First impressions, second thoughts and the third degree:

A treasured Packers icon retires after an illustrious career, then has a change of heart and soon resurfaces with another NFL team? Kind of makes you wonder what kind of advice Vince Lombardi would give to Brett Favre. …

Lombardi retired as coach after the 1967 season to focus on being the Green Bay general manager, but boredom prompted him to return to the sidelines with Washington in 1969. He died of cancer after his only season with the Redskins. …

Would Lombardi be viewed differently by Packers fans had he spent more time with another franchise, perhaps winning a sixth NFL title elsewhere? Would there be a statue of his likeness outside Lambeau Field? Would his name be affixed to the Super Bowl trophy? Would he enjoy the same level of mystical reverence in Wisconsin? We'll never know for sure. …

What we do know is that while Packers GM Ted Thompson has an awful lot to lose if Favre forces this issue, Favre is going to get his proverbial uniform dirty, too. Legacies that large simply don't travel well. …

If Favre indeed plays elsewhere in 2008 — Thompson will surely trade him, not release him, because then all control of the situation is lost — then history suggests Favre will alienate more Packers fans if he lands on his feet as opposed to his face. …

Now that the Brewers have addressed their big-ticket shopping need — acquiring starting pitcher CC Sabathia from Cleveland — it will be fun to see how general manager Doug Melvin uses the remaining 23 shopping days before the trade deadline. Another lefty in the bullpen, perhaps. …

My heart says Dara Torres is a 41-year-old marvel, overcoming the ravages of motherhood, multiple surgeries and advancing age to secure an Olympic berth on the U.S. swim team. My head says she got the same kind of illicit help as Barry Bonds, Marion Jones and Roger Clemens. …

Has there been a more seamless position switch than the one we've seen from Brewers third baseman-turned-left fielder Ryan Braun? He began the week without an error and among the National League leaders with six assists, stats that surely enhanced his All-Star Game resume. …

Sure, it would be nice to see a U.S. men's tennis player win a Grand Slam event — it hasn't happened in five years and counting — but we have nothing to complain about as long as Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal continue to offer riveting theatre. Their Wimbledon final took your breath away. …

The Summer Olympics begin a month from today in Beijing, and if some news stories from China strike you as odd, here's a possible reason: The U.S. State Department has told journalists to assume that all of their telephone conversations and computer transmissions are being monitored by the Chinese government. …

Of all the mind-blowing numbers surrounding the torrid hitting streak of Brewers shortstop J.J. Hardy, this stands out: In 18 games between June 10 and July 6, he added 49 points to his batting average, which is almost unheard of at this stage of the season.