30-Second TO: Favre, Packer, and Baseball’s All-Star festivities

Some views on what’s going on in the sports world while I listen to my daughter talk to a stuffed butterfly…

• I blame Brett Favre.  Legend or not, you can not, year after year, keeping holding your team hostage with regards to how it is to plan for the next season.  This time Favre really retired, tearful press conference and all.  Who can blame the Packers for giving the keys to the car to Aaron Rodgers, their number one draft pick from a few years back, and letting him be the man of the future?  Green Bay’s front office had to think about the fall of 2008, not 1992-2007 with Favre at the wheel.  And speaking of thinking about 2008, why on earth would they grant Favre his release when all three teams in their division have quarterbacks that are mediocre at best and would jump at the chance to sign Favre so that they could make a playoff run?  Bravo to the Packers for not blinking.  I have loved watching Brett Favre over the years and last year’s run to the NFC Championship Game was special.  I was pulling for them to reach the Super Bowl.  But this about face he’s done on retirement, putting his team in this position, has tarnished his legacy in my humble opinion.
• Billy Packer is out as the #1 college basketball analyst for CBS.  This guy has called 34 consecutive Final Fours, an amazing accomplishment for anyone in his profession.  Most Tar Heel fans can’t stand him.  I’m not one of them.  Sure, Packer has been controversial at times, but in my opinion he’s never been unfair.  Some don’t think he loves the game.  That’s hogwash.  His detailed analysis, which is only rivaled by ESPN’s Jay Bilas (yes, a Dukie), is more than enough evidence to show ho much he enjoys watching and picking apart college basketball games.  The sport will be worse for it if he’s not in a high profile analyst position come November.
• Tonight is the Home Run Derby and I could not care less.  None of Major League Baseball’s All-Star festivities get my motor running anymore.  The Derby was fun about a decade ago, but that was the Steroid Era and now everything is tainted, so watching the guys now is no fun.  The stars want no part of it so you get the equivalent of B-List celebrities hitting the balls out of the park.  As for the All-Star Game, it might count for home field in the World Series, but I think that is stupid to begin with.  It’s not like the old days, even to the ’80s, where the players wanted to win.  Now it’s just about making an appearance and perhaps cashing in on a contract bonus.