First impressions, second thoughts and the third degree:

Yes, it would be a bad business decision for the Packers to release Brett Favre, but doing so now would give them total access to the high road in this make-them-stop dispute and would allow them to claim with some authority that they hold Favre's legacy in higher regard than he does. …

If Favre wants to play so badly for a hated rival like the Vikings, have at it. But he does so at the risk of further alienating an intensely loyal following, one that, whether he knows it or not, has eroded significantly in recent weeks. …

Beloved Hall of Famers have left Green Bay under funky circumstances before — Reggie White was released so he could make a comeback with Carolina, while Paul Hornung was made available to New Orleans in the NFL expansion draft to name two — so there is precedent for Favre to watch the sun set on his career from somewhere other than Lambeau Field. …

Not that folks in the Fox Valley need any more PR anguish, but ESPN provided some Monday when it ceremoniously stole the "Titletown, USA" moniker from Green Bay and gave it to Valdosta, Ga.. …

Interesting to read which Milwaukee player Cubs general manager Jim Hendry fears the most: Corey Hart. …

If you're keeping a list of personnel decisions that help the Brewers in their ongoing quest for the playoffs, save a spot for the call-up of part-time third baseman Russell Branyan. His home run binge in June — he hit eight that figured in seven wins — kept Milwaukee from unraveling at a time when its offense was pretty wobbly. …

If Brewers general manager Doug Melvin doesn't get bullpen help before Thursday's non-waiver trade deadline, it won't be a huge surprise. The right pieces are on the roster; it's just a matter of manager Ned Yost aligning them properly. …

What the U.S. military did to Caleb Campbell — exploiting the West Point product before pulling the NFL rug out from underneath him at the last minute — was about par for the course when you consider what sickening liberties were taken with the late Pat Tillman. …

News: Central Florida football coach George O'Leary is boycotting the Orlando Sentinel for alleged reporting inaccuracies following the death of redshirt freshman Ereck Plancher. Views: Curiously dumb tactic from a guy whose employment at Notre Dame was cut short because he acknowledged fabricating parts of his resume. …

My over-under on doping cases at the Beijing Olympics: 50. …

Think TV executives are worried about not having Tiger Woods available for the PGA Championship and Ryder Cup? Without him, ratings reportedly were down 14.6 percent for the British Open, 48 for the AT&T National and 12 for the Buick Open. …

To be clear, that wasn't a brawl between WNBA powers Detroit and Los Angeles — it was an intense scuffle — but it didn't help the contention that the league offers a purer, more disciplined approach to the game than the NBA. …

If Bowie Kuhn is worthy of Cooperstown, so is Marvin Miller.