In the continuing saga of the Brett Favre/Green Bay soap opera, there are numerous reports the Packers are offering Favre up to $20 million to stay retired.

Gosh, I’m thinking it would take far less, say, a measly $10 million, for me to chuck it all and stay that way.

So, what say you? How much bottom-line, coin-of-the-realm would it take to get you to head for the hot stove league?

–Jim–

This is the game that matters. The two teams have met five times this season with Spearfish winning three and Post 320 winning two. But all that goes out the window tonight. The winner will play in the state tournament and against Post 22 in the championship game, the loser’s season is over.

With both teams running thin on pitching it could be another slugfest. Both teams have hit the ball extremely well throughout the tournament, and there is no reason it should change.

In talking with Post 320 outfielder and first baseman Zach Cimburek he thinks the game while have a lot of offense.

“There going to come out swinging the bats. They’ve got a great hitting team and so do we, so we’re going to have to match them the entire way.” Said Cimburek.

The game gets started at 6 p.m. at Hyde Field in Pierre. It should be an intense and good game.

A couple of recent trades in different sports got me to thinking … who would you rather have (or not have) … Manny Ramirez on your baseball team or Ron Artest on your basketball team?

I’ll preface this by saying that I’ve always liked Manny until he pushed the old man down for not getting him 16 tickets to the Devil Rays game. That was way too much for me. Artest, on the other hand, I’ve always disliked (everything about his game is ugly, related to force and intimidation) but he’s so outspokenly stupid (the brawl was just you representing black culture, Ron? Seriously?) that I actually kind of feel sorry for him, even if he makes $7.5 million per year, which, by NBA standards, is seriously underpaid.

I’ve got a friend who tells me team chemistry is vital in baseball, but it seems to me that if a guy hits .300 with 40 HR and 125 RBI, or throws 95 with a nasty change-up, team chemistry can take a backseat every day of the week. Who cares if you get along with a guy if he helps you win what is essentially an individual sport (batter vs. pitcher), right? 

Basketball is a little different. Everything on the floor is based on how players react to each other. Artest is a talent, no doubt, but he always seems to be an eyelash away from doing something to either get sent to jail or placed in a mental institution.

Put it this way — the only teammate Artest has ever been close to is Stephen Jackson. That’s enough to scare me off right there if I’m a general manager.

- Padraic

Post 22 is the only remaining undefeated team after taking care of Spearfish, 12-2.

Post 22 looks as good offensively as they have all season. They saw so many great pitchers this summer that it is clear that it’s paying off now. The biggest surprise is the bottom of the batting order’s production. Jake Bohne, the 15-year old who played Pony League baseball last season is really coming on. He has three doubles in the tourney and has been hitting line drives all over the park.

Another hitter for Post 22 that has heated up is Jarrett Jensen. He doesn’t have a power hitter’s frame, but has been consistently driving the ball deep. He has six RBI already in the regional.

The bottom of the line-up will be a big key if Post 22 is going to win the tournament.

All five teams have now played at least one game in the 3A regional. I think Post 22, just by tradition and the way they played today have to be considered the favorites. All those questions that were there before the tournament are still there. It was only one game, but they looked sharp from warm-ups all the way until the last inning. They hit the ball one thru nine in the order, and played solid defense behind Kolton Emery. Dare I say, they looked as good as I’ve seen them play all year.

However, Spearfish is tough as well. They hit the ball up and down the line-up and have two good pitchers to choose from going into tomorrow. I talked with Spearfish coach Matt Kemp and he said he’s deciding between Jess Cooper and Cody Rosenau as the starter for tomorrow against Post 22. Post 22 will no doubt throw Sam Wolff who is their number two.

Sturgis competed extremely tough and seemed to have the game in hand against Pierre until the last inning. After their number one pitcher, Kasidy Huffman who has already thrown, they are a little thin in the pitching department. Going into tonight against Post 320 they will need a solid performance from whoever they throw.

Post 320 still poses a threat to come through the loser’s bracket even though they will have a long road, having to win three games to make it to the state tournament. They have the offensive fire power. The question is whether they’ll have the pitching.

Does any other Major League Baseball team want to help the Yankees out. I know they haven’t won a World Series in a couple years, but come on. First, the Pirates send a relief pitcher Damaso Marte and Xavier Nady for um, give me a second … no I don’t know any of those guys.

