Sports this past summer have been pretty mundane thanks to Tiger Wood's knee surgery and the mediocre Atlanta Braves. My condolences to the family of Skip Carey, the long-time broadcaster for the Braves who recently passed away at age 68 from complications of diabetes. I enjoyed listening to Skip and the WTBS broadcasting crew.

TBS created a lot of Braves fans around the country who didn't live near big cities. They were truly America's team in small-town USA simply because they were accessible.  I grew up listening to the Minnesota Twins on a transistor radio and lived for Tv's game of the week and the All-Star game. It was a thrill to see what these players looked like in real life and be awed by their uniforms and friendly, professional demeanors. I grew up with heroes like Jim Kaat, Bert Blyleven, Rod Carew, and Tony Oliva. Radio announcers tried to describe a Bert Blyleven curve ball and it was impossible for them - words could not do it justice.

WTBS introduced small town America to 140 games a season of televised ball. The Braves were not good when I started to follow them but you got to see every player on their roster if you followed them for long. You got to know who was in danger of being sent to the minors and why. I enjoyed watching players like Dale Murphy, Bob Horner, Phil Niekro, Glen Hubbard, etc., on a frequent basis and somewhere along the way I quit following the Twins and became a Braves fan. My favorite player for several years was Rick Mahler, a pitcher with not great stuff who struggled on most outings. He had heart, however, and gave it his all. He pitched a 5-inning rain-shortened no-hitter against Montreal one year. I don't think he won more than 14 or 15 games in any one season but I followed his pitching schedule and watched if possible.

I've heard disparaging remarks about Skip Carey over the years - and the other Braves broadcasters. So what if they were homers? To me they seemed impartial enough that I could listen to them comfortably.

The Bret Favre Story

Everyone has offered an opinion and the media have beat this to death relentlessly. Last March it was non-stop coverage of Bret''s tearful retirement. It would seem he is about to be traded to Tampa Bay with an outside chance it could be the Jets. I don't think NFL fans really want to watch a great player finish his career in a different team's uniform with declining skills. Of course, many great players have hung on for too long - Joe Namath, Joe Montana, Jerry Rice, Michael Jordan, etc. Bret had a great year last season but will soon be 39.  In hindsight, he should have taken the 20-mil marketing offer from Mark Murphy to stay retired. It would have been a win-win situation for everyone, including him when the temperature drops and the ground is frozen and the itch to play has faded.

I didn't mind Favre when the Metrodome used to be a house of horrors for him. I disliked him the same as all the other Green Bay Packers. There were some games at Green Bay in which Minnesota led into the fourth quarter and could have won if not for Favre driving the offense down the field for a late TD pass. However, the last few years he has been winning the games in Minnesota as well. Our rivalry, which not long ago used to be tied 42-42-2, has swung to favor the Pack. I'm glad Mr. Favre has left Green Bay. Aaron Rodgers don't scare me.

I think players see rivalries differently than us fans. To us it seems like blasphemy that Bret would want to come play for the Vikings or Bears. I'm grateful I won't have to see an enemy don the purple-and-gold, even if he would have made us a more potent offense. When Jim McMahon finished his career as a Viking, it was different. I'd liked McMahon since he was in college at BYU.

To the players its a paycheck. If you're skilled enough to be paid to play a game, you get what you can while you can. Perceptions about respect and dignity fuel the ego. A moron with great physical skills can earn a paycheck but to be a star, loved by fans and admired, celebrated, and honored - there's a high you can't get through drugs.

Bret probably has no particular desire to play for the Vikings or Bears except as a means to give the finger to Packer management. Imagine the scandal if Bret returned on September 8th, on MNF, as a Viking and soundly beat the Packers? How better could you give the finger to bosses who you think have done you wrong.

Seattle comes to town this Friday

The NFL Network will be televising the game at 9:30 MDT. I can't wait to see Jared Allen and the rest of the Viking defense. I want to see the offense too, but man I Love defense.