SN reporters dig into Favre situation, other sports issues

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Sports reporters Alex DiFilippo and lifestyle reporter Jahshua Smith squabble over stories that are making local and national headlines.

Now that Brett Favre has been reinstated by the NFL, should the Green Bay Packers start him or Aaron Rodgers?

AD: The Green Bay Packers’ decision to reinstate Brett Favre only makes sense.

As much as I’m sick of hearing about him, he is Brett Favre, after all.

It would be a bad idea to let the all-time leader in touchdown passes slip away just because you gave your word to Aaron Rodgers. As unfriendly as that sounds, let’s face it — the NFL is a business. The fans want to see a winning team, and Favre gives the Packers the best chance to win.

Regardless, I just don’t want to hear any more about the Packers’ quarterback situation until the season actually starts.

JS: The saga between Brett Favre and the Green Bay Packers really chips away at some of the respect I’ve garnered for him over the years.

The organization having to deal with his inability to make a concrete decision about his retirement puts both parties at a disadvantage.

Aaron Rodgers may not be the perfect heir apparent but that speaks to the inability of the organization to find a player who they can trust enough to take over. Since they settled for Rodgers, it’s now their duty to transition him into an efficient starting quarterback — something that he has the potential to become.

Can the slumping Detroit Tigers still make the playoffs, or will they miss out on the postseason for the second year in a row?

AD: Although the Detroit Tigers’ outlook for the rest of the season appears grim, I still believe they will make the playoffs.

There’s no doubt that Sunday’s game against the Tampa Bay Rays was an absolute embarrassment, but the Tigers still have 51 games to make some noise.

After this week’s series against the Chicago White Sox, the Tigers only play one team that is above .500 for the rest of August.

Sure, the bullpen has been horrible, but the core of the ‘pen consists of veterans who know how to get it done down the stretch.

As tough as they can be to watch, the season isn’t over yet. Expect the Tigers to sneak into the playoffs during the last week of the season.

JS: I haven’t given up on my beloved Tigers yet, but one has to wonder whether they have enough pitching to capture the AL Central crown.

Newly acquired pitcher Kyle Farnsworth has been called upon to be the Tigers’ savior in the bullpen, but he hasn’t given much hope in the two games he’s played.

Bums like Fernando Rodney and Todd Jones — who’s probably more valuable to the team now that he’s on the disabled list — don’t appear to be solutions either. Neither have shown signs of emerging from their season-long slumps.

Add the feeble bullpen to the team’s poor starting pitch and it’s easy to see that barring a vast turnaround in our staff, we’ll be on the outside looking in come October.

How will former MSU guard Drew Neitzel fare in Germany, and is the NBA still in his future?

AD: Drew Neitzel made a good decision to play in Germany.

Neitzel will see a lot of the court for the Artland Dragons.

He had opportunities to play for more prestigious European teams, but he wanted to make sure he signed with a squad that needed a point guard.

When I talked to Rob Babcock, assistant general manager of the Minnesota Timberwolves earlier this summer, he sounded very optimistic about Neitzel’s future in the NBA.

It won’t be easy, but if he works hard enough, he will eventually get his shot in the NBA.

JS: Sadly, Neitzel’s progression since becoming Mr. Basketball in 2004 was not what the NBA was looking for, as teams elected not to use a draft pick on him this year.

The silver lining for Neitzel is that European leagues are of higher quality these days, meaning he’ll be exposed in a more positive light.

It’s feasible that Neitzel can put in work with his new team and find his way to the league one day, but worst case scenario, he carves out a niche in Germany and makes good money along the way.

A career in Europe doing what you’re passionate about and getting paid for it? Sign me up.

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