MARSHALL, Minn. – The Minnesota Vikings have spoken: Yes, they’re interested in Brett Favre.
The Vikings broke their silence Monday, with president Mark Wilf saying the team is considering the supposedly retired star.
“He’s a Hall of Fame quarterback. He’s a great competitor,” Wilf said. “Ultimately, you’ll have to ask Brett what his plans are, but sure there’s interest in Brett Favre. But again, it’s part of a process we have in general with any of our players. We’re always looking to make our team better.”
Several conflicting and contradictory media reports swirled last week around the possibility of Favre, who retired for the second time at the end of last season, returning to play for the Vikings.
Neither Favre nor the Vikings commented last week, which only added more confusion.
Favre was released by the New York Jets on April 28 and issued a statement that said, “At this time, I am retired and have no intention of returning to football.”
He hasn’t been heard from since.
Manny’s test revealed
BRISTOL, Conn. – Manny Ramirez’s positive urine test showed an elevated testosterone level, and a lab used a test to determine whether the hormone was naturally produced to build evidence against him, ESPN.com reported Monday.
Baseball asked the World Anti-Doping Agency lab in Montreal to perform a carbon isotope ratio test, which determines whether testosterone is natural or synthetic, the Web site reported.
MLB then asked Ramirez to produce medical records, as required under the drug agreement.
Ramirez’s test had a testosterone-epitestosterone ratio between 4:1 and 10:1, ESPN.com reported. Typically, a person naturally produces the hormones at a ratio of 1:1; tests of 4:1 or greater are flagged.
The Associated Press
Old Vail student a finalist
Brandon Smith, an eighth-grader at Old Vail Middle School, was one of nine finalists in Major League Baseball’s “Breaking Barriers” essay contest.
Smith, who suffered a head injury after an accident, wrote that “baseball has taught me about determination.”
“It is so hard to stay focused when you have a head injury. But it seemed like baseball was the one place that it was easy for me to focus. It was a quiet place in my life where everything started to make sense.
Baseball has changed my life. I have actually forgiven the driver that crashed into me. . . . If I met him today, I would have to thank him.”
Nearly 8,000 students in grades 4 through 8 entered the contest.
Smith plays in the Rincon Little League.
Citizen Staff Report
Jenks sends message
CLEVELAND – Chicago White Sox closer Bobby Jenks is done throwing purpose pitches.
That’s what he said Monday, following his performance last weekend when he sailed a fastball behind Texas’ Ian Kinsler, a Canyon del Oro High grad.
Jenks later said the pitch was intentional because he was tired of watching White Sox hitters getting plunked with no retribution. Major League Baseball wants to investigate the matter.
“I’ll not do it again,” Jenks said. “But again, I wasn’t trying to hit him. If they’ll investigate that, they’ll see that. It wasn’t a dirty pitch. It wasn’t up. It was right at his butt.”
The Associated Press
Father upset with ‘Big Baby’
ORLANDO, Fla. – The father of the 12-year-old boy bumped by Celtics big man Glen “Big Baby” Davis after Sunday’s game-winning shot is demanding an apology.
Ernest Provetti told the Orlando Sentinel that he wrote the NBA office demanding an apology from Davis for acting like a “raging animal with no regard for fans’ personal safety.”
NBA spokesman Tim Frank confirmed the league received the e-mail but declined to comment on it.
Video of the play shows Davis ducking behind a referee and stepping out of bounds as he ran back to the Celtics bench. Provetti told the paper it was his son, Nicholas, whose hat fell off as Davis bumped him.
The Associated Press
Rachel Alexandra to race
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Rachel Alexandra is in the Preakness. Finally. Probably.
The superstar filly will get her chance to run with the boys during Saturday’s second jewel of the Triple Crown after a series of potential roadblocks were lifted over the weekend.
Pimlico vice president Mike Gathagan said Monday there are 13 horses, including Rachel Alexandra, expected to enter the 1 3-16-mile race. The field will be set by noon Wednesday, with the draw at 5 p.m.
If Rachel Alexandra missed the Preakness, it would mean Mine That Bird could retain jockey Calvin Borel.
Borel has already agreed to ride Rachel Alexandra for the rest of the year.
The Associated Press
NUMBER OF THE DAY
559
Career saves by former Arizona Wildcat Trevor Hoffman, the most in MLB history. Other current leaders:
Mariano Rivera 488
Billy Wagner 385
Troy Percival 357
Francisco Cordero 220
Francisco Rodriguez 217
Joe Nathan 205
Eddie Guardado 187
Brad Lidge 168
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ON THIS DATE
1970: Ernie Banks hits his 500th career home run – off Pat Jarvis – in the Chicago Cubs’ 4-3 victory over Atlanta at Wrigley Field.
1974: The Boston Celtics beat the Milwaukee Bucks 102-87 to win the NBA championship in seven games.
2000: Boston’s Pedro Martinez, who had 17 strikeouts in his last start May 6 against Tampa Bay, strikes out 15 in a 9-0 win over Baltimore, to tie an AL record set in 1968 by Cleveland’s Luis Tiant for most strikeouts over two games.
The Associated Press
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SPORTS SOUND-OFF
NCAA called a ‘biased bureaucracy’
RE: UA softball team sent to Louisville for postseason play
• I think Livengood must have done something that the NCAA just continues to punish him for. Baseball, softball and basketball continue to get sent far, far away for postseason play. Mike Candrea is the No. 1 softball representative on the planet Earth, and Arizona’s history in softball at the NCAA level is second only to UCLA, and that’s debatable. The NCAA is a biased bureaucracy that can arbitrarily do whatever the hell they want to.
AZLIFEGUARD
• Don’t forgot that UA has one of the best softball fields in the country. The only way NCAA can justify ASU getting to host is that they are the defending national champs. I think all national champs should get that courtesy, but that said, we deserve one, too!
MIA S.