Memo to Favre: Stay retired this time

New York Jets QB Brett Favre has said -- again -- he plans to retire.

This time, he needs to stick to it.

I've always been a Favre fan, but my memory of him will be sullied by this past season. Favre's un-retirement had a bit too much of a "drama queen" feel to it. Then, with the New York Jets, Favre made the team better but ultimately threw an NFL-high 22 interceptions and couldn't get the Jets to the playoffs. I never could get used to him in that Jet green uniform either -- Favre belonged in Packers gold forever.

So now he's leaving the game again, this time without the tearful public ceremony. He leaves a Jets team that is terribly strapped for salary-cap room and has all sorts of questions about who will replace him at QB.

That's sports -- it's very difficult for even the most elite athletes to know when to let go. Favre stayed a year too long -- he needs to make sure not to make it two.

My 2 favorite Duke-UNC moments

As UNC and Duke have played more than 200 times, everyone has their favorite games. I've been lucky enough to cover maybe 20 of these contests over the years for a couple of different newspapers (mostly The Observer), and so these are my 2 favorite games from those I've seen in person:

1) March 2, 1986: Duke 82, UNC 74 in Cameron Indoor Stadium. This was my first trip ever to Cameron, and for basketball junkies, that's almost a religious experience. It's one of those places that doesn't disappoint you when you get there -- I'd put the Eiffel Tower, Lambeau Field and the Great Wall of China on that same list.

This was the game that UNC's Steve Hale sat out due to a collapsed lung, which led to one of the Cameron Crazies' more inspired chants ever as Hale watched the game in streetclothes:
"In-Hale! Ex-Hale! In-Hale! Ex-Hale!"

2) March 6, 2005: UNC 75, Duke 73 in the Smith Center. On the way to the national title, UNC scored the final 11 points of this game to edge the Blue Devils. Roy Williams has said since that the Smith Center never got louder than in this game, particularly, when Marvin Williams converted a 3-point play for the winning points. I'd agree with that.

Raymond Felton once told me about that game that it felt like the Smith Center floor was actually vibrating in the final minutes. "At the end, when we were taking the lead, I actually thought the wood was about to come up off the floor," Felton said.

Peppers sale: Everything must go!!!!!

This is kind of funny: The Panthers' official website has put a ton of its Julius Peppers merchandise on sale. Click the link here, or, if it isn't working, check out shop.panthers.com.

The "New Markdowns" section of the Panther website lists dozens of Peppers-related items, from a Julius bobblehead (once $25, now $15.99) to a Julius action figure (once $10, now $7.99) to various No.90 Peppers jerseys, all marked down "up to 50 percent off," as the website breathlessly proclaims.

OK, some advice here. Do you really want an adult-sized Peppers jersey -- even one for the low, low price of $59.99 -- when Peppers is dead set on not being here next season? That, of course, has to be one of the main reasons for this sale.

If you've got to have a jersey, at least invest in somebody who's going to be here awhile, like DeAngelo Williams.

Also on sale on the website, incidentally: A Ken Lucas jersey. I wouldn't buy that one, either. Lucas played so inconsistently late in the season -- and has such a huge salary-cap figure for next season -- that I seriously doubt he'll be here in 2009, either. (And the Panther website is also trying to off-load some old Keyshawn Johnson and David Carr jerseys with this sale -- good luck on that!)

On Peppers, Gross and franchising

The Pro Bowl is over, and Julius Peppers looked in that game like the girl who once dumped you and then you see her at a party. She looks better than ever, and everyone's watching her dance, and you start channeling the J. Geils Band and screaming at the top of your lungs: "Love stinks, yeah yeah, Love stinks."

OK, maybe that was just something that happened to me one time.

As for Peppers -- one sack (above), one interception and a co-starring role in the NFC's Pro Bowl win Sunday -- that's actually a good thing. Panther fans needed him to look good in that one, because he's about to be gone, and that will be the most recent impression many GMs and coaches have of him as he's dangled as trade bait. (And of course, he's gone -- that awkward sideline TV interview with Tiki Barber should have removed any lingering doubt).

So the Panthers need to get Jordan Gross's contract deal worked out -- and soon -- so they can franchise Peppers without losing the rights to Gross. Gross now holds a full house in this poker game, as he knows that Carolina MUST franchise Peppers and so therefore is obligated to set him totally free on the open market in a few weeks if that's the way he wants it.

I still am betting Gross and the Panthers get a deal done within the next 10 days and that Peppers gets the franchise tag and that the Panthers then trade Peppers on or before draft day in April. That would certainly be the Panthers' plan, if they would admit to it publicly (and understandably, they won't).

But you know what they say about the best-laid plans... Gross has an Opie demeanor, but if he ends up playing hardball, then Carolina may be over a barrel and end up losing both of these Pro Bowl players for 2009 instead of just one.

Morrison exits with a whimper

The Charlotte Bobcats first put Adam Morrison in the deep discount rack and as of today shipped him to the L.A. Lakers in return for Vladimir Radmanovic.

If you can pronounce "Radmanovic," you're a lot more of an NBA junkie than I am, but whether you can or not you have to agree that if the Bobcats can get much of anything out of Radmanovic, it'll be more than they've been getting out of Morrison.

Morrison has been a mess for most of his career with Charlotte -- his high point was getting drafted No.3 overall, and it's been mostly downhill from there. He has looked nothing like the player he was at Gonzaga -- more timid, even worse defensively and, lately, far less hair.

