The Brett Favre situation is getting interesting. Right now, Favre is a former NFL Star...since he retired. However, now he wants to un-retire and the Packers aren't too thrilled about it. I don't blame the Packers or Favre, however if Brett wants to come back that's his right. He is one of the great QBS of all-time so he should get a break on this one.

Favre asked the Packers to release him...but Green Bay said no. I think they should either let him come back as the starter, or release him. It's not fair to Favre to hold him back like that. He deserves a shot to play. If its not with the Packers...then he should be able to go somewhere else....and PLAY.

It's a busy time down at the Blazers' practice facility, as they work out prospects before the NBA Draft. All sorts of names have visited Tualatin. But one name that hasn't worked out for the team is stirring up all kinds of debate.... Kevin Love.

The Blazers have invited the former Lake Oswego star to work out prior to the draft, but as of this writing, he has yet to RSVP.

For some reason, this has a lot of Oregonians upset, saying Love is snubbing his hometown team. These are probably the same people who leveled insult after insult at Love when he played down at Mac Court back in January, simply because he "snubbed" the Ducks to play at UCLA (that's another debate for another time).

Folks, there is nothing that requires Kevin Love to workout for the Blazers. The weeks before the draft are a long process, and take a lot of work to navigate. Here are three reasons Kevin Love should NOT work out for the Blazers.

1. The Blazers have the 13th overall pick - The chances that Love is available at #13 are minimal. A trade to jump up higher is possible, but would likely be too high for GM Kevin Pritchard to take. For Love, working out for the Blazers would mean working out for a team that probably CAN'T draft him.

2. Not every player needs to work out for every team. Let's look at CJ Giles of Oregon State, he's doing anything he can to sell himself to an NBA team. He HAS to. Right now, he's unlikely to get picked, and needs to generate as much interest in himself as possible. There are all sorts of teams interested in Kevin Love. He doesn't have to create a buzz... it's already there.

3. Workouts are NOT always a good thing. Say you work out for a team, and a coach doesn't like how you shoot the ball. It doesn't matter if you're a 100% shooter, word's going to spread like wildfire that you don't have a good shot, hurting your draft stock. Based on his in-game action from this year, Kevin Love has a great resume. Sometimes it is smarter and safer to let that resume stand for itself.

I think Kevin Love is going to make a great pro player, emphasis on the word "Pro." As with any walk of life, professionals only do things that help them gain something.

Right now, there is really nothing for Kevin Love to gain from working out for the Blazers.

So what do you think? Which is better? The NCAA Basketball Tournament or the NBA Playoffs?

I love them both...but I prefer the NBA Playoffs. It's the Celtics and the Lakers in the Finals and it's going to be great. The first week of the NCAA Tournament is fantastic...and office pools are fun, but the intensity of the NBA Playoffs is tough to beat.

These are the most skilled players in the world...giving their best. The Celtics and Hawks in the first round. I loved it. Celtics and Cavs in the second round. Great stuff! That first game between the Spurs and Suns was amazing. The Lakers beat the Spurs 4-1 in the Western Conference finals...but what a great series.

I was having a friendly discussion with some people in the office and most were pro NCAA Tournament. Then I asked...what do you like better...the NCAA Hockey Tournament or the Stanley Cup? The NHL is the winner hands down.

The NBA Playoffs Rock...and I hope the Blazers add the Roll to it next season!

A TV newsroom sees tons and tons of information come through every day. We get all sorts of mail, faxes, and e-mails. We also have to sift through wire stories and advisories from the network.

One such advisory caught my eye today. It was ESPN's Restrictions for using footage from this week's Scripps National Spelling Bee. The sports network paid for the exclusive rights to televise the event "throughout the universe" and is restricting the use of its video by other broadcasters.

Such restrictions are common, and just. Networks pay millions, sometimes billions, for the right to air big events. They should be able to maintain some level of exclusivity.

But this advisory did bring up one question... What on Earth is a sports network doing showing a spelling bee?

Or better... Should a sports network be showing a spelling bee?

My answer may surprise you. I'm going to say yes.

No, Spelling Bees are not a sport. But neither is poker, and that shows up on sports networks all the time (as do dominos and darts).

And sure, many of the kids participating don't have an athletic bone in their bodies.

But at their heart, Spelling Bees are competitions, much like sports. They also make for surprisingly compelling drama, just like Poker.

While they aren't sports, they are definitely cousins in the competition family, and deserve the occasional showcase on TV. Most of us see our cousins at least once a year, whether it be a holiday or a family reunion.

Besides, isn't it cool that somebody actually gets celebrated for being smart?

Lightning did not strike twice for the Blazers. After hitting the Draft Lottery jackpot in 2007, Portland heard its name called early in the 2008 proceedings. They're scheduled to pick 13th this year... emphasis on the "scheduled."

GM Kevin Pritchard and company have a lot of options with their pick. They can hold position, and draft for need and depth. They can trade the pick for a veteran or future pick. They can also gamble and try to trade up, and add one more young star to their nucleus. There are lots of options.

