An Olympic-Sized Update

Welcome back to The Sports Ace, where winning gold medals in world-record time is standard procedure.

It hasn't been that long since I posted (yes, it has...I'm sorry), but a lot has happened. Let's get caught up.

The Sports Ace has a new job! I'm now the Manager of Public Relations for a growing data storage/IT company based in the Twin Cities area. It's one heckuva opportunity that's bound to consume plenty of my time, so please understand if I don't get a new post up every day from now on. Employment + kids: no time.

Brett Favre is a Jet. One thing struck me about this development: it was the perfect ending to the perfect mess of a story. Seriously, the plot twisted every day for more than a month, and the ultimate twist came at the end when Favre moved to the Big City. TSA's guess: Favre plays one season in NYC and then brokers a trade to Minnesota for the 2009 season. Do you think he's really going to be happy in New York? He just needs some time to put space between him and Green Bay...and then he'll get right back on his righteous horse and manufacture his next move. It could happen.

Michael Phelps goes for eight gold medals this weekend, and he already has six. Congrats to him on a truly superior achievement, and to his relay teammates for their roles in his success. Two things bother me though: 1) his relay teammates are getting nowhere near the credit they deserve for their roles, especially Jason Lezak, who swam the best relay anchor leg in history to give the U.S. victory over France. And 2) Phelps is not necessarily the best Summer Olympian ever. He's won the most gold medals ever, and he's definitely earned a place in that debate. But that doesn't necessarily mean he's better than all those who dominated their sports but simply had fewer chances to medal. Jesse Owens? Mia Hamm? Misty-May Treanor and Kerri Walsh? Carl Lewis, who won nine golds in a wider range of athletic disciplines than Phelps? Just a few of the other worthy candidates.

Back at training camp, the Vikes' biggest question mark for the upcoming season? Defensive end. Seriously, you can't make this up. After a whole offseason of Jared Allen talk and visions from media and team of the Vikings having the best D-line in football, one injury has made them thin at the position and worried about their prospects for success. Oh, how things can change in a hurry. To the Twin Cities football media: you should be ashamed of yourselves...you drank too much Kool-Aid. To the Vikings PR people: you've had a brilliant offseason and training camp.

Last but certainly not least, I know you've all heard about the attack in Beijing last Saturday on the Bachman family, known for its ties to U.S. volleyball. This one hit close to home for me - I grew up going to church with the entire Bachman family. I wasn't especially close with Todd, who was murdered, but knew him to be a stand-up guy who was a wonderful, giving CEO, father and person. I was - and still consider myself to be - friends with Barbara, the mother who was attacked while trying to save Todd, and her youngest daughter Wiz, who played for the U.S. team in 2004. Trust me when I say that you may never meet a nicer person than Barb Bachman...she directed me in church choir for several years, and just two weeks ago when I saw the entire Bachman family at a funeral, she had a big hug for me and couldn't wait to hear what I'd been up to. This is a profound tragedy, and it would be for anyone in any place, but one that has deeply affected a lot of people from my neck of the woods. I hope Todd is in a better place, that Barb keeps improving and makes a full recovery, and that the Bachman family and company can move on from this despicable act with the same spirit and generosity that has been their hallmark for decades. I'm one of the many who will line up to support them with anything they need when they return from China.

I'm out like baseball as an Olympic sport.