Thoughts from a busy sports day...

Believe it or not Brett Favre has returned. To be honest, I have no problem with the Vikings deciding that Favre makes them a better team. Last season, Gus Frerotte only completed 59.1% of his passes while throwing for 12 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. This year's third string QB (or so it appears) Tavaris Jackson also only coincidentally completed 59.1% of his passes although he recorded nine touchdowns and only two interceptions.

Although Jackson's statistics were serviceable, his 7.1 yards per completion did not help relieve the pressure on running back Adrian Peterson. Defenses were able to load up the box with at least eight defenders and force the Vikings to try and defeat them through the air.

Which is why the Vikings desperately needed Favre to come to Minnesota. Even at the age of 39, he turns 40 only days after the Vikings meet the Packers on Monday Night Football, Favre is a vast improvement over any option currently on Minnesota's roster. As a member of the New York Jets, Favre completed just over 65% of his passes while throwing for 22 touchdowns. Sure the gunslinger also threw for 22 interceptions, but after defeating Tennessee to improve to 8-3 on the season, media members started discussion a potential Super Bowl trip.

In addition, the Jets' running game was vastly improved with Favre under center. At the ripe old running back age of 30, Thomas Jones ran for 1,312 yards and scored a career high 13 times. No one can argue that it did not stem from defenders respecting Favre's ability to throw downfield and relieve his running game.

Whether the Favre gamble, and for 12 million basically guaranteed it is a gamble, pays off is yet to be seen. It is a worthy gamble though and one that Minnesota should be praised for. Although they insulted Sage Rosenfels and Jackson throughout this Favre wooing process, the Minnesota front office should be respected for trying to bring a championship to their town. It is the same reason why Andy Reid and Donovan McNabb pushed for the Eagles' signing of Michael Vick and is why the NFL stands alone as the top professional league in America. The owners are willing to take chances for the sake of of the fans' happiness. Worst case scenario? The owners will make plenty of money through merchandise sales.

Other news and notes:

-Great decision by the Washington Nationals' front office to sign Stephen Strasburg. Although it is impossible to know for sure the impact Strasburg has in baseball, the signing sparked enough interest from casual D.C. baseball fans to at least show that the Lerner family is trying to put a winner on the field.

-The Yankees need to consider signing Nick Swisher to an extension. He is not going to "wow" anyone by hitting for average, but he will give a top effort and show up to the ballpark ready to play everyday. And it's hard to ignore the change in attitude in the Yankees' clubhouse.

-Derek Jeter is putting together an MVP-caliber season. He won't win the award but deserves some recognition after the continuous rumors of his decline at the age of 35.

-Everyday I go to ESPN.com and worry that I am going to see an article about Josh Hamilton falling back off the wagon. I know the story stemming from a bar incident in January, but I truly hope, and believe, that he has been clean other than that unfortunate night.

-Wins and losses mean nothing in the NFL preseason, but the New York Giants looked fantastic last night. I hope I do not choke on these words in a couple weeks when the season is really under way, but the offense was clicking, the defense was flying all over the field, and the special teams... Well the special teams have a lot of work to do. Luckily the other 2/3 of the team overshadowed a dismal performance that included a missed field, Sinorice Moss fielding a punt from his own 3-yard line, and a blocked punt for a safety that was followed by a free kick out of bounds.

-Final thought.... A family friend is currently playing for the Bakersfield Blaze in the Texas Rangers farm system. He is currently riding a 10-game hitting streak during which he is hitting .317 with seven extra base hits (six home runs) and 16 RBI's. His name? Mike Bianucci.