What do you think the Blazers should do with their pick?

Do you have all sorts of disposable income... say millions of dollars... handy? Then how about jumping on the latest trend: launching your own professional football league.

Last week, organizers announced plans to launch the United National Football League in January of 2009. The league wants to serve as a minor league for the NFL.

The UNFL joins two other leagues, the All-American Football Conference and the United Football League, in planning to launch within the next calendar year.

But don't go looking for a favorite team to latch onto just yet.

Do you know who Jay Berwanger is? He was the number one draft pick for the Philadelphia Eagles. No, not this year...but back in 1936 during the first NFL Draft. Berwanger was also the first Heisman Trophy winner in 1935. He was from the University of Chicago.

The NFL Draft has become one of the biggest days of the year for Pro Football fans. It's fun to see where the big time college stars are going to go. I think Jonathan Stewart is going to do well with Carolina and have a terrific NFL Career...and I also feel that Pittsburgh is a good fit for Dennis Dixon.

Here's another interesting draft tid bit. The great Johnny Unitas was also drafted by the Steelers. He went in the 9th round in 1955. He was cut before he threw one NFL pass.
Unitas was playing sandlot football for six dollars a game when he was signed to the Baltimore Colts for 17-thousand dollars on a make the team basis. He not only made the team but went on to be considered by many as the greatest qb of all time.

By the way, Berwanger never played in the NFL. According to the Eagles Encyclopedia...he had a business degree and thought he could make more money in the real world. The Bears bought his signing rights for 16-thousand dollars but Berwanger wanted a two year deal for 25 grand. The Bears thought it was too much so Berwanger never played. Berwanger started his own company manufacturing rubber and plastic parts and became a wealthy man. He said he never regretted the decision.

Draft day is great...but it's just the start.

What a fickle business the NFL is. On this day two years ago, Shaun Alexander had just become highest paid running back in history, and was talking all about a return trip to the Super Bowl.

Today, Shaun Alexander is unemployed.

The Seahawks officially cut the former MVP, two years removed from their Super Bowl run, and two years after signing him to a monster contract.

The move may surprise some fans, but was expected by football insiders. The NFL is a "what have you done for me lately?" league.

Blame injuries, a changing offensive line, or whatever you want, but Alexander ain't done much for the Seahawks of late.

In 2005, Alexander led the NFL with 1,880 yards rushing and 28 touchdowns. Compare that to his last two seasons combined, where he racked up only 1,612 yards and 12 touchdowns.

It's sad that Alexander's career in Seattle ended with such a thud, but this is how things are done in the NFL. The Hawks signed Julius Jones and TJ Duckett in free agency to revive their running game, making Alexander very expendable.

There isn't a lot of job security if you're an NFL back.

With the draft this weekend... there's talk about Darren McFadden and where he'll go. A lot of the talk is about how you can find running backs in the lower rounds and turn them into stars.

Let's not forget that Alexander himself was a low first round pick, and quickly supplanted Ricky Waters in the Seahawks backfield.

In other Seahawks news, don't be "shocked" if the Seahawks land Shockey. Word out of New York is that Seattle has entered the Jeremy Shockey sweepstakes, battling it out with the Saints to possibly trade for the Tight End.

Much like Alexander, Shockey became expendable when somebody else (Western Oregon's Kevin Boss in this case) came along.

It was a great night at the Rose Garden. The Blazers beat the Grizzlies 113-91 to assure themselves at least a 500 record. They are 41-40 with one more at Phoenix on Wednesday.

Travis Outlaw with a pair of amazing dunks at the end capped it all off and sent the fans home waiting to see more next season.

Blazer fans are lucky, they have a young talented team of great guys to cheer for...and they are going to get even better in the years to come. Near the end of the game...with the Blazers up big....one by one the starters left to a standing ovation. It was a very nice gesture by the fans...and the team deserved it. The Blazers finished 28-13 at the Rose Garden, their best home record in six seasons..."We're just trying to bring Blazer Mania back...I think we started it this year and keep building it every year," said Blazer Forward LaMarcus Aldridge.

Yes, just imagine..opening night 2008...and Greg Oden at Center. I talked to the big man after the game tonight...and he told me, "It was very exciting knowing that the next home game I'll be playing in Hopefully."

It's been a long time coming Blazer fans, enjoy it, because from the front office down...The Blazers are Winners!

What a weekend at the Masters. Trevor Immelman leads start to finish at beats the legendary Tiger Woods by three shots. Everyone was waiting for Tiger to make a big move...but the conditions on the course were so difficult. Tiger didn't play badly....only four golfers in the field scored better in the final round. Immelman played well all week and it was his time to win.

It takes skill and sometimes a little bit of luck...and Immelman had both at the Masters. During the third round...he had his approach on the par 5 15th backup toward the water...but somehow it found a small flat spot and stopped. It probably saved him two shots. His winning margin was just three.

It's hard to say how he would have reacted if Tiger could have gotten close. It was still a very entertaining afternoon of Major Championship golf.

