Posted April 20, 2006

1. Brett Favre will return to the Green Bay Packers for one more season.
Greg: Fact. Favre looked positively awful last year, handing out interceptions like the creepy old man from “Family Guy” handing out Popsicles. But Favre has taken his sweet time with this decision, and I can’t imagine him making the Packers wait this long just to retire and leave them helpless in the draft. He cares too much about the franchise and the city to handicap them like that, so I expect him to announce his return for at least one more season. Just don’t expect him to rebound, because Green Bay has done nothing at all in the off-season to make the team better.
Michael: Fact. Favre didn't have the best year of his career last year, so I see him coming back for one last shot. His lackluster year wasn't entirely his fault, though. I think the Packers might pick up some important supporting players in the NFL draft, which will definitely help him out. He threw the most interceptions he's ever thrown in a season last year, and he also had the lowest passer rating of his career. After stats like that, I think Favre's enough of a competitor to play for one more season and go out on top.
2. According to reports, Adam Morrison is going pro. It's the right move for him.
Greg: Fiction. Health concerns aside, Morrison has a shot at immortality if he comes back. He could be the first (and, perhaps, only) person to guide Gonzaga to a national championship. He will be nothing but better if he returns to the Bulldogs. Meanwhile, if he goes pro, he’ll be decent, but his superstar status is far from guaranteed. The money will still be there next year, possibly in even greater bulk. If he can come back next year and improve his defense a bit, he’ll be set as the nation’s premier can’t-miss NBA prospect.
Michael: Fact. Generally, I'm against players leaving early for the NBA draft, but I agree with this decision. Morrison has made the comment that if he went pro, it would be because of his health. Morrison is diabetic and that will probably shorten his career. Like the saying goes, he's got to "get it while the gettin's good." The extra year he would spend in college could be important in the long run. He could be a better player after another year of college, but because of the circumstances, I support his choice.
3. The Los Angeles Lakers have a legitimate shot at upsetting the Phoenix Suns in the first round of the NBA playoffs.
Greg: Fact. Phoenix is quite good and has (in my view) the league’s most valuable player, Steve Nash. But Kobe Bryant is the league’s most difficult-to-stop scorer. Nobody in Phoenix’s lineup can guard him one-on-one, and doubles free him up to use his improved passing skills to hit teammates like Lamar Odom and Smush Parker. In fact, Kobe averaged over 40 points per game against the Suns this year. Further, Phoenix is far from on a roll. After locking up the No. 2 seed (thanks to winning their division), the Suns went on cruise control and a bit of a losing streak. More importantly, the team lost its best – if not only – post defender on March 27, when Kurt Thomas went down to injury. Thomas’ absence has been quite conspicuous, because the Suns couldn’t stop Greg Ostertag from scoring at this point. I’m not calling for an upset, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Kobe scorches the Suns.
Michael: Fiction. You can't stop Kobe from scoring, but the Suns can surely contain him. Between actually scoring points and helping others score through assists, I think that Steve Nash will negate Kobe, which will be a problem for the Lakers. They are a little too Kobe-centric, and that’s a big issue. You can count on him for at least 25 or 30 points a game, but the series comes down to what the rest of the team will be able to accomplish, and I don't think they have enough firepower to overcome the Suns.
4. Pedro Martinez is one of the top three pitchers in Major League Baseball.
Greg: Fiction. Make no mistake about it – Pedro is the most dominating pitcher I’ve seen in my lifetime. But this isn’t 1999 anymore. Sure, when he’s healthy, Pedro’s still as good as it gets. But he’s rarely healthy. How long will it be before his chronic injuries flare up again? He’s battled knee, shoulder, elbow and back problems for the last five seasons, which should explain why his ERA remains the same, but his wins have dropped dramatically. If a draft was held today featuring all the pitchers in Major League Baseball, Pedro wouldn’t be one of the top three picks, simply because few general managers would be willing to risk their ace spot on such an oft-injured individual.
Michael: Fact. Year in and year out, Pedro is always one of the most dominating pitchers in the majors. So far this year, he's already 3-0 and one of the main reasons the Mets are 10-3. Over the years, he's lost some velocity and had to work more with pitch selection, location and movement, but he's done it well. He's also one of only seven current major league pitchers to have 200 wins. I can see Pedro staying on top of his game well into his late 30s, like Randy Johnson, Greg Maddux and Roger Clemens have, and being dominant for years to come.
5. The Troy Trojans baseball team will earn a berth in the NCAA Regionals.
Greg: Fact. This is the best Trojan baseball team I’ve seen, and that’s saying a lot given the quality of last year’s squad. These Trojans have a very real chance of winning the Sun Belt Conference, and I’m afraid they’ll have to. The NCAA was ridiculously unfair to Troy last year, when the selection committee refused to award the Trojans an at-large berth in the tournament. For that reason, the Trojans can’t bank on an at-large berth, regardless of their record. They must win the Sun Belt tournament, and they will.
Michael: Fact. Everything is in place: they have a fantastic win-loss record, a top 25 RPI, a top 30 ranking, one of the top players in the nation in Tom King, and they are also leading the conference. Even if something happens and the Trojans don't win the Sun Belt to get an automatic bid, an at-large bid is a very strong possibility. Last year they didn’t quite make it, but as long as the team continues to win and play solid baseball, that should change this year. Anything less would be criminal.