Morrison turned out to be a major draft mistake. The Bobcats have at least cut their losses by getting rid of him, but Radmanovic (see his career stats and bio here) is hardly the sort of player you want the No.3 overall pick to turn into. At best, he's a reserve who gives the Bobcats some frontcourt help. If you're starting this guy, you're probably in trouble (although they may have to until Gerald Wallace returns).

But I give this trade a grudging thumbs-up because Radmanovic just can't be much worse than Morrison. This was a case of Michael Jordan and the Bobcats 'fessing up to a mistake and not throwing any more good money after bad. Maybe Morrison will be better on the West Coast, although I don't really see it happening. Certainly, he'll get more open shots because of all the attention paid to Kobe Bryant, but I don't know if Phil Jackson will play him much because Morrison is such a defensive liability.

More from Vitale and McKillop

A 20-minute interview with Dick Vitale yielded a lot more than can fit in a standard-length column (I wrote one on Vitale’s first-ever appearance at Davidson Saturday for the 6 p.m. ESPN2 home game against Charleston).

So here’s a 3-pointer I couldn’t get into that column -- a couple more things that Vitale had to say, along with something from Davidson coach Bob McKillop.
1. Vitale thinks three All-American spots are basically set already for the host of teams that will be declared following the season: Davidson’s Stephen Curry, North Carolina’s Tyler Hansbrough and Oklahoma’s Blake Griffin. The other two are up for grabs.

2. Vitale is trying to help raise a million dollars for “The V Foundation” charity, and in part he’s doing that by promoting his new book. It’s called “Dick Vitale’s Fabulous 50 Players & Moments in College Basketball” and signed copies are available here from Vitale's personal website. Proceeds go to the V Foundation, which supports cancer research.

Vitale said in the book he has ranked Georgetown’s Patrick Ewing as the best college player he’s ever seen in 30 years of broadcasting for ESPN, with Christian Laettner No.2, Ralph Sampson No.3 and Michael Jordan No.4.

3. I asked McKillop – whose focus at courtside is legendary at Davidson -- if he ever even noticed the announcers at the game. He said he did once, in 1998, when Davidson played an NCAA tournament game in Atlanta against Michigan and Jim Nantz and Billy Packer called it.
Said McKillop: “I was a little bit awe-struck by Nantz and Packer courtside at the shoot-around for that game against Michigan and Tractor Traylor. But we’ve been in that sort of position so many times in recent years that it doesn’t really affect me anymore.”

What were you thinking?! Part 2

For those who want a shorter version, here's an excerpt from my chat today from noon to 1 p.m. with readers at CharlotteObserver.com. (You can read the full transcript by clicking here).

Kevin: What is your gut feeling on (Julius) Peppers leaving (the Panthers)? Is it really because of (coach John) Fox?
Scott Fowler: I don’t think it’s because of Fox. I don’t think if Fox got fired tomorrow – and he won’t – that Peppers would somehow say “Oh, OK, thanks! I’m good now. Sign me up.” I think Peppers thinks he’s somewhat misused, and yes, that’s partly Fox’s fault, but I honestly think there’s some wanderlust in this, too. I think the guy has lived his whole life in NC and wants to go somewhere else. He’s always been socially awkward, and that’s part of the reason this split seems awkward, too. And it’s a split, for sure -- no way this marriage can be saved.

Rachel: Scott, what are your thoughts on the (Michael) Phelps controversy? SF: I saw a lot of Phelps in Beijing and, like everyone, was awfully impressed with him in and out of the pool. So this was a shocker to me. I just didn’t think Phelps would do something that dumb. I think he disappointed thousands of people with that photo of him holding the pot pipe, and given his previous DUI, I didn’t think he would make such an obvious mistake again. As for ultimate fallout: I don’t think it’s going to ruin his swim career or anything. He’ll be back in London in 2012, winning another bushel of gold medals.

Dave: Do you think the Panthers will address the quarterback position this off season via the draft or free agency or wait another year when there will be a deeper pool?
SF: My guess is they will address it. (Jake) Delhomme is 34 and in the last year of his contract (although I think they will eventually re-sign him). Moore and McCown – that’s kinda scary should No.17 get hurt. I think they’ll pick someone up in April in the draft rather than via free agency – a mid-round pick would be my guess (after D-line gaping hole is addressed).

Jaybird: Give us an early-call on Duke-Carolina next week….
SF: Given that it’s in Durham, I think Duke wins by 4.

Roger: (Will Bobby) Lutz at UNCC next year or fired?
SF: I think he’ll be back. UNCC would have to write a big check to get rid of him and the school needs to concentrate financially on football right now.

Jeff: Do you think Fox’s conservative playcalling and his play not to lose philsophy is part of the reason some players feel they can’t reach their potential and do you think we really have a chance at a Super Bowl with his coaching style?
SF: I think Fox is a Top 10 NFL coach. But I don’t think he’s a top 5 NFL coach due to this paralyzing conservatism that sometimes sets in with him. The Panthers went for it on fourth down fewer times (8) than any other team in NFL this season. That’s not a category you want to lead.

Ryan: ESPN has been going a series on Mt. Rushmores, the four greatest sports figures from each state. They did North Carolina the other day. Which four faces would you put on North Carolina’s Mt. Rushmore?
SF: Without thinking about it much, I’d go Michael Jordan, Coach K, Dean Smith and Dale Earnhardt, which may well be what ESPN did, according to someone else here who saw it. Hard to leave off Richard Petty, David Thompson and a bunch of others.

Cliff: Do you think Charlotte gets an MLB team in the near future?
SF: I not only don’t think Charlotte will get a team in the near future, I don’t think Charlotte will get an MLB team in my lifetime.