Today, the Detroit Tigers - who despite their early season sturggles are still in the AL Central race - sent Pudge Rodriguez to the Yanks for Kyle Fansworth. I know Pudge of today is not the dominant force he was a few years ago, but honestly I would havel felt the trade was more even if it would have been Pudge for a player to be named later.

Well, there is still some time before the trade deadline and I would not be shocked to see the Yanks be able to flip Shelly Duncan for Mark Teixeira.

Jeff

The town of Pierre is buzzing with baseball fans. In the opening game of the tourney, Pierre vs. Sturgis, the bleachers were packed and fans had to spill out onto the grassy hill on the edge of the field. There is a nervous excitement in the air as the fans know as well as the players and the coaches that the competition in this tournament is very evenly matched.

The Sturgis and Pierre game was filled with drama as it was a seesaw affair that finally ended, 4-3, with a game winning hit by Pierre’s Chance Fredrick in the bottom of the ninth inning. As anticipated it was a pitchers duel between two ace hurlers, Kasidy Huffman from Sturgis, and Michael Gardner from Pierre.

The second game today, between Spearfish and Rapid City Post 320 is expected to be as exciting as the first game. There is a nice size crowd that made the trip down from Rapid City. In talking to a few Post 320 fans it was clear that they weren’t in anyway looking past a very good Spearfish team in the possibility that they may end up playing Rapid City Post 22, should both Post 22 and Post 320 win.

The question coming into today was who would be on the mound for Spearfish and Post 320? Would both of the teams throw their number one pitchers? For 320 there was a question of whether their ace, Adam Carroll, would be healthy. But it appears both pitchers will throw their ace after I talked with both head coaches.

Keep checking the Rapid City Journal online for updates on each game a short time after their completion.   

Michelle Wie has announced she will be skipping the Women’s British Open at Sunningdale in favor of participating in the Legends Reno-Tahoe Open at Reno, Nev. It is her eighth PGA Tour event. Wie has never made the cut at a PGA Tour event, nor has she even managed to win on the women’s tour and has never made the cut on the PGA Tour.
Wie received a sponsor’s exemption for the Tahoe event. Wie, who is managed by her mother and father, has drawn the ire of LPGA vets Annika Sorenstam, Helen Alfredsson and Paula Creamer. All three question why Wie continues to receive exemptions to PGA Tour events, instead of focusing on the LPGA Tour, where, admittedly, she could be really good.
I have no problem with women playing on the men’s tour if they can compete, however, Wie has not done that to date, nor has she even shown she can compete with the women. It seems like there could be plenty of culprits in this story, such as Wie’s parents, Wie’s sponsors and even Wie herself. It’s time for her to learn how to win on the LPGA Tour and quit making a spectacle of herself on the PGA Tour.

Pierre Post 8 and the Sturgis Titans will kick off the SD 3A Regional Tournament at 11 a.m. today. I am at Hyde Field in Pierre, SD., and the field looks pristine.  It is a beautiful day here in Pierre with just a slight breeze.

Today is the day of the ace pitcher. Each team will probably throw their number one pitcher. However, Hyde Field has an extremely short left field fence that will be very friendly right handed hitters. It is only 305 feet down the line, and so the wind, if there is any, will play a big role in how many balls go out of the ballpark.

So it is the ace pitchers vs. the short porch in left. Will the games be low scoring because of the strong pitching, or will a few balls fly out that wouldn’t normally?

In the first game, Sturgis Titan ace Kasidy Huffman will battle Pierre Post 8’s number one Michael Gardner.  

We are only a few minutes from game time, and this is an important one with the winner taking on perennial regional champions Post 22 at 5 p.m. tonight. The loser will play the final game of the evening in a loser out game against the loser of Spearfish/ Post 320 at 8 p.m.

You have to love tennis players.

Ashley Harkleroad, from Georgia, is currently ranked 65th in the world, although she has been as high as No. 39 in June 2003. Considering she’s 23 and pushed Maria Sharapova in a tough match at the 2006 Australian Open, her best days could still be ahead of her (currently, she hasn’t advanced past the third round of a major).

While her career winnings to date total nearly a million dollars, there’s one thing every tennis fan (and non-fan) wants to discuss: she’s the August 2008 cover girl for Playboy.

I guess it pays to have a second job…and get this, her boyfriend got her the photo shoot with Playboy.

–Lenn