We work for the Weekend!

In for Wolf today: Kevin Spencer, Cardinals Special Teams Coach

* The D-Backs publicly recant by bringing back Tony Clark.

* Greg Norman is having a great month. Married Chris Evert and leading the British Open.

* We got stories on Jim Mora, Bill Belichick and Bill Cowher.

Grid Iron Griddle:

Kevin Spencer said what he would if he had to deal with the Brett Favre situation.

Guests:

Buster Olney, ESPN MLB Insider: Buster told us that the D-Backs made the trade for Tony Clark’s leadership. The Yankees think so much of him, they considered him for their manager position.

Josh Byrnes, Dbacks GM: Josh told us why they decided to bring back Tony Clark after letting him sign with the Padres in the off-season.

Paul’s Call: Paul Calvisi takes his sports seriously, without taking himself too seriously. Your daily dose of irreverence, angst, and stupification.

Monday’s Show:

The cavalcade of stars continue to fill in for Wolf.

* Tyronn Lue doesn’t sign with the Suns. Doug is mad.

* Wolf believes Favre is tarnishing his legacy.

* Will anyone care about the British Open without Tiger?

Grid Iron Griddle:

Will Cardinal fans see a more mature Matt Leinart this year?

Guests:

Tom Rinaldi, ESPN Golf Reporter: Tom joined us live from the British Open. He tells us what the feel of the tournament is like without Tiger.

Derrick Hall, D-Backs President: Derrick ripped Rockies manager Clint Hurdle for pitching Brandon Webb in the All-Star Game and not selecting Bob Melvin as a coach.

Paul’s Call: Paul Calvisi takes his sports seriously, without taking himself too seriously. Your daily dose of irreverence, angst, and stupification.

Crunk List:

The new Batman movie, Dark Night, opens today. Who was the best Batman?

Tomorrow’s Show:

We work for the weekend

We have three main categories in this mailbag: the Brett Favre circus, the response to Big Pitch, and D-Backs issues. Click whichever mailbag you’d like to open.

* The All-Star game averted disaster. How do you fix it?

* Was the All-Star game memorable?

* The Favre drama continues. Who has more to lose?

* The NY Daily News embarrasses all of the sports media…

Grid Iron Griddle:

Wolf tells us why he turned down Jim Tressell when he was an assistant at Syracuse.

Guests:

Jim Tressell, Ohio State Football Coach: Coach Tressell still can’t get over losing recruit Ron Wolfley. He also previews this year’s USC game.

Paul’s Call: Paul Calvisi takes his sports seriously, without taking himself too seriously. Your daily dose of irreverence, angst, and stupification.

Tomorrow’s Show:

Live updates of the British Open

We preview the D-Backs’ second half

After listening to the talk shows today, many people say we should get a big left hander even though Chad Tracy is hitting well. Others say that we should get another pitcher just in case Qualls and the rest cannot pitch well in the bullpen. If you had to choose only one trade to make, would you get another big bat or another pitcher?

Pitcher for the pen. Last year proved you can win without offense, you can’t win giving up 7th inning leads.

It is absolutely embarrassing to be a Diamondbacks fan right now. They’re softer than a pack of fluff dried poodles in a field of daisies. They have no heart. They play the worst defense it has been my displeasure of ever watching.

Do they even have a hitting coach? What the hell is he doing? Does he know how to hit? If so, does he know how to coach? What’s the friggin’ problem then? No progress has been made in months, none. If anything they have become even worst. And is Bob Melvin doing anything? Where did the running game go, they have not stolen a base in 5-6 games, why? A few weeks ago, they started drag bunting and actually got three base hits, since then not one try.

Last year was an apparition, this year is the truth.

Jason

So seven months of baseball from April ’07 through April ’08 is a farce, but 2 ½ months of baseball is real? You never win 90 games on a whim. What happens is your talent carries you. Now there’s thick books on these kids. It’s up to them to make the adjustments.

They’ve already fired one hitting coach. Are you just going to keep firing coaches so the players have an excuse for their own arrogance? The problem is the patience. Quite a few of these kids have options. The D-Backs should use them. If the kids don’t want to listen to their coach, send them down to the minors. You don’t want to hit behind the runner, send them down. The organization is only using words as discipline with no action. Melvin should have run out of patience after May and has been far too accepting.

