Favre-a-palooza comes to a close

Maybe it's because I want Sage Rosenfels - a graduate of my Iowa State University - to finally have his shot at a starting NFL job. Perhaps it's because I hated Brett that green and yellow '4' jersey for so many years that I couldn't possibly stand him taking the field in Viking purple and gold. Maybe it was the constant back and forth...and back...and forth...between permanent retirement and stretching out an already illustrious career - one one-year contract at a time.

Whatever the reason, I breathed a sigh of relief standing in line to ride my favorite roller coaster yesterday, when my phone jingled with an ESPN update, and I saw that Favre has - at loooooong last - called it quits. Well, at least he wants nothing to do with playing in Minnesota in 2009-10. To say he'll never be back, well, don't bet the farm. Don't even bet your pocket change.

I'm just glad that Tarvaris Jackson and Sage Rosenfels will alas be able to hit gloves, wish each other well, and come out of their corners swinging for the starting job this summer. I couldn't be happier for them. How they must have felt hearing Favre's name in the same breath with "Vikings," and "quarterback" more than their own - the guys with the contracts and homes in the Twin Cities area - it would drive anyone crazy! But T-Jack and Sage can breath now, they can shine, they can finally duke this thing out.

No sense in going into any more detail. You've all seen the news. And now that my team has finally washed its hands of one Brett Favre, I am so happy - so excited - to be a Minnesota Vikings fan.

Athletes and role models - separate entities

I had a good friend in high school who wrote an article for our student newspaper about how athletes are not role models. I wish I had the final draft or the publication in my hands today, because the words were brilliant. It was just today that the memories from those days as a staff reporter and editor for the paper suddenly surfaced after a couple years. It was that story - Paul's in-depth discussion on just how large the spectrum should be between "athletes" and "role models" - that surfaced first. Why?

Perhaps it has been the saga following the death of former NFL quarterback Steve McNair, with newer, darker secrets being revealed seemingly every day since his murder. Maybe somehow Michael Vick has my neurons re-firing today after a couple years out of the league for his role in a dogfighting ring. Need I reiterate my recent post about NASCAR schmuck Jeremy Mayfield? Manny and his substance abuse? Substance abuse in general? My goodness, I just about left Pacman Jones out of this post. Needless to say, I could go on... and on... and on... Sports figures today are making me sick.

Call me crazy, but I'd rather pay money for my next door neighbor lady's autograph these days. She's quiet and really knows how to mow right up to the property line. Now there's a role model. Don't expect a national spotlight, multi-million dollar paycheck, and a job that satisfies without fail week in and week out to turn an athlete into some saint, worthy of your undivided attention and idolization. In fact, expect just the opposite.

No sports star is so deserving. Ever. No more than you or me. No more than maybe your parents - whoever you may think highest of, whoever you call your role models. Humans are inherently flawed. Obviously. Read the book of Genesis. But the difference between, say, Dan Narber and Michael Vick is that I know my father doesn't need to cover up his sins to protect some precious reputation.

Because beware, people: it's the covering up, the skeletons, what's swept under rug that has sports fans these days fooled.

The Man, The Meth, and How the hell do you still have a job?

I don't normally follow NASCAR, at all. I don't think about it, write about, watch it, argue for or against its importance to the world of sports, nothing. But what I do know is that NASCAR captures the attention of millions of fans nationwide and is becoming one of the fastest growing events (in popularity) in the world.

And what I also know is when you begin to group NASCAR with the NFL, MLB, and NBA, every fan is going to have his or her favorite athlete. What Kobe Bryant, Derek Jeter, and Tony Romo may be to their respective sports, perhaps Jeremy Mayfield is to NASCAR.

Like a deadly epidemic spreading continent to continent, substance abuse has finally made its way to NASCAR's shores. And no, we're not talking about the Budweiser that Dale Jr. promotes on his Chevy.

Jeremy Mayfield is now publicly a druggie. Mayfield OD's on prescription medication and uses meth. No, this was not an accusation from an angry fan in an attempt to taint the image of an undesirable athlete. This is for real.

Explain to me how Jeremy Mayfield still has an open door to get back into racing after testing positive for meth during a random drug test. Explain to me how - why - he gets his job back! Would you? Probably not! Heck, in my hometown, local residents who got slapped with a DUI the night before get their own little section of the freakin' newspaper! Granted, the criminal justice system must take its normal course - he's deserving of that much - but somehow Jeremy Mayfield has a window of opportunity to apply for reinstatement. I'll devote a post down the road to athletes and the complete disregard for their actions. Suspensions only do so much.

In one testimony, Mayfield's stepmother - mind you, this is family we're talking about here - witnessed him using meth at least 30 times in the last seven years. Not necessarily in response to the testimony but still mind-blowing, Mayfield claims, "I don't need to go to rehab...because I don't have a problem." Really?