By the way, did you catch Lorena Ochoa. She won the LPGA Tournament by 11 shots and she did it in her home country of Mexico. Ochoa has won four of her five starts this season.

We're about to start one of the best events in the world of sports, though it's becoming more and more of a secret in the U.S.

The NHL's Stanley Cup playoffs start tonight, with four of the first round matchups dropping the puck. In all, 16 teams will battle for the right to hold one of the oldest trophies in sports. FYI, a quick wikipedia check tells me that the Stanley Cup was named for Lord Frederick Stanley, who served as Governor General of Canada back in the day. He donated the original cup as an award to Canada's top amateur hockey team.

There is nothing like playoff hockey, in which every goal seems to up the tension in a game. All that talk about getting higher seeds means nothing. It's not uncommon for an #8 to beat a #1.

Even better is a playoff game that goes to overtime. First goal wins the game, which goes until somebody scores. The tension goes up with every shot on goal.

But good luck finding these games on your TV during the week (NBC is showing weekend games). Gone are the days of playoff double headers on ESPN, replaced by who knows what on the Versus Network. Myself and many others don't get Versus. Many people that get it don't even know they do. Since returning from the lockout that killed an entire season, the NHL has... in TV terms... dropped off the proverbial sports map.

We all know...it's about winning games, right? And today, OSU named Craig Robinson their new head basketball coach. Nowhere to go but up, right? I'm not gonna be a critic here and judge the guy already! I know, you know, and he knows what needs to be accomplished. So, let's just let him get his feet wet, find a house to buy, learn about the valley a little more, etc. Then, we can judge him once he rolls up the sleeves and gets to work! Too many internet message boards are crucifying the guy already! Robinson may not have been OSU's first, second, or third choice.....but he sure sounded like a likable guy. And from everything I've heard from guys over on the right coast....he's a motivator! Does any team west of the Mississippi need motivating more than the Beavs right now? I'm glad Bob DeCarolis shyed away from PSU's Ken Bone too. As a Viking alum, I'm thrilled he'll be back in on the Park Blocks! As I see it, it's a "win win" for both OSU and PSU today!

However, none us know how to quit when we're ahead either, so we decided to give it another go with Baseball.

So, out came the crystal balls and tea leaves... again.

Here are our division and wild card picks for the 2008 MLB season.

It's a great time to be a basketball fan. First, there is the NCAA Tournament. Second, the NBA season is winding down...and getting better every week. Let's face facts, this is the best time of the season to follow the NBA. The really good teams are trying to position themselves for the Playoffs and the post season is where they step it up a notch.

A week ago I went to the Blazers-Suns game as a fan. It was great fun. The Suns won the game and Shaq looked about as good as I've seen him in a long time. Phoenix is starting to put it together. Also, I'm headed to Seattle with my son to see the Blazers game with the Sonics. I bought some 25 dollar tickets...300 level...center court. It's going to be a blast.

The NCAA tournament has been great so far. Terrific finish to the Stanford game...with a last second shot in overtime. How about Kevin Love? He was fantastic down the stretch against Marquette for UCLA. Kevin did it on both ends of the floor with 7 blocks and the two picture perfect fadeaway jumpers. Wow! I've got UCLA, Stanford, Washington St. and Kansas as the final four in my Tournament bracket. UCLA over Kansas in the final.

Let the Madness continue. By the way, I've got to get up in a few hours to watch the end of the PGA tournament on the Golf Channel.

I love sports. Have a great week.

What's up? Welcome to the second round. You may notice there aren't as many teams here with you. Expect that trend to continue as you get deeper into the tournament.

--Got to start with Duke. I won't shed any tears for the Blue Devils. They really should have lost in the first round. However, all the credit does go to West Virginia, who played like gangbusters to pull off the upset.

--You should have heard Joe Becker during the Stanford game. He almost blew the roof off of the newsroom when the Cardinal nailed that buzzer beater. Joe has Stanford reaching the final four in our newsroom brackets, which of course are played only for entertainment and educational purposes.

--Everyone in our newsroom asks me how my brackets are doing. My answer is simple. I didn't fill out any. I'm not putting myself in any position where I might have to think about rooting against Washington State.

--Speaking of which, if you coach young basketball players, and want to inspire them to play defense, show them The Cougs against Notre Dame. The Irish averaged 80+ points a game this season, but only managed 41 against WSU. The Cougs imposed their will, making Notre Dame throw up ugly shot after ugly shot. The Irish shot 24.5% from the field. Defense does indeed win championships.

--So do awesome players. Kevin Love took over the game, giving UCLA the win over a very game Texas A&M squad, which actually lead for most of the contest. In a weekend that saw OJ Mayo and Michael Beasley get knocked out early, the big man from Lake Oswego is now the freshman of note in this tournament.

--Take that Bobby Knight. First, his champion pick Pittsburgh gets bounced by Michigan State. Then, after bagging on the Pac-10 Friday, he watches 3 of its teams punch their tickets to the sweet 16.