You definitely should brag about what you are doing.

Scott

Never…there are so many people who make us look good

Doug,

I couldn’t agree with you more about trading O-Dog. I think marriage and the thought of same may have taken the energy out of EB and OH. It’s time for ultimatums from management when it comes to contracts.

Due to that four letter word “work”, I can only listen to you and Ron from 5 to 6 daily. Keep up the good work.

Frosty

Thanks for listening when you can.

Doug, I’d trade Hudson too, but you can’t get anything for him, he’s not the type of player that will “put a team over top.” If you’re a contender and have a .260 hitting 2nd basemen are you really making much of a difference by trading for Hudson? I sure some contender would like to have Hudson but the most they would give up is a 4th outfielder or a second tier prospect.

Steve

100% wrong. There is a huge market for the best defensive 2nd baseman in the league who happens to be hitting in the .300’s with a solid OPS.

I want prospects and the Twins are in the playoff chase with a hole at second and they’ve got prospects. Also, if the Yankees are ready to give up on Cano, maybe you could swing a deal with them. The problem there is the best Yankees prospects are in the low minors.

Doug…I got a chance to read your blog on Big Pitch. I will never forget what you, Wolf, KTAR and your listeners did to raise money for this cause. There was no way in hell I would NOT donate to a cause like this. And to be able to go out to Dave & Busters to see you guys in person made it even more special…this event, among many other reasons are why I continue to listen, and consider you not only my friends, but CRUNK BRUTHUS!

Brother Murph

Thanks for listening and reading the blog.

I just wanted to thank you gentlemen for the amazing work and accomplishment with the Big Pitch for PCH. To double the original goal is truly astounding. It was an absolute pleasure to listen to this very special broadcast. I must admit that the show brought tears to my eyes more than once.

I have two friends who both have had children at PCH. Both children, unfortunately, passed away. However, the staff at PCH did all that they possibly could to help and care for these children, and they were so supportive, caring, and loving to all family and friends involved.

Tim

Thanks for listening to something that we’ve never tried before. I don’t have the vocabulary to explain how over-whelmed I was Thursday.

Amazing! $197,000! Are you kidding me? I donated what I could early this morning. I was very pleasantly surprised when I checked your final tally. Wow. I am proud of The Basin for the contributions made to PCH.

Bret

I feel the same as you. The news got better when we passed $200K after we left the air.

I love this town.

Doug,

I just wanted to chime in on the outstanding job you and Wolf and the whole crew did with the fund raiser. Truly awesome! I was proud to be a part in my small way.

Hugh

We didn’t receive any donations above $5000. The vast majority were for $20. To actually make $200,000 is incredible. You did more than a “small way” because you helped us get there.

I wanted to write you both just to drop a note of thanks. You both truly make a difference in the world. What you guys did today was extraordinary. You hear everyday of a cause and everyone wants a donation but in times today it is hard to put your trust in anyone. It is so clear listening to you both how genuine your concern and caring truly is.

With the gas prices I am struggling to get by. I wake up each morning stressed about the daily financial situation of my family but at 7am the drive always starts with tuning the radio to 620. Each day you bring a smile and laugh into my life and I am sure many thousands of others around the Phoenix area.

You should both truly feel good about what you do and the joy you bring into peoples life.

Thanks from just one of your many listeners.

Mike

Your e-mail is incredibly humbling.

Doug & Wolf,

I can’t even begin to describe how much joy it brought me to see you guys dedicate so much time, with so much passion to such a great cause today. I decided to stop by Dave and Busters and check out your show. What an awesome experience it was to be there live as you guys reached $175,000. The excitement in the room was incredible! I went ahead and made a small donation.

This entire event has brought back many memories of when I was a 12-year-old kid growing up in Colorado when my 8 year old brother was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor. He was only given six months to live. He spent weeks at Denver Children’s hospital and we drove an hour one way to go visit him. I can’t imagine what these families have to go through when their kids are sent out of state.

He survived the unthinkable and he is a walking miracle today. His tumor disappeared, which was very inexplicable to the doctors. He is now 28, married, with a daughter of his own. It is indeed amazing the care that Children’s hospital give to the kids in need!

Scott

Your story is as over-whelming as my day was Thursday. I don’t care what you think about the size of your donation. I meant it completely when I said to do what you can.

