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The Brett Favre (un)retirement saga is turning into one of the most intriguing PR battles of all time. The fact is, there’s not a lot Favre can do to regain the Packers starting quarterback job. The team is in control. They hold almost all the cards.

The one card Favre does hold is the media. Over the last week Favre and his agent have launched an all out campaign of media manipulation, the ultimate goal being a media inspired fan mutiny that forces the Packers to install Favre at quarterback.

Look at all the unsolicited, carefully worded phrases Favre and his agent have put out. First Favre said he’s going to “call the team’s bluff” and show up to training camp—the implication of the word “bluff” being that the team is somehow being dishonest.

A few days later Favre changed his tune and announced he won’t apply for reinstatement because he doesn’t want to be in a position where he can be fined for not showing up. Again, the implication is the Packers will engage in the villainous behavior of fining their legendary quarterback as he contemplates whether or not to restore the team to glory.

Most recently, Favre’s agent reiterated that Favre wants to be the starter and that the Packers must make a decision. “It’s their move,” he said. There’s only one problem. It’s not their move. The Packers already made a decision. They don’t want him back. That’s it. Nothing else needs to be done.

Of course Favre doesn’t want people to see it that way. The longer this thing drags out the better it is for him. That’s why every time the story starts to fade away Favre and his agent begin pumping newspapers full of empty, meaningless quotes.

Surprisingly, the media has resisted, dealing with the issue in a refreshingly even handed manner. Favre undoubtedly hoped that after being used by the media for 16 years (for articles, interview, cop-out sportsman of the year awards, etc.), the media would return the favor by doing his bidding. It hasn’t quite happened.

It’s now time for Favre to stop. Attempting to manipulate the media is not the way to get things done. If Favre really wants to come back, he needs to show up at training camp, work his ass off, and attempt to convince the Packers brass he’s the best man to lead the team. If Favre isn’t willing to do that, he needs to sit down and shutup.

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Over the years Billy Beane has always had one thing going for him. He doesn’t act like other GMs. That sometimes entails making a deal like the one Beane made today, when he traded his ace, a top 5 MLB pitcher (health permitting) under contract for 15 more months at a reasonable salary, for two bench players, a #3 starter, and a fringe catching prospect four years away from a major league stadium.

Of course in Beane’s eyes the haul consists of a 22 year-old whose dominated older players at every minor league stop, a speedy 2nd basemen with some pop, a five tool outfielder who has never gotten the playing time he deserved, and a former 1st-round pick who was impressive in his pro debut last year.

Obviously Harden’s health in the major factor here. Beane clearly believes Harden is damaged goods. The Cubs clearly believe Harden is worth the risk. Are the A’s merely frustrated with an injury prone pitcher, or are Cubs looking past the red flags due to their excitement over actually having a team with a chance of winning the World Series?

Only time will tell. At first glance the deal seems like a steal for the Cubbies, but it’s so hard not to trust Billy Beane (after all, this is a trade, not another one of his awful drafts). Right now the only surefire winners are the desperate souls who get to debate the trade’s impact on Sean Gallagher’s fantasy value.

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Sorry about the lack of pots recently. Hopefully today’s post is the start of a new trend—not going two weeks without posting. Also, here’s a little mock mock draft I cooked up—if you’re interested in reading pre-draft coverage after the draft.

Before I get to some specific picks that rubbed me the right or wrong way, I need to mention the apparent inefficiencies in the draft that only team like Portland and Seattle are capitalizing on. Because of the NBDL and the ability to leave players in Europe, every single draft pick is much more valuable that it used to be. In the past if you had a 2nd round pick who was good, but had no roster spot, you had to cut him. Now you can send him to the NBDL and watch him get better. Why would any team not be willing to trade cash considerations in order to take a chance on DeAndre Jordan or Bill Walker in the 2nd round. Isn’t is stupid and naive to say that their potential isn’t even worth giving up nothing for? Ok, on to the picks

1. Derick Rose — Chicago

Not sold on him. He’ll only become a great player if he becomes a great shooter. That’s not a sure thing. I also would have liked to see him get more easy layups in college. When guys like Steve Francis and Jason Williams were in college, they would blow by their men for uncontested layups three or four times a game. Rose can get by his man but it always seems like he’s forced into a more-difficult-than-it-should-be finish.

2. Michael Beasley — Miami

I love Beasley. Maybe he’ll be too small in the end. Maybe he’ll get into trouble. But there’s not a small forward or power forward in the NBA who can guard him.

