FanNation

I'm sick of Brett Favre

I am sick of hearing about Brett Favre, and I know there are many other sports fans out there who are sick of him too.

I'm sick of all the controversy that he is causing in Green Bay. I'm sick of all the trade rumors, all of the what-ifs and all of the speculation. I'm sick of Favre contemplating retirement every year. I'm sick of the Packers management perpetuating this saga: will he be the starter for Green Bay? What about Aaron Rodgers? He must be sick of Brett Favre too, playing second fiddle for the first part of his career.

Life without Manny

As much as I'd hate to say it, the Red Sox simply won't be the same without Manny Ramirez.

After pulling out a blockbuster deal in which Boston's future Hall of Famer packed his bags for L.A. in a three-team swap, Red Sox fans should be cringing over the move their front office made Thursday afternoon. Despite all of his on-field and off-field antics which have caused quite a commotion in Beantown, Ramirez was one part of the team they couldn't afford to lose. Here's why:

Yanks welcome Pudge, part ways with Farnsworth

I can honestly say I did not see this one coming. Sure Farnsworth has had his share of rough outings this season, and his expected eighth-inning guy role seemed to have dissipated, but I never really gave serious thought that the Yankees were actually going to trade him.

Yesterday, the Yankees pulled out a trade for All-Star catcher Ivan Rodriguez, seemingly from their ****. The 14-time All-Star and 13-time Gold Glove winner comes to the Bronx as a substantial upgrade over the mediocre Jose Molina and Chad Moeller, with Posada sidelined for the rest of the season. Some may say that this deal was 10 years too late, but hey, better late than never.

Trade rumors are a-swirlin'

Just two days before the July 31^st trade deadline, Major League Baseball is in a frenzy over who will stay and who will go. I know personally I'm keeping a close eye on the Yankees to see what they will or won't do. Here are some possibilities being kicked around and what I think may actually transpire:

CLOSE BUT NO CIGAR

Seattle's Jarrod Washburn for his contract (and possibly Kei Igawa)

In most of the reports and rumors I've read, this deal is getting colder by the minute. It seems as though Seattle is not willing to trade their #2 starter, despite the generous offer by the Yankees to absorb his contract. It's a shame too that Kei Igawa is still in pinstripes. I guess our "Japanese phenom" isn't quite in the same league as Matsuzaka of the Red Sox. The bottom line: Washburn stays in Seattle and Igawa stays rotting in the minors.

State of the Yankees

Sitting in third place in the AL East with a 50-45 record, the New York Yankees have been far from spectacular this season. With a struggling offensive and plagued by injuries, the Yankees are looking up at both the Red Sox and the Rays, wondering what they can do to climb back into the race.

With Matsui possibly done for the year, and Damon still a week away from returning, the Bombers are in need of another bat, and the July 31st trade deadline is quickly approaching. The addition of a slugger like Bay or Holliday is very attractive...and very unlikely, seeing as both the Pirates and Rockies would be looking for a package deal of young prospects. We know how reluctant Cashman has been in dealing his youngsters, so we can scratch those two names off the list.