If this guy is back in his car in the next few months, I will be disgusted. I don't understand how NASCAR would be able to trust a man who has used meth for at least seven years to remain clean and operate a vehicle. For a living. We're talking about a race car here. And shame on NASCAR if they are so naive to believe that in random drug testing down the road, Jeremy Mayfield will be rid of a meth addiction.

Midsummer MLB Predictions - NL

Well, the future of the American League for this season has been written in stone. Let's take a look at how the National League will finish, including the playoff picture and the all-important World Series pick:

NL East

The Nationals are bad and will finish last. Fair enough? Good, moving on. As much as I would like to say the Marlins will make a push to win the East, being my favorite NL team and all, the defending champion Phillies swing the bats way too well to lose their hold on first. They were hot going into the All-Star break and will be hot coming out. The Phils are stellar on the road, and that's appealing to me. It's anybody's guess how the Marlins, Braves, and Mets (currently separated by 2.5 games and all hovering around .500) will finish. I will play favorites and leave Florida in the 2-spot. I like Atlanta's McClouth addition more than New York's Francouer addition, and the Mets generate no power at the plate. Braves in third, Mets in fourth.

NL Central

This division is scary. Like, the spooky kind of scary. As it stands now, the Reds have a shot to win it currently sitting in fifth. The last place Pirates and fourth place Cubs have the division's best home records. And suddenly the Astros are back? Let's break it down. The Cardinals will win the division. They've been on top for too long now to let it slip. Just so we can set the two extremes, the Pirates won't climb out of the Central cellar. Nate McClouth and Nyjer Morgan suddenly just...aren't there anymore. Rebuilding mode? The Reds are always a tease to make something happen but never follow through. They finish in the 5-spot. At 16-25, the Cubs are horrendous on the road and play the majority of their remaining games there. They finish fourth. In my boldest National League prediction (recall the AL's "Rangers win the East" prediction from yesterday), I like Houston to push past Milwaukee and grab second place. No matter though, only St. Louis moves on to the post-season.

NL West

Ahhh, finally a division that doesn't make my head hurt. It's simple: Nothing will change. The Dodgers are the best team in baseball. There's your division winner. The D-Backs and Padres will remain 4-5. Neither club shows signs of making moves to add more punch at the plate, and Dan Haren and Mark Reynolds just may be the only ones keeping Arizona from going further under. The Giants are playing shocklingly good baseball. Between Freak Lincecum fanning 10 per game and Jonathan Sanchez's no-no, it feels good to call them a playoff-worthy team. Finally. The Rockies just aren't getting it done. Mad props to Jason Marquis for at least giving them a shot. Colorado finishes third.

Playoffs

The Wild Card round pairs division rivals Dodgers and Giants. The season series between these two clubs is extremely tight, so don't be surprised to see San Fran force a Game 6 or 7. Dodgers win though. The Phillies will have home field advantage in their series with the Cardinals, and I like them to take care of business, like the defending champions should. In the two games the Phillies played in St. Louis this year, "taking care of business" is an understatement. This year, however, a different result will come from a Dodgers-Phillies NLCS. Neither team has hardly changed in appearance since last year, but L.A. is playing far better ball.

You can't dethrone the two clear-cut best teams in baseball in the Boston Red Sox and L.A. Dodgers. They will match for the World Series (and I'll call it now: AL wins the All-Star game tonight, giving the Sox home field).

My Red Sox emerge victorious in true World Series fashion: seven games. Tim Wakefield over Clayton Kershaw. Wakefield strikes out former pal Manny with his signature knuckleball, and all of Beantown erupts. Now that's a bold prediction.

League leaders coming soon!

Poll Correction

I apologize for posting an incorrect AL All-Star starting lineup in the poll to your right. Toronto 2B Aaron Hill will be making the start in front of Carlos Pena. Pena was named to the roster after Boston 2B Dustin Pedroia pulled out of All-Star weekend to be with his pregnant wife, however Hill (already on the roster as a backup) got the nod from Joe Maddon this afternoon. Batting in the 8-spot, if you're interested. I can't change the poll so if you're vote is for Aaron Hill, go ahead and just select Pena. Sorry!

Midsummer MLB Predictions - AL

No Major League team is scheduled to play another game until July 16. Three days away. That can only mean one thing. Well, two actually: 1) It's the All-Star break, and 2) It's time for my predictions for the rest of the MLB season. I'm going to give you the final standings, playoff forecasts, and some statistical leaders for this season's end. So what should you expect from now through the October Classic? Today, we'll cover the American League. Take a look:

AL East

As a Red Sox fan, I have believe they're going to hold onto this division. If you're the Yankees, with all of the money spent on big-name acquisitions in the offseason, playing in a stadium that basically doubles as a wind tunnel, and you don't have a hold on the division at the break, you won't. Not this year. The Rays won't catch the Yanks and will remain in the 3-hole, despite a strong finish. Toronto's woes will only worsen as the Jays look to ship ace Halladay out of Canada, eh. Their offense will keep them out of last though. And I say it year after year: the Orioles bring up the rear. Promising young talent there though.