3. O.J. Mayo — Memphis

Just like with Kobe, LeBron, and Derrick Rose, Mayo development as a shooter will make or break his career. If he turns those 8-25 games he had in college into 12-25 games in the NBA, he’ll be a good one.

4. Russell Westbrook — Seattle

Seems like a reach. He’ll need to become a better shooter, but I love his Monte Elllis drive-and-jump-over-the-big-men potential.

5. Kevin Love — Minnesota

Love is going to have an up and down career because his production will depend on matchups. If he’s against and undersized big man he’ll be able to beat him on the glass and back him down for jump hooks. But he’s going against a guy like Dwight Howard or Brenday Haywood, or a big man who puts the ball on the floor, he’s going to get torched.

6. Danilo Gallinari — New York Knicks

He plays in Europe. Nobody knows how good he actually is.

7. Eric Gordon — L.A. Clippers

I hated Gordon is college and I was ready to laugh at whatever team wasted a high pick on him. He’s a carbon copy of Ben Gordon. All he can do is score. He can’t play defense and can’t create easy baskets for his teammates. Ninety percent of the guys in the NBA can score so what’s the point of having a guy like Gordon? But the more I think about it, every other player on the board is flawed, and Gordon’s ability to score is more impressive than any ability of anybody who was left (other than Anthony Randolph’s ability to not gain weight). The Clippers needed a scorer, and in the end I think Gordon was the right pick.

8. Joe Alexander — Milwaukee

I think the American public will never accept the fact that a white guy can be described as having freakish athleticism. So close your eyes and imagine for a second that Alexander is black. You have a guy with “freakish athleticism” who can shoot the lights out and has a developing back-to-the-basket game. Seems like a pretty good pick.

9. D.J. Augustin — Charlotte

I think Augustin is underrated player. He spent two years getting his teammates involved instead of putting up big numbers. If he’s not to small he’ll be solid. Still, there’s no excuse for not picking Jerryd Blayless.

10. Brook Lopez — New Jersey

A no brainer, but it’s hard to like a 7-footer who can’t even get easy shots in college. It’s nice that Lopez can make a fadeaway 15-footer, but shouldn’t he be backing guys down for dunks? I call this the Adam Morrison Corollary. (It was nice that Morrison was making fadeaway 20-footers, but where were the easy baskets. Oh right, there were none.)

11. Jerryd Bayless — Portland

The Trail Blazers are one of the few teams taking advantage of the increasing talent pool of the NBA draft. Bayless is a steal here. Just give the 2010 Championship to the Blazers right now.

12. Jason Thompson — Sacramento

This pick took guts. Even if the Kings think he’s good, why not wait and trade down? Or just wait until somebody else drafts him 20 picks later and then acquire him for cash considerations. This was not good pick value management.

13. Brandon Rush — Indiana

Bayless was better, but Rush can do it all.

14. Anthony Randolph — Golden State

Again, with the NBDL waiting there, why not? Clearly there’s something about him scouts believe could make him a good basketball player.

15. Robin Lopez — Phoenix

He’s a really really good defender, but I still think it’s not a good sign when your ceiling in Anderson Varejao.

16. Marreese Speights — Philadelphia

Big man. Big body. Big numbers. Solid pick.

17. Roy Hibbert — Indiana

I have the same problem with Hibbert as I have with Brook Lopez. Not enough easy baskets in college for a guy with that kind of physical advantage. Hibbert also looks two calculated in all his movements, like he’s consciously trying to remember the footwork he learned at Pete Newell camp. It ends up looking smooth, but it’s really slow. All in all, I don’t think Hibbert has the athleticism to make it.

18. JaVale McGee — Washington

Hate the pick with J.J. Hickson and Darrell Arthur still on the board. The Wiz blew it.

19. J.J. Hickson — Cleveland

My favorite pick of the first round. Hickson dominated the ACC as a freshman. He shot 59% from the field (Hansbrough was 2nd at 54%), and did it against the front lines of Duke, UNC, Clemson (great frontcourt), and Maryland (with the 2nd and 3rd best shot blockers in the ACC, James Gist and Bambale Osby). Hickson isn’t just a big body. He has inside skills and nice touch on his jumper. I think he can be another David West-Carl Landry-Antoni0 McDyess-type player.

20. Alexis Ajinca — Charlotte

He plays in France. Nobody knows how good he actually is.

21. Ryan Anderson — New Jersey

He played at Cal. Nobody knows how good he actually is.

22. Courtney Lee — Orland0

The Magic need a shooting guard. Lee can score. Good need-based pick.

23. Kosta Koufas — Utah

Who doesn’t need another Mehmet Okur?