Thanks for coming, your story, and your donation.

I am so proud of you guys. I know how hard it is to raise funds and especially in this economy to get 200 thousand bucks. All I can say is wow. You guys did an amazing job and should be sky high for the next week….Congrats to both of you on a job better than well done.

Gambo

I never saw it coming.

Thanks John.

Favre chose Fox and Greta Van Susteren because Greta is a good friend of Brett’s wife.

On a side note, is PCH a private or public hospital company?

Jay

Let’s make sure I have this right.

You’re telling me to do my homework but you’re asking me if PCH is a private or public hospital five minutes after you posted on our website that it was a private hospital. You reported something you didn’t know and now you rip me for not knowing a FOX news anchor’s circle of friends.

I knew Greta was a Packer’s fan but, I must admit, I do not keep tabs on QB’s wives’ friendships.

Doug,

I understand that you’re entitled to your opinion on your radio show, but I feel that it’s a little irresponsible for you to rant about the Packers brass like you have been lately concerning the Favre situation. If the leader of your team’s heart just isn’t into the game fully, you need to turn the reigns over to the next best option.

You keep saying that Thompson and McCarthy are “stupid”, but who exactly built the best young team in the NFL? You can’t question is the team going 13-3 along with being the youngest team in the NFL. As for McCarthy, he brought discipline back to that team that was lacking in the previous years. He held Favre accountable for his play and look at what happened over the last two years?

The 49ers had Joe Montana and they had to make a tough choice as well. They had a somewhat unproven, but talented player named Steve Young who was ready to step up and be the man while Joe was starting a downward spiral toward retirement. They traded Montana away and let the kid play.

Maybe Aaron Rodgers isn’t the best chance for the Pack to win right now but neither was Ben Roethlisberger for the Steelers, or Tom Brady with the Patriots. Maybe we should give the guys making these decisions the benefit of the doubt before crucifying them on a public forum with no relevant information to back it up.

Billy

It’s never irresponsible for me to rant about anything. I’m irresponsible if I cheat on my wife or raise my children without discipline. My job is to give my opinion. I think the Packers brass are idiots for the way they are handling the Brett Favre situation.

I don’t care how hard it was on them to go through the draft and mini-camp without Favre. It doesn’t matter where Favre’s heart was from March-June. What matters is where it is right now. When one of the top 5 QB’s on the planet wants to play for your franchise and you don’t have one of the other four, the intelligent answer is, “yes.” Anything else is stupid.

Your Joe Montana reference is worthless. They didn’t “let the kid play.” Montana missed part of one year with a concussion and a back issue and all of the next with an elbow injury. Young had already taken the starting spot from him. Roethlisberger and Brady are the same way. After an injury to the starting QB, they played better than the starting QB did.

My relevant information is 61,655 yards with a 61% completion percentage with 442 TD’s with the a streak as incredible as Cal Ripken’s compared to 329 yards on 59% passing and the same number of TD’s as INT’s. But you’re right; maybe we should give these guys the benefit of the doubt when it comes to leaving Bill Buckner in the game when you’ve got a defensive replacement. It’s wrong for me to criticize Marty Morningweg for choosing to go on defense first in overtime because I’ve never been a head coach in the NFL.

Guys, I don’t think the great people of Wisconsin are siding with the Organization on this one. I think the season is nearing and they were all prepared to back Johnny Newkid. There is no doubt everyone wishes it worked out differently, but it hasn’t. It’s starting to make me sick to my stomach. Either way, the Pack goes 10-6, or better this season.

James

You must realize how much I appreciate you listening before you read my next sentence.

You’re crazy.

Winning 10 games is hard. Winning 10 games after you tell a Hall of Famer to go away, impossible.

Guys - LOVE the show.

Brett Favre has been a great QB. But there is a downside. Fans are tired of the on-again, off-again retirement issue. Fans want to win but many believe Brett can’t win the big game. The past 5-6 times the Pack made the playoffs, Brett threw a late game interception that cost GB the game.

The Pack needs to look at Aaron Rodgers for a full season. He is a free agent after this season. Come February of 2009, they are either going to have to offer him a 5 year, multi-million dollar contract - or - let him go. If Brett came back, no doubt, he’d retire for real after this season. Then the Pack would have no sure choice for QB. Even if they go 8-8 this year, they are better off building for the future. It is time to move on.

