem of the draft. While there are numbers slotted for each draft position, teams do not necessarily  have to abide by those numbers leaving players like Rick Porcello for the Tigers, and Andrew Brackman for the Yankees late in the first round last year. Therefore, the next step in creating a more level-playing field would be to incorporate a system like the NBA has for its draft, otherwise this trend will only continue…

NBA Playoffs

Has anybody else been as disappointed in the NBA Playoffs, specifically this second round, as I have? For so many intriguing matchups, the games have been, for the most part, awful. It’s amazing to think that two of the four series are going seven games, and none of the previous 12 has even been close as the home team has won each game. I have never seen anything like this before, and truly hope I don’t see anything like it again for a loooong time.

Kobe Bryant is the NBA’s Alex Rodriguez

Before you go crazy on me, let me preface this by saying that Kobe is an extremely clutch player, has three rings, and very well could get his fourth this year. So in that way right there he is nothing like A-Rod. Now that that’s out of the way, hear me out…

Kobe Bryant and Alex Rodriguez have the talent and work ethic to be among the top players to ever play their respective sprts. They are players who are so good that you want to cheer for them. You want to marvel at what they do, and think that you’re lucky to see them play each and every night. Yet something continues to hold you back from accepting them, and I think it’s their lack of authenticity.

When watching the two, you can’t help but think that their actions are phony. Whether it’s their interactions with teammates on the bench, or interviews they give, everything seems rehearsed. Maybe this is completely unfair for me to say, but it’s one of those gut instincts I get when watching them, and I don’t think I’m alone.