24. Serge Ibaka — Seattle

At least him and Sene can hang out on their D-league team.

25. Nicholas Batum — Houston

He plays in Europe. Nobody knows how good he actually is.

26. George Hill — IUPUI

I’m willing to trust whatever the Spurs do at this point. They’re clearly smarter than everybody else. I can judge what the Grizzlies do. I can’t judge what the Spurs do.

27. Darrell Arthur — Memphis

He’s a steal. That’s about all I have to say about that.

28. Donte Greene — Houston

A 6″9 athletic guy who can shoot. Sounds good to me.

29. D.J. White — Detroit

They might have been able to get him later in the draft, but I think White will be a solid NBA Player. When healthy, he physically dominated the Big 10.

30. J.R. Giddens — Boston

It’s always nice to see a guy who transferred from a big program to a smaller program get drafted in the first round. Giddens is freakishly athletic, but he needs to learn how to shoot.

And now a little love for the 2nd round…

34. Mario Chalmers — Miami

I love point guards who can shoot. They change the whole game. Chalmers is the perfect fit for the Heat.

35. Deandre Jordan — L.A. Clippers

Like Anthony Randolph, there’s something scouts like about Jordan. He’s a perfect 2nd round pick.

39. Sonny Weems — Chicago

Weems is big, can shoot, is a lock down defender, and comes off as one of those guys who’s an absolute battler who refuses to let his team lose (you know, unlike Kobe).

40. Chris Douglas-Roberts — New Jersey

He’s a steal here. One reason is that slashers like Douglas-Roberts are really hurt by there not being a semi-circle in the paint in college basketball. They can’t take it to the rim aggressively because somebody will be standing under the basket to take a charge. That won’t happen in the NBA.

47. Bill Walker — Boston

He has a chance to be good. That’s what the 2nd round is all about.

55. Mike Taylor — L.A. Clippers

Here’s what I like about Taylor. He’s already dominated the NDBL when he should have still been in college. I feel like people don’t realize the quality of competition in the NBDL. It’s higher than any conference in college basketball. The NDBL is full of seasoned veterans or guys who were stars in the NCAA. Taylor proved himself against them, and he might soon prove himself against the guys in the NBA.

57. James Gist — San Antonio

Gist has freakish athleticism, was one of the best shot blockers and rebounders in college basketball, has decent post moves, and can make a 20 footer. But he spent four years in college so there must be something wrong with him.

58. Joe Crawford — L.A. Lakers

He just strikes me as the kind of guy who struggles through his college career and only realizes his potential once he gets to the NBA.

 

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Ok. I’m sufficiently recovered from the Penguins Stanley Cup loss and ready to blog once again. Forcing me to get back into the swing of things was Kobe Bryant’s performance last night. It was hands down one of the worst games any player has ever played in the NBA Finals. And I’m not talking about his offense. I’m talking about Kobe’s defense.

The entire game Kobe was mired in his “I’m a freelancer who doesn’t have to guard anybody” mindset that he had from being matched up with Rajon Rando. That’s the reason James Posey and Eddie House made six three pointers. That’s the reason Ray Allen repeatedly got to the basket.

In the 4th quarter Kobe and Paul Pierce went head-to-head. It was mano-a-mano for game 4 of the NBA Finals. Kobe had no chance. Pierce abused him at will, culminating with a horrendous final-minute blocking foul on Kobe 30 feet from the basket. The Lakers effectively needed a stop to keep the series from getting out of hand, and Kobe couldn’t even move his feet.

Offensively, Kobe was no better. During the 4th quarter (while Pierce was repeatedly blowing by Kobe) he could do nothing. Pierce repeatedly forced him into bad shots which Kobe was all too content to take.

Earlier in the game, it was Kobe’s selfishness that helped fuel the Celtics comeback. The Lakers built up a 20 point lead thanks to great ball movement. Kobe wasn’t being a dynamite scorer, he was a ball-mover and a role player and it was working.

In the second half Kobe decided he wanted to join in on the fun. Expecting to turn the game into an even bigger rout, Kobe started with the 1-on-1 possessions. Unfortunately for him, the Celtics kept playing defense and repeatedly forced him into bad shots. Before Kobe knew it, the Lakers’ once mighty lead had been cut in half.

The result? The remaining games the Celtics need to win to secure a title has also been cut in half.

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Game 5 showed every single reason why nothing compares to a sudden death Stanley Cup Playoff game. A team on the brink of elimination was getting pummeled. They held on by a hair, gritted their teeth, and left two of everything they had on the ice. The crowd was living and dying with every play. Twenty thousand fans were 30 seconds away from their pinnacle moment as a sports fan—they were going to see their team win the cup on home ice.

