Brett the Jet

Early this morning, Brett Favre was traded to the New York Jets. This is the end to the circus that was Favre's off-season. He retired, then he said that he was going to un-retire, he accused the Packers of forcing him to retire, he said he wanted to be released, he was reinstated, he said he wanted to stay a Packer, he said he wanted his release again and mercifully, he was finally traded away. All in all, I am glad this ordeal is over and both parties received what they wanted. The Packers received a 4th round pick, which could turn into a better pick based on the team's success and whether Favre plays a certain amount of time. Favre got out of Green Bay and now has a starting job waiting for him when he gets to New York. Even though Brett Favre is one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time, not to mention one of the toughest, I will be glad to see him in a Jet uniform. Most people would ask why I want to see him in the uniform of a division rival. It is simple; while Favre has great stats and is a gutsy performer, he has the tendency to throw a costly interception at the most inopportune time during the biggest games. He led his team to only one Superbowl victory even though his teams were considered as front runners on numerous occasions. Just last year, he threw an interception that led to the Giants winning field goal in OT of the NFC Championship game. All in all, both sides got what they ultimately wanted. Favre can no longer distract the Packers and Favre got a trade. The Jets made out well as they got a gamer for not much compensation. But, Favre is overrated. The best quarterbacks don't make stupid mistakes at the most important part of the season. Brett may be a legend, but he will be another reason why the Patriots win the AFC East.

Tippett Enshrined in Hall of Fame

Yesterday, one of the Patriots great legends was enshrined in the Hall of Fame. Andre Tippett was a menacing force on defense and if it wasn't for LT and his compatriots on the Giants, Tippett might have been more well known and more revered for his tenacity and his all around skill. During the 1980's, Tippett was one of the premier pass rushers in the game. He was the first and only linebacker to eclipse 35 sacks combined in two seasons. He had 100 career sacks in 151 career games. He even was a steady defender against the run. He was the prototypical linebacker. He had the speed and the size to go along with his relentless work ethic, tenacity and intelligence. Even today, he would be the type of player that all coaches would want. But Tippett's greatness extends far past him being a player. He is a family man whose success can be traced back to the people that have been involved in his life since high school. He was inspired by his high school coach to identify his weaknesses and admit when he did something wrong. This drove him to become the player that he was. He held himself accountable and made sure that he would improve upon his weaknesses. Tippett is also a selfless human being. When he was recovering from an injury, he asked to see Robert Kraft's (who was only a loyal fan at the time) son, who was recovering from knee surgery. Even though Tippett was in recovery, he still want to meet with a fan and wish him his best. It took time, but Tippett is now where he belongs; in the Hall of Fame. His skill, excellence and hard work on the field is only surpassed by his kindness to others.

The Trade Deadline

Another Major League Baseball trade deadline has come and gone. This one will be one that is remembered for high profile players being traded. Manny Ramirez, Pudge Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira and Ken Griffey, Jr. all have new homes. The trade deadline in baseball is one of the most exciting events in professional sports. It is a day where fans and experts alike wonder and theorize what teams might do. Another reason why it is magical is because of the televised nature of it. ESPN has made the deadline into an all day event with countless experts analyzing and proposing what each team needs to do. But what I really like about the deadline is the unpredictability of it. Who would have thought that Pudge woud be a Yankee or that Griffey would be a White Sox? Also, when these deals are made, there are immediate reactions. The Red Sox are being panned for the trade of Manny, but they also were when they traded Nomar and that worked out quite well. So in other words, these trades that seem lopsided could end up great for the side that you thought got shafted. The deadline brings added hope, despair and the thought that your favorite team is either going for it all or they have given up. That is why the trade deadline is so great.

