Monday on the 620 Sportsline

Steve Gilbert from DBacks.com joined us from New York

Paolo Boivin with the Arizona Republic came on as well

* D-Backs -Fill-in producer Steve thinks the D-Backs are like Jack from “Titanic”, freezing to death before our eyes, yet we refuse to believe (somebody cue the Celine Dion crap song). I see it more like Rocky Balboa from “Rocky III”. After beating Apollo Creed, Rocky embraces a lavish lifestyle and gets away from his Philly roots. He loses his identity and forgets who he is.

To wit, the Arizona Diamondbacks were 66-7 last year when leading after 6 innings. This year they’re already 37-14. Already twice as many losses as last year. That was their bread/butter last year. Is this just a young team going through a sophomore slump? Were they lucky to do what they did last year and the start of this year? Is more patience required or has patience run thin with a bunch of young players whose pedigree says they should be better than this? In that regard they’re like Schwarzenegger in “Total Recall.” What is reality, what is fantasy?

What position is most in need of being filled before the deadline?
And everyone is jumping on the Blame-Bob-Melvin bandwagon. Interesting considering it doesn’t seem as if he’s doing anything different this year with a team that on paper should be better than last years. People want to blame the manager. Isn’t that just a convenient excuse for the possibility that this team isn’t ready? Or just isn’t that good?

* FAVRE -They held a rally in Green Bay over the weekend to implore the Packers to keep Brett Favre. I’m having a harder and harder time mustering any kind of sympathy for Favre. He cried, he bawled, he’s had a hundred opportunities to change his mind and make it possible to come back with the Packers. And yet he claims it’s the Packers who make him feel unwanted. There are certain things in this world I can’t get behind, and one of them is high maintenance people. And Brett Favre is High-Maintenance! You made a decision. Is it asking too much for you to stand behind it? He has put the Packers in an absolute no-win situation and you’d think your garden variety cheese head would recognize that.

* BILLY PACKER- The now former CBS analyst is one of my all-time favorites. He is the Yang to Vitale’s Yin. Packer is a hot cup of coffee. Strong, acidic, got a real kick. Might be a pain in the ass, but I don’t have to be neighbors with the guy.

* HOME RUN DERBY- To help get you through a lame field of competitors, there’s a Home Run Derby Drinking game making the rounds. What is better the home run derby or the dunk contest in the NBA?