(And by the way, hockey is probably the best sport to witness a championship in person. In all other sports the teams celebrate on the field, but they’re in a hurry to get to the locker and really celebrate. When a team wins the Stanley Cup every single player skates around with it as the fans cheer for him. It’s such an authentic and meaningful interaction between player and fan.)

As the 20,000 Red Wings faithful stood on their feet waiting for the cup, Max Talbot put the puck in the back of the net. (Speaking of Talbot, he’s only 24 but you can already tell that when he’s old, young playoff teams will constantly be trying to acquire him at the trade deadline to bring in veteran leadership and toughness. He’s already that solid of a player.) When Talbot’s shot went in a unique gasp bubbled up from the crowd. It was part “Damn my wife is gonna be pissed I’m coming home late,” part “Fuck, I had $1,000 on Detroit winning,” part “I wanted to see the big shiny cup,” and part “I don’t like Marc Andre Fleury.” Two hours later, thanks to Peter Sykora, in was just another Stanley Cup loss.

Of all the predictions made by players over the years, Peter Sykora’s has to be the craziest. It’s one thing for a player to guarantee a win or great performance in a big game. But to declare you’re going to score a goal during the second overtime of a Stanley Cup game in which your team is getting crushed is completely ridiculous. What were the odds on the Penguins scoring? Sykora scored about 12% of the Penguins goals during the regular season but there was only about a 25% chance the Penguins would score. That means it was at least a 25-1 one shot Sykora would score.

There’s also the possibility Sykora was just joking around with Pierre McGuire. Maybe McGuire was joking that the game was so long and he had to go sleep and Sykora just said something like “Don’t worry, I’m gonna score.”

Though Sykora’s goal came on a legitimate power play, the referees are still getting a lot of shit for the two questionable goaltender interference calls they made earlier in overtime. Here’s the thing. They were the right calls. In both cases a Detroit player skated into the crease and knocked over Fleury without the assistance of a Penguin. If Detroit scored off either of those scrums it would not have been a fair goal. Since the referees can’t wait and just waive off the goal, they have to call a penalty.

Finally, you can’t say enough about Marc Andre Fleury. The save he made on a 2-1 late in the 2nd period is the best save you’ll see in hockey. I’m not saying its the greatest save of all time, but you can’t argue that there’s a tougher save.

Fleury leveled the playing field. He took over the game. He’s the reason the two teams will pay again tomorrow night.

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Gregg Popovich had a big decision to make. His Spurs trailed by two and the Lakers had the ball with 28 seconds left. Should he play defense and hope for a last second shot, or should he foul and attempt to trim the margin? Popovich decided to play defense. Wrong move.

When you play defense, if the Lakers score the game is over. If they get an offensive rebound the game is over. If you lose the rebound out of bounds the game is over. If the Lakers draw a foul late in the possession the game is over. If there’s a long battle for the rebound your ensuing offensive possession is cut in half. And the Spurs didn’t even try to steal the ball. They just let the Lakers walk it up court. Under Popovich’s strategy the best case scenario was being left with 1-4 seconds in which to tie the game. Not so good.

Fouling would have lengthened the game. The Lakers are a good foul shooting team, but only Kobe and Fisher are automatic. There’s a good chance a free throw will be missed. There’s a good chance you’ll get an easy two. There’s a good chance you’ll get an open look at a three. When you foul, the worst case scenario is that you have to make two straight three pointers. That’s almost as good as the best case scenario when you play defense.

So Pops screwed up, then managed to weave his way through the post-game press conference with dignity. You know he’ll get a slap on the back from David Stern for that performance. On the other hand, the TNT reporting team is sure to get a lump of coal from Stern for their focus on the subpar officiating. So will Phill Jackson. In what proved to be the highlight of the night, Jackson responded to questions about the final no-call by referencing another final minute missed call that went against the Lakers (Jackson managed not to mention the horrendous late lose ball foul that gave Lamar Odom two free throws—Odom clearly held Tim Duncan with his left arm.)

Despite the idiocy of Kenny Smith’s reasoning about the final play (it was a foul, but a good no-call), he’s right. I’m happy a playoff game was not decided with a foul call on that type of play. Barry could have gotten the call if he sold it. He didn’t. The pump fake-draw the foul simply wasn’t a move in his repertoire. He didn’t have the skill to make Fisher pay for his defensive mistake.

