I can’t truly say that the end of July was as exciting as the beginning/middle of the month, but still a few things happened. Not necessarily to me, but in the world around me and with the subjects that I pay attention to. So, these are my closing remarks for July.

• FAVRE: Let me preface this “event” by saying that I unequivocally believe that the Packers have a better chance with Favre at QB than they do with Aaron Rodgers at QB. Also, I’m quite sure I’m in the minority on what I’m about to say, but I’m completely comfortable with that, so try not to yell at me for having my opinion. That said…I’m incredibly tired of this whole situation. The battle of words and stubbornness going back and forth is just a bit much, and I really can’t say either side is acting as mature as their ages should indicate they are. I personally think Favre needs to get back on his tractor and ride on home to Mississippi. He made his choice, forced or otherwise, in March, and he needs to own that decision. He’s a big boy, so I find it hard to believe he couldn’t have resisted the Packers’ supposedly forced retirement. Furthermore, his comment that he can’t trust the organization to actually be working on a legitimate trade for him is a little bit of the pot calling the kettle black since the organization trusted him when he said he had given everything he had to the game and the Packers. Also, has anyone bothered to remind Favre that he’s slated to be the Madden cover boy this year? Does he not know that with that cover comes great sacrifice by way of injuries and such?
  • Now for a suggested solution. I think Favre is going about this all wrong. The Packers keep telling him, and the rest of the world, that Aaron Rodgers is their starting QB…no ands, ifs or buts. Ok. Well in that case, that’s the common denominator…the piece of the puzzle that can actually be dealt with. So, with Favre being from Mississippi, I’m sure he’s got some boys who can take care of the situation. I mean the Italian mob is one thing, but few have been able to survive a good old-fashioned redneck beat down without some kind of permanent damage. (I am in no way condoning such actions.)
• DENVER: I went to Denver for a business conference last week. About a month ago, I checked on the average temperature for July. Supposedly it is 74, so why was it 90 degrees the whole time I was there? The biggest surprise to me was how flat Denver was. I expected to be surrounded by mountains, but really…nothing. Also, I think I could have fit my entire hometown inside the Denver airport. I enjoyed my lunch at Casa Bonita and my steak at Elway’s…highly recommend both if you ever go. The conference was a bit boring, but this was my 5th one of these…none of them have been especially exciting. On a different note, I really had fun catching up with some friends who moved to Denver six years ago for a church planting. It felt so good to be around them, again. I had a bit of trouble getting out of Denver last Friday as my plane couldn’t seem to get off the ground anywhere near on time, and I ended up landing four and a half hours after I was supposed to.
• COLTS:
  • So, Peyton decided to have surgery to remove an infected bursa sac ten days before training camp started. What planning, sweetheart! Both Peyton and Tony assure us that he won’t miss a snap of the regular season, and I’m rolling with that because if there’s anything I’ve learned in my 14 years of Peyton Manning adoration, it’s that he does not let silly things like injuries get in his way. He’s stubborn as all get out, so I hope two things: (1) he listens to the doctors and (2) when it’s his time to retire, he takes a different route than Favre has. Apparently, there has been a sighting in Terre Haute, IN (site of the Colts Training Camp) after 5 days without him. He is being kept under lock and key with his leg (and knee) immobilized, but he’s there. Maybe now ESPN can stop their Manning missing from training camp watch.
    o The report from training camp is that Jim Sorgi is doing a pretty ok job in Peyton’s absence with the lone exception that he holds onto the ball too long. Just curious if these reporters are familiar with Peyton’s MO with the football. He, too, tends to hold onto the football longer than I’d like sometimes.
  • Word on the streets (the Terre Haute streets not the Philly streets) is that Marvin is back to his old self making quick cuts and catching ridiculous passes. That’s good to hear. I like that he appears ready to rock and roll.
• AFL: Speaking of rock and roll, the Philadelphia Soul Arena Football League team won the ArenaBowl on Sunday afternoon giving Philadelphia their first sports championship in what I believe is 24 years. The Soul is owned in part by Jon Bon Jovi who was featured quite a bit during the game. I don’t follow Arena Football quite frankly because I don’t have room in my brain to hate another set of referees, but I did watch the championship game and enjoyed getting to see Jon so happy for this team. From everything I’ve read about them since the team was formed in 2004, Jon has tried to create a family-first and community-oriented team…two characteristics I really like. So, kudos to the Jersey boy helping Philly bring a championship back to their city. The parade is on Thursday.
• ALABAMA FOOTBALL: It’s 32 days until the kick-off of the 2008 season. I’m trying my hardest to actually get excited about it. I think I’ve been unimpressed and annoyed by the last few seasons so much that I’m really just uninterested…or maybe just not looking forward to it. I know Nick Saban didn’t promise us anything but that he would coach our boys when he came to town to be our coach, but I’d just like a few opportunities to be proud to wave the crimson and white. Don’t get me wrong, I wave the colors proudly even when we lose, but that’s usually in support of them fixing whatever is wrong. It’s incredibly sad to me that I’m looking more forward to college basketball starting than college football.
• COLLEGE BASKETBALL: Speaking of college basketball, midnight madness is less than 12 weeks away. I already feel that the hype surrounding North Carolina is setting us up for a HUGE fall, but I can’t help but be incredibly excited to see them run up and down the court in the Blue again. I really want that championship for all the guys on the team, and hopefully that last disappointment (that is still too painful to speak of) will be the last disappointment they need to get their butts in gear. I truly hope that by the time March madness rolls around the world isn’t against the Tar Heels just because they’re tired of hearing Tyler Hansbrough’s name or even the North Carolina name for that matter. Come on…the kid stayed all four years…that just doesn’t happen any more for kids with his talent level. On the Alabama Basketball front, I’m so happy that Coach Gottfried hired Antoine Pettway as an assistant coach for this season. He’s an alum, and one of the main reasons we made it to the Elite Eight back in 2004, so I figure if anyone can help Coach show them the way, it’s Pettway (no pun intended).
• AUGUST RECESS: It’s so close I can taste it!

Alright, so that’s all I got to wrap up July. I wish I had more “celebrity” sightings for you…Perhaps next time. I’m hunkering down for the last 12 days of my 20s, and I do have to say that I’ve managed to squeeze quite a bit into these last couple of years. Maybe the first couple of years of the 30s will be just as entertaining. I do know that I’ll be starting them off with a bang…but that’s a surprise for a blog entry to come…you’ll just have to wait and see.