Caleb Campbell spurned by the Army

About a week ago, Lions safety Caleb Campbell was informed that he would have to report for active duty in the United States Army. He is a graduate of West Point and one of the stipulations of going there is that you have to serve the country. Even though this seems cut and dry, there is a stench of disloyalty and reneging on promises that has arisen. When Campbell was drafted by the Lions, the Army said that he would be able to fulfill his duties by using his influence as an NFL player as a recruiter for the Army. The Army said that he wouldn't have to go into active duty and that he could play for the Lions. But, like I said above, the Army has reneged on its promise. Now, many people argue that when he agreed to go to West Point, that he would have to serve in the military. But this is more than that. He was told that he could be a recruiter instead and the Army believed that his "good faith" would lead him back to serving. Now he should fulfill his commitment, but when he was told that being a recruiter was all he needed to do to fulfill that, the set him, fans and the Lions for a let down. If this was their plan all along, then they should have forbade him from entering the draft. But to get his hopes up and pull the rug out from underneath him is wrong. By letting him be a recruiter, the Army was showing that it could be human and even nice. By reneging on that promise, it is just furthering the notion that the Army is heartless and that they don't come through on their promises. He could have done wonders as a recruiter. He could have shown kids that the Army has strengthened him into the person he is today. By coming back on their promise, they not only perpetuate the heartlessness of the Army, but they might lose recruitment. All in all, the Army has egg on its face. People started to think that the leaders actually have hearts and have the best interest of its recruits in mind. Now, it just shows that they just want bodies and are willing to be weasels to get those bodies.

No more "Manny being Manny"

Manny Ramirez's tenure in Boston is over. The scatterbrained but talented slugger was traded to the Dodgers in a three team deal that brought Jason Bay to the Red Sox and prospects to the Pirates. Over the past few weeks, Manny has been a rather vocal distraction to the team. Everything seemed well until the All-Star break when Ramirez questioned the team's practices regarding contract negotiations. He said the management should talk to him about his status after the year. Later, Ramirez sat out a couple games, including one against the Yankees due to a bum knee. Many thought this was suspicious and after a MRI revealed no injury to his knee, people started to wonder whether he was slouching. Just a few days ago, all of the drama came to the fore front. Ramirez questioned the integrity of the front office and insinuated that he was unwanted and that the Sox don't deserve him. All of his shenanigans had been brushed off in the past as Manny being Manny. Now, however, it seemed that the feud between Manny and the team was irreconcilable. The Sox tried feverishly to trade the disgruntled Ramirez, but everything ended up dead. Finally, right before the four o'clock deadline, he was traded to the Dodgers.

The deal has been universally questioned by fans and analysts alike. The opinion shared by most people is that the Dodgers made out well, the Pirates made out well and the Red Sox got shafted. The trade shapes up like this: Manny to the Dodgers, Brandon Moss, Craig Hanson (from BOS), Bryan Morris and Andy LaRoche (from LAD) to the Pirates and Jason Bay to the Sox. Basically, the Sox traded Manny (and will pay his salary), Craig Hanson and Brandon Moss for Jason Bay. The Dodgers received Manny for LaRoche and Morris, both of whom don't add up to a player near the caliber that Manny is. The Pirates gave up Bay for four mid-level prospects. What the Pirates got for Bay seems like an even trade. The other two are steals.

The analysis of this trade goes a little something like this. Manny is a cancer according to the Sox. The Sox feel that just getting rid of his distracting nature is a win. Addition by subtraction. They also got a serviceable replacement in Bay. He is a player in the Mike Lowell offensive category. He will hit 20-25 homers, drive in almost 100 runs and hit about .280. My overall view of this is that it is lopsided but necessary. If they could have gotten a prospect along with Bay, I would think it was more fair. Giving up Hanson and Moss is nothing. Prospects are supposed to be used in trades. Hanson is a headcase who can't control his pitches. He won't be good. Moss is a solid player who could be like Bay in Pittsburgh but the Sox have a surplus of young, talented outfielders in the minors. Therefore, the loss of those two don't add up to much. I don't necessarily like the deal, but the Sox get a player that can hit and don't give up too much young talent. This could be like the Nomar deal in 04. Everyone thought the Sox got jobbed on that one and it turned out OK. The Sox gave up a superstar and prospects for fringe players in Cabrera and Doug. I can only hope that Theo is right about this one like he was about the Nomar one.