AL Central

The Royals and Indians are well out of this race, the latter being the far more disappointing of the two clubs this season. Hey, anyone down in KC will tell ya, if their team is looking to have a shot to climb out - and stay out - of last in the Central, that spells success! Detroit has a ton of weapons on the mound and simply refuses to lose at home, so they remain at the top. My heart lies with Minnesota, so I give the Twins the slight edge over the White Sox for second place. Mauer, Morneau, and Kubel really fuel this team. Detroit emerges as the only playoff-bound team.

AL West

Out west, the Angels are playing great ball this season, but Seattle and Texas are playing the Emmy-worthy part of annoying little brothers; they're always around! In probably my boldest prediction for the American League, I like the Rangers to jump the Angels for first place. Head-to-head, Texas dominates, and I love their power at the plate. I can't let L.A. drop past second though, which puts the promising Mariners in the 3-spot. The Athletics (ironic) can barely rely on Triple-A-sized crowds showing up to their contests. If it wasn't for the Nationals, the A's would be the worst team in baseball.

Playoffs

There will be a tight race for the Wild Card spot, which will include the Yankees, Angels, and maybe the Twins. It's been sort of a "below expectations" kind of year for New York, and the complete opposite for L.A. The Angels are the better team, and frankly, they'll be pissed that they're not atop the AL West at season's end. Anger is good fuel, so L.A. wins the race, setting up an Angels-Red Sox Wild Card series (Boston will finish with the most wins of the division champions). I'll say it now: meeting the Red Sox in the playoffs if you're the Angels spells trouble. Red Sox win. The 2-3 series then matches the Rangers and Tigers. Both teams play horribly on the road, so advantage home team here. The Rangers should win in four or five games. I like my Sox to return to the World Series, especially with home field advantage over Texas, something they lacked in the regular season, playing six of the nine games in Arlington.

National League and statistical leader predictions coming soon!

10 ways you know you're a Red Sox fan

1. You've said "Nuh-uh, not as good as a FENWAY Frank."

2. You have a dog named Youk, a fish named Big Papi, and Jacoby is just the sweetest name in the world, hands down.

3. The sight of a Yankee fan simply makes you want to turn around and walk the other way.

4. When you call the score "19-18" in a game of ping pong, you pause for a moment, smile, then serve.

5. You know every word of Sweet Caroline.

6. It doesn't matter if Joe Torre is with the Dodgers now, you still hate his guts.

7. A Red Sox loss to the Orioles makes you want to projectile vomit.

8. You believe when they're not in first, they're basically in last.

9. You've said, "At least ours isn't about a GOAT."

10. The terms "bloody sock, through his legs, Bret Boone," and "Manny" are severe emotional triggers.

Ed Thomas

I would like to devote my first blog post to the late Ed Thomas. Thomas' passing seemingly ignited a chain reaction of newsworthy deaths in the past month, and I believe he was largely overlooked after the initial shock and sadness passed.

I'm not going to be able to give you any new information on Ed Thomas. I can't devote a thousand words about how great of a man he was to his family, any better than his son could; or to the A-P Falcons, like his team could; or to his friends, like the community could. But I can certainly have my opinion of Thomas as a human being, from a perspective taken from about 83 miles away.

What I know is that there is much to be learned from the life of the Aplington-Parkersburg head football coach, to state just one of numerous titles Thomas will be remembered by. He was a molder of men, ultimately sculpting four of his players in to multi-million dollar-worthy NFL beasts. Tell that to the 8-A football squads in central Texas. He was the face of mass makeover of a small town, all but literally wiped from the U.S. map by the most devastating natural disaster in Iowa's history. But his efforts to rebuild Parkersburg from the ground up, and his ability to lead the town's high school football team to victory every Friday night, was shadowed by his faith in God; the same faith that gave him strength and will to do all that he did for his town.

Potentially with another half of his life to live, Ed Thomas was taken from this earth far too soon. The crowd of mourners at his funeral would give most Triple-A baseball crowds a run for their money. It is one thing to mourn the passing of an American icon, television personality, or star athlete; it is another to see a man, a changer of lives, a rebuilder of hopes and dreams to everyone he knew, innocently plucked from a tiny town like Parkersburg. Not that you have to be the man Ed Thomas was, but why wouldn't you want to be?