12/15 Quickie: Favre, Melo, CFB

Well, try as we all might, we just can't shake Brett Favre. First, it's "Streak over!" Now, it's "Will he play this week?"

Like everything else Favre-related, I see it in fairly simple terms: If he is pushing to play out of ego-gratification, it's a mistake. If he is actually healthy enough to play -- and not just play, but play better than the next-best alternative, Tavaris Jackson -- then he should play.

Carmelo trade talk: There was this hilariously odd-sourced rumor last night that the Nuggets had reached a deal to trade Carmelo to the Nets. It was debunked. Here is the reality: The Nuggets would LOVE to do this deal -- multiple high draft picks AND a young talent like Derrick Favors? -- but they are hamstrung by Melo's unwillingness to sign a long-term deal with the Nets. I can understand why he would rather play with the Knicks, but are the Nets that bad of an option? (The answer, aside from the upcoming Brooklyn location, is yes, probably.)

Cliff Lee Post-script: And the Yankees counter with... Mark Prior! Ah, if only this was 2001. (Look: It's more interesting than the Yankees signing Carl Pavano. Not that they were going to.)

CFB: Will Muschamp intro'ed as Florida head coach. He is dynamic. He is no-nonsense. And he is going to run a pro-style offense, rather than the spread. I'm not sure how I feel about that. I appreciate that Alabama's pro-style -- which Muschamp is obviously modeling -- was fairly effective, particularly against Florida. But I still think that the evolution of strategy favors the spread as a clearly optimized offense (see Oregon, Auburn).

Oregon uniforms for the BCS title game: The Ducks get a lot of grief for having more costume changes than Lady Gaga -- and garish combos to match. But I kind of love that they do it; it is unique in college football, and in a way, the equivalent of Facebook to, say, Penn State's Saturday Evening Post. I am a sucker for highlighter green, btw.

CBB: How does Tennessee beat two of the best teams in the Big East, then lose to Oakland? (Come to think of it: How does Louisville lose to Drexel? File both losses away under "Why I won't pick either to go past the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament.")

More later.

-- D.S.