This is a down time for high school sports in Brookfield and Wauwatosa, as we take a deep breath before getting ready to cover 45 fall teams. Each of the schools I cover in Brookfield, Tosa and Shorewood have nine sports for the five schools. It is the most difficult time of the year for our staff and we couldn't get through it without the cooperation of the coaches and their staffs, since one reporter couldn't possibly cover 45 teams without help.

So with the high school off, let's look at some area professional sports topics...

Like a lot of people I am so sick and tired of the Brett Favre situation. I am sick of people thinking Brett Favre can decide whenever he wants to play or not play and the Packers should just put everything on hold and welcome him back. Some people have actually said all he has to do is show up on the first day of practice and that should be enough for the Packers. He shouldn't have to go to minicamps or OTA's. People, wise up!The NFL is a business and people need to make decisions and move from there.

I am also fed up with the "fans" (I can't use the word I want to describe these people in a family blog) who say "I will buy a Vikings No. 4 jersey and cheer for Brett to beat the Packers" if the scenario works out that way. Folks, you can do that, but please don't claim you are a Packer fan or even care about the home team. You are a Favre fan, and that's fine, but you no long qualify as a Packer fan. It is not brain surgery.

Here's my favorite one. "I will turn in my Packer tickets if they don't take Favre back."  There's an intelligent comment. There are 50,000 people on a waiting list hoping you do such a thing. Way to threaten the Packers organization. I will tell you what you can do. Come on over to the office and I will buy your tickets. I will be happy to take them off your hands. Believe me, I'm not holding my breath.

It has been a while since a player has been in such a pressure-packed situation like Aaron Rodgers is now. And he can thank No. 4 for that. Here is hoping the real Packer fans have some patience and support the first-year starter.

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I made a prediction BEFORE the Brewers-Cubs series that the Cubbies would take three of four games from the locals. I was wrong, of course, because they swept the series. As a baseball person (not as a fan) I watched the Cubs hitters work the count, hit to the opposite field, and then watched the Brewers' all or nothing offense.  Manager Ned Yost said the other day, "We are what we are," and they proved it in that series.

Outside of Ryan Braun (.302), JJ Hardy (.288), Corey Hart (.288) and Prince Fielder (.278), no other Brewer starter is hitting above .250. That's pretty sad.

Right now Carlos Zambrano, Rich Harden, Ryan Dempster and Ted Lilly look better than CC Sabathia, Ben Sheets and Manny Parra (the rest of the starters aren't worth mentioning). I told someone two weeks before the trading deadline that the Brewers wouldn't make the playoffs if they didn't improve their bullpen - and I was laughed at.

There is a long way to go in this race. All I can say is -  I will be happy to eat crow instead of saying "I told you so."

Remember, always be a hit and have a ball.

Like sunflower seeds in a dugout, here are some things to chew on.

Local Brookfield and Tosa high school teams

• Brookfield Central, by far the best of the local teams, is not going to win the rugged Greater Metro Conference. If pitching is the name of the game, then it will be interesting to see what the Lancers do in the postseason.  Mike Bogard, Ricky Leachy, Mike Mierow and Cale Ross are four decent pitchers and Lee Severson is a good closer. But the key to the Lancers' success will come at the plate. Coach Jeff Bigler will need more offense than Bogard, Severson and Pete Ostergaard can provide by themselves. Someone else has to step up or the fourth-seeded Lancers, who play fifth-seeded Pewaukee July 22, can call it a day.
• Losing has affected the three other teams I cover. Going into Tuesday, Brookfield East was 3-18, Wauwatosa East was 7-22 and Wauwatosa West was 3-19. They would need a postseason miracle to advance too far.
• The stress has affected Tosa West coach Chad Mateske, who was upset over the Lancers' Lee Severson playing all nine positions against the Trojans last week. Right or wrong? Check out my column in the WauwatosaNOW online and paper on Thursday.
• Defense, which I haven't see a lot of this summer, is important to Alex Dati and Zach Stewart of Brookfield East. Check out my story in the BrookfieldNOW online and Thursday's paper for the feature.

Brewers

• With the addition of CC Sabathia, the Brewers should suddenly make the summer a lot more fun. I was part of the 1982 Brewers front office and the excitement of a pennant race is simply amazing. Many highs when you win and many lows when you lose. But enjoy the moment.
• Friend of mine told me the other day that he used to count the days until Packer training camp, but now he doesn't because of the Brewers.
• Jayson Stark of ESPN had an interesting stat. Sabathia and Prince Fielder are the only two players over 270 on the same roster since the White Sox Bobby Jenks and Andrew Sisco (who?). That's based on listed weight, since some teams lie about their larger players. 

Bucks

• As a former PR guy, I felt sorry for the Milwaukee Bucks bringing Richard Jefferson into town for a meeting with the media the same day as the CC trade was announced. That sucks. Jefferson seemed as classy as CC.
• Check out my Mo Williams story in this week's WauwatosaNOW paper and online addition on Thursday. He is coaching a local AAU basketball team and loving it.

Packers

• He's retired, he's not retired, he's retired, he's not retired. I can't even get myself to say his name anymore. I know one thing, he has changed my entire opinion of him from this day forward. I'm happy I'm not blinded like some people are towards their "hero." What a joke he's turned into.
• Unlike a lot of people who ripped Ted Thompson when he was hired, working in a front office of a professional team, I know what goes on behind the scenes and I always felt just give the man time before judging him. He has done a wonderful job hiring a coach and a great job rebuilding a team that Mike Sherman ruined. Now the Thompson haters are trying to make him the bad guy in this whole "I'm retired-I'm not retired" thing. Sad.

Agree or disagree, always remember...

Be a hit and have a ball.