Whenever I get a chance to sit down and post something I usually do...sit down...and...post something. Well, I really haven't  had much time to actually post anything, although, I have dropped comments now and then. So when I went into my archives I was stunned to see how much time it has been since my last post. And, while this is by no means a religious calling for me the first thing that came to my mind was...Bless me someone for I have...well...it's been 2 months since my last...scribble. Anyway...a few things are on my mind tonight and since my wife looks at me and rolls her eyes when I question things that go on in the sports world...and she did just that and went to bed...I figured I can get some of it off of my chest right here. Lucky me...maybe not so lucky you.

Is anyone else as sick and tired of the Green Bay Packers and Brett Favre as I am? Brett...you quit...hung 'em up! Retired! Ride off into the football sunset. Let the Packers and Aaron Rodgers move on...without you to screw things up. But, noooooooooo! You didn't really want to retire. You were forced into it. Held down...beat about the head and shoulders...kicked and mutilated to get you to say... you were going to retire. You said things like you had family issues that needed your attention and you didn't think it would be fair to show up a couple of days a week to play on Sunday. Hell, I admired that. No way would the great Brett Favre "Clemens" his time with the Packers. You turned in your paperwork...took your football...and went home. And the Pack was ready to move on. You know...thanks for everything Brett...we are sure going to miss you...You've meant so very, very much to the organization...Aaron, put your helmet on! But now Brett wants to play again. Only this time he wants to play with someone else's football. Supposedly he talked with the Vikings and got the NFL investigating them. He has told the Packers he will be in camp this weekend. They have told him if he comes back he won't be the starter and he will definately find himself in another role. He ain't sitting behind anyone. So...he'll show up and force the Packers to trade him. And they will. And can you guess what they want for a "retired" QB who can't make a decision and stick to it. They want a first round pick for a guy who had a great career...the key word there being...had! They want a first round pick for a guy who may eventually...retire and stick to it. Maybe even next year. So shop him around for a first round pick when nobody...even Brett...is sure when he'll retire. Actually...it doesn't matter when Favre says he'll hang 'em up again...you can't trust him to stick to it. Are you freakin' kidding me! I wish this show was over...for good!

Tony Stewart...good for you!Tony has his sponsors and his car for next year. Stewart will drive #14. This serves as a sign of respect to his hero, AJ Foyt. Seems Foyt swayed the young Stewart with his "tough-guy bravado and swashbuckling style." Hopefully Tony isn't confused and has actually been swayed by Danica Patrick who thinks she's a "tough guy" and who has been accused of being a bit reckless...kind of another way of saying "swashbuckling" don't you know! I wish she would go away just like I wish Michelle Wie would quit screwing up on the women's tour...and then jump right into a men's tournament. Another form of reckless, swashbuckling behavior. But, like I said on some other posts...Michelle didn't sign her card...but the LPGA "let her play the next day before DQing her." Maybe we could get the LPGA to go away as well. And...then again...maybe not!

I was watching a bench clearing brawl on television the other night when one of the players comes flying across the screen throwing a baseball at someone. Are you freakin' kidding me? Apparently a baseball game broke out during a bench clearing brawl between the Peoria Chiefs and the Dayton Dragons. In the course of the brawl a player runs in front of the camera throwing a baseball at someone. The someone has not been identified but we do know wher the ball landed. It hit a fan in the stands. This is akin to assaulting a high ranking public official in the strange world of baseball. Baseball rule 9000, subsection 74...in regard to fan base. "A fan is not allowed to be on the playing field for any reasons that would alter the regular course of the game being played. In light of that rule a player shall not knowingly, or unwittingly, throw a baseball during a bench clearing brawl which occurs in the regular course of the game being played that night that intentionally, or inadvertently hits a fan who has not leapt onto the field in violation of previously mentioned rule regarding fan base. Any player in violation of this rule will be subject to severe civil rulings as well as league discipline." The fan in the stands went to the emergency room where they were treated and released. The player in question is Peoria's own Julio Castillo, the guy pitching when the brawl broke out. Julio has been in the USA from the Dominican Republic for...oh, about a month...and has been living with some of the guys. Guess what? The injured fan was treated and released...Julio...not so much! He was arrested and charged with Felonious Assault, held on $50,000.00 bail and ordered to surrender his passpor. Hey, Julio...welcome to the good old USA. An opportunity for an eager prosecuting attorney or another opp for a defense attorney to argue his clients moral character and the fact that he "didn't mean to injure anyone."  He could go to prison for 8 years and face $15,000.00 in fines. You know what is messed up? Barry Bonds sits at home and this kid will be pitching by next week. Are you freakin' kidding me?

Mark Kriegel, a writer for Fox says the most important player for the "Dream Team 2008" is Jason Kidd. Aside from the fact that he is 35 years old and a tad slow, Kriegel mentions several reasons why that make a lot of sense. He is older and wiser than his counterparts. He has the respect of his teammates. He has more international experience than anyone on the team. He will make the right decision on who gets the ball and when because of that experience. Hell, it all sounds good to me. Only problem I see with it...the Kobe lovers will have a fit. This is a group that could hang out with Brett Favre. They aren't happy if Kobe is the man because they think the world hates him and if things don't go well the world will blame Kobe. And they aren't happy if Kobe isn't the man because...he should be the man and if he ain't then people just don't know what the hell they are talking about. Much like Favre this group wants to "have their cake and eat it too." I suppose that is fine but it seems like an awful lot of work just to support one guy. I suppose that I should mention that I couldn't care less about that as I don't get all worked up over Kobe Bryant. I don't even have a problem with Kobe fans but as the late, great George Carlin once said..."I call 'em as I see 'em..." I'm not too worked up about Dream Team 2008 either. But it has nothing to do with my patriotic feelings. I simply don't feel as strong a patriotic push over a basketball team as I do about...most anything else American. And I'm not a big fan of the Olympic Games anymore, either. Too many professionals in an event designed to be about amateur competition. But I been all through that on a post by Dudski, who I consider the primo blogger around here.

And finally...the next tennis phenom...as far as Playboy goes, anyway. Apparently Ashley Harkleroad can be seen in this months Playboy magazine sans clothing. I saw that and the first thing that came to mind for me was..."Who the hell is Ashley Harkleroad?" So I viewed the 5 pictures FoxSports put up of the "scandalous" pictures and thought to myself..."Oh, great...the next Anna Kournikova." I don't know a lot about this girl...obviously...but she doesn't look much older than Anna and I'm not sure she has won anything of consequence. Now...I may be wrong about that but having never heard of her makes me think...another angle to get to the top for a player who may or not be able to get there on their abilitry alone. Much like...well...Anna Kournikova! But I also found myself asking which is worse, if either. Playing in men's golf tournaments when you can't win, or sign your scorecard, on the women's tour in order to get ahead...or...take your clothes off and get photographed and put into an issue of Playboy so that you can insure that the next time your name comes up in the first round of some tennis tournament...the world will tune in just to see who you are. I'm kind of tired of Michelle Wie so if I absolutely had to choose....well...what would you do?

And that's the bottom line...

BOOMER SOONER!!!