All in all, I love Manny. I wouldn't have traded him. He is a hall of famer and has helped the team win two world series titles. His production is immense and Jason Bay can only hope to be a sliver of what Manny was. He may be an egghead but he enjoys the game. I will miss him and I hope he does well in the future. I also hope that he doesn't sign with the Yanks in the off-season.

The Brett Favre Story

Brett Favre has that itch. The one that everyone knew he would have. He is considering a comeback. But there are some sticky points. We can all agree that Favre is a hall of famer and one of the best quarterbacks in the history of football. I can't remember the last off-season were there weren't rumors of him retiring. When he announced his retirement at the end of the year, I was skeptical. I knew he wouldn't be able to leave the game. He loves it too much. But by retiring, he has put himself and the Packers in no win situations. He is asking for a release, which the Packers shouldn't grant. Favre is supposed to be retired. He is also under contract. Just because he wants a release doesn't mean that it is the right thing for the team. If the Packers were to get rid of him via a trade, at least they get something in return. But, by trading him, the Packers would be trading away the person responsible for the revival of the Packer franchise and the most beloved person in Wisconsin. Fans would riot because he means so much to them. Both sides are in a bad situation. I think if the Pack don't want him, they should try their best to trade him. He should have good value especially for a team that doesn't have an established quarterback. He showed last year that he still has the fastball. There is a way that this situation could have been remedied. That would be for Brett to have never retired in the first place. He knew he still loved the game and that he could physically succeed. Him wanting to come back means one thing for sure; he hates Aaron Rodgers.

Bye James

Unfortunately, James Posey signed with the New Orleans Hornets. In my book, this is a huge blow to the Celtics. They lost a key contributor on offense and defense. Posey is the type of player that all coaches like. He is a hard-nosed defensive player, he always plays at full speed and he is able to hit the open shots. He is a gritty player who epitomized the Celtics team this year. Posey was directly responsible for the Celtics championship this year. He played great defense against the likes of Kobe and LeBron and he hit some of the most clutch threes that I have ever seen. I really like Posey. He seemed like the kind of player that Red would have loved. If my sources are correct, the main reason that he left was over another year on his contract. The Celtics weren't willing to give him a fourth and the Hornets were. If the Celtics think that Posey is going to break down and that is why they wouldn't add the fourth year, they are misinformed. Posey may be heading toward the twilight of his career, but he still has at least 5 years left in his body. He didn't play all that much early in his career and didn't start to peak until the championship year of the Heat. His career broke late while others broke early. On the flip side, this is great for the Hornets. It gives them someone to defend Kobe and Manu. It also gives them a quality bench player that can score and give a break to the starters. The Celtics will miss his contributions but they have positioned themselves to be able to make up for them.

The Celtics recently re-signed Eddie House and Tony Allen. They also added Bill Walker and J.R. Giddens in the draft. Walker and Giddens are both scorers. Giddens has the ability to be a slasher type, who can hit the jumper and take it inside if he wants. Walker is an undersized player who plays great down low. He can power through smaller defenders and out quick the bigger ones. The re-signing of House is awesome. He was one of my favorite players during the year. He is fearless; he will take shots and make a majority of them. He is a great compliment to Rajon. Rajon is the quick ball handler who is always going after the ball. Eddie is the scorer who has to be watched when on the floor. He also brings heart and intensity to the team. The re-signing of Allen was a good move in my book as well. He seemed a step slow last year, but it takes two years to recover from torn knee ligament injuries. Hopefully he can return to the form of before he blew out his knee. He is a slasher who needs to improve his shot and he is a competent defender albeit not as great as many think he is. All in all, the loss of Posey is big, but Danny Ainge has made moves to counteract the loss of him and get younger at the same time.