It’s now clear the Lakers are the superior team. In both game 1 and game 4 the Spurs gave the Lakers their best shot. Gave everything they had. Both times the Lakers responded. Both times the Lakers turned up the switch and put the Spurs away. You know what I’m getting at. Lakers fans, it’s time to start buying those commemorative 2008 Western Conference Champion mousepads.

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…because you’ve decided to disassociate yourself from your suspected co-conspirators.

The truth is, O.J. Mayo is smart to cut ties with Bill Duffy. As long as Duffy remained his agent, the accusations and questions would continues to pour in.

But now that Mayo has severed the relationship he can play the “it’s in the past card.” Whenever anybody tries to bring up the scandal he can talk about how he just wants to move on with his career. He’ll make sure to mention he did nothing wrong, and that his focus is now on being the best NBA player he can be.

This new development should remove any doubt that Mayo and Duffy engaged in some sort of wrongdoing. If Mayo and Duffy were innocent they would have stood on stage together, proclaimed their innocence, and chastised the media for attacking an upstanding young gentleman. That would have been the savvy PR move…if they were innocent. Instead they did the opposite. They ended their relationship in an effort to sweep the whole thing under the rug. That’s the savvy PR move of the guilty.

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I’ll say it. The Pistons had no excuse losing Game 1 against the Celtics. The way I see it, the Pistons don’t have an excuse for losing any game to the Celtics (well, maybe one or two).

Here are the facts. The Pistons have the best point guard, shooting guard, and center in the series. Their power forward is their best player, and their small forward ain’t two shabby either. The Pistons also have the series’ best big man and scoring guard off the bench.

When the Pistons have their starting five on the floor, nobody can be left open from inside 20 feet. Couple that with the fact that the Celtics must double team whoever Ray Allen is guarding, and it seems the Pistons should have an easy time scoring. The key word there is “should,” because in game 1 the Pistons made a mess of their offense.

The Celtics are a very good defensive team, but I refuse to believe they’re so good they can run a double team at an athletic player who knows how to put the ball on the floor and not surrender at least an open 20 footer.

Tonight the Pistons need move the ball better and figure out how to get that open 20 footer.

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Who’s right and who’s wrong? Yesterday the Bengals released Odell Thurman for missing some workouts earlier this month. Thurman says he simply didn’t return to practice as swiftly as the team liked after his grandmother passed away.

Clearly there are other factors which played a roll in the decision. Did Thurman’s past drug suspensions put him on a short leash even for an offense like a bereavement absence? Did the team think the story about Thurman’s grandmother wasn’t the “whole story” (a la Zach Randolph)?

On the other hand, it’s possible to team used Thurman’s absence a way to cut ties with a player who’s had a checkered past. The one word that repeatedly jumps off the page of the AP story on Thurman’s release is “voluntary.” As in the “voluntary” workouts Thurman was released for missing.

Sometimes in sports things happen and fans never know the real story. This is one of those transactions where there’s likely more than meets the eye—a transaction whose purpose falls into the gray area between improving the team and disciplinary action. The decision might have come down to something as trivial as Thurman’s attitude on certain days or a particular interaction he had with coaches.

Rather than make a big deal and fight over who has the moral high ground, both parties seem content to part ways and find a fresh start. Fans will now have to wait for Thurman’s memoirs to find out what really happened.

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—Arlen Specter does not have good timing. He’s chosen to launch his one-man assault on the credibility of the NFL just three months after the chair of Roger Clemens’ congressional hearing (the fabulously mustached Henry Waxman) expressed regret that Congress wasted its time listening to Clemens and Brian McNamee bicker at each other. I admire Specter’s quest for the truth (and higher approval ratings in his native Pennsylvania) but the fact that Roger Goodell seems content to sweep the whole thing under the rug means he likely has a tough path in front of him.

—When will people start talking about the NHL Playoffs? The two most dominant teams in the league are about to meet for a championship. When was the last time that happened in any sport? Lakers-Pistons in 2004? Yankees and Diamondbacks in 2001? (Yes, maybe the 2007 Rockies and Giants, but I’ll consider them postseason wonders.) Right now the Penguins are 11-1 in the postseason. The Red Wings are 11-3 and have looked even more impressive than the Penguins. All of America is going to miss a good series.

—The officiating in the Jazz-Lakers series has been atrociously inconsistent. In game 5 ticky tack fouls were being called on the perimeter, but in the most important sequence of the game Paul Gasol shoved Mehmet Okur out of the way, grabbed the rebound, and scored. It’s so hard to enjoy the NBA when almost every close game is decided by the referees (it’s yet another reason to love the NHL.)

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