Joe

Although I disagree on who should be the Packs’ QB next year, this is the best e-mail I’ve received on the subject.

Thanks for listening.

Maybe this retirement was an emotional decision, but how many free passes do we give the guy? He does this every year! Do you think that the Pack would draft the way they did if they knew he was coming back? Do you think they’d work free agency the way they did? At what point do we say that Brett Favre is making himself bigger than the team, and why is that acceptable?

Paul

What Brett is doing is a joke. What the Packers are doing is idiotic.

Every QB who’s fixed as the starter is bigger than the team.

Can we institute a rule in sports that once a player decides to retire, he cannot undo it. I cannot stand the Brett Favre chat. When a person undoes his retirement and then retires multiple times it hurts the franchise. I agree with Green Bay to hold him to his word because after listening to his retirement speeches, he is not much of a man. He cannot decide what to do with his future.

Michael

No we can’t. I think we’re Americans so we can do what we want and I don’t want to trample on Brett’s freedom.

* The soap opera continues, last night Brett Favre went on the record with Greta Van Susteren, and went off again about what he feels is mistreatment by his former organization. Wolf thinks that the Packers’ brass was wrong to release the records of correspondence between the two parties. And could a third party soon be involved? D&W agree that Favre should garner a 1st round pick from another team, but that team will

A) Not be in the NFC
B) Would want at least a guarantee of 2-3 years of Favre’s services

* The soap opera continues, in the NBA: On more than one occasion, NBA commissioner David Stern has emphatically denied a league-wide officiating conspiracy and stated that Tim Donaghy’s actions were those of “rogue, isolated criminal.” Now a Fox News report could link another official to the Donaghy scandal. If these allegations are proven true, how can anyone take the word of the Stern seriously, and does a further loss of credibility warrant a resignation by the NBA commissioner himself? Doug says that Stern will stay no matter the outcome of this latest scandal.

* The outcome of tonight’s All-Star game could actually matter. After all, only three teams in baseball have winning road records. The D-Backs aren’t one of those, and only one of their players (Dan Haren) will be participating tonight. Three former D-Backs will be playing in the game, but which one could Arizona use the most right now? Doug says Dan Uggla, while Wolf goes with Carlos Quentin.

Guests:

Dan Majerle, Suns assistant coach: Dan talked about his first coaching experience in the Vegas summer league. He’s already got the competitive juices flowing again, as the Suns loss to the Rockets summer squad “ruined his night.” On the positive side, Robin Lopez scored 19, and Dan was particularly impressed with his defense.

Tomorrow’s show: Yoda returns, as do my regular sleeping habits (hopefully), and Ohio State head coach Jim Tressel joins the guys.

• D-Backs below .500 at the break:

Chad Qualls serves up another loss after serving up a three-run HR to Pat Burrell during the 8th inning of a 6-3 Phillies win. The loss sends the D-Backs first half record to 47-48. The loss sends Chad Qualls record to 2-7 on the year. Qualls is tied now with Randy Johnson for 2nd on the team in losses with seven. Only Micah Owings (8) has more. D&W debate whether Qualls is the 2nd biggest disappointment of the 2008 season. (Eric Byrnes is the consensus winner). Chris Young gets some votes, as does Bob Melvin from some listeners. Wolf says despite the bad D, Mark Reynolds does not deserve to be lumped into that group.

D&W discuss the state of the D-Backs, whether they will stay with the current roster or go after someone like Tony Clark, Raul Ibanez or even Jason Bay, as reported recently by SI’s Jon Heyman. Doug says Chad Tracy’s recent hitting might be holding up any potential deals, especially with a corner infielder such as Clark.

• Grid Iron Griddle:

Brett Favre wants to come back, but do the Packers really expect him to be a backup to Aaron Rodgers. D&W are shocked by the way the Packers have handled the Favre situation, and could not come up with five other quarterbacks whom they would rather have than Favre. Rodgers does not make that list, by the way.

Guests:

Greg Schulte, Voice of the D-Backs: Greg discussed the D-Backs recent road trip and the first half of the season.

Via Sikahema, former NFL player and giant killer: Via discussed his beatdown of Jose Canseco over the weekend in a boxing match. Via says that Canseco was easily intimidated and sported a “deer in the headlights” look after one punch. The fight didn’t last more than one round.