What are Favre's chances of playing this season? Zero, if he doesn't come back and beg the Packers for one more year, according to Young.

"I've always likened retirement to falling off a cliff emotionally," Young told host Ralph Barbieri. "You're at the top of your field, and suddenly you're done. I was great at football, but I haven't been that great at anything since. And once that sinks in, that realization is really hard.

"So I understand the cliff Brett was facing. He was emotionally drained in February, but by April he wanted to come back, and I completely understand that."

But he also sees the Packers' position. They wanted to move forward — and by all accounts asked Favre twice if he wanted to come back — and when Favre said no both times, it was over.

"The Packers said that there has to be a point when you say you're done, and that's it," Young said. "They said, 'You've crossed the Maginot Line, you're done, and we have to move on.' That's the business. But the mistake they made is not telling everyone that at the time. Now both sides are telling different stories and it's a mess."

What would Young do if he were in Favre's shoes?

"He's not going to get traded, and he's not going to be released," Young said. "The Packers can't take the chance that he'd sign with the Vikings and come back and beat them twice. So Brett's in a tough spot. The Packers called his bluff, and he has few options. If he really wants to play, about the only thing he can do is go in and try and cut a deal with Green Bay. He could say 'Is there any way I can play one more year? I'll sign whatever you want to make it official; one more year and I'm done.' That way he can go out on his terms. It's about the only way."

Young didn't try to sign on with another team after the 49ers because, he said, it's harder for a quarterback to move in the twilight of his career than it is for a position player.

"I was talking to Jerry Rice about this recently," Young said. "Jerry can go to the Raiders because it's easier for a receiver. With a quarterback there are so many different factors; you kind of run the team, you're looking at the protection you're going to have; the situation has to be right. And I didn't want to end my career like Joe Namath in a Rams jersey (he could have said Joe Montana in a Chiefs jersey, but refrained). It was going to be the 49ers or nothing."

My wish for Young since his retirement has always been that he be allowed to go in and by the 49ers. But that seems even less likely than Favre in a Bears jersey.

Steve Young Pretty Sure He Remembers Bill Walsh [The Onion]
Young Deserves Better [ESPN]

Anyway, Steve Ehrhart, former general manager of the Memphis Showboats, is trying to put together a reunion this weekend at the Grand Casino Resort in Tunica. It's clearly a high class, well organized get-together.

A reception and dinner are set for 5 p.m. Sunday. At 8:30 the next morning, there will be a golf tournament with a shotgun start. Ehrhart said that rooms are available at the Grand (1-800-394-7263) at a group rate and may be obtained with the USFL group code which is S06USFL.

Clearly bringing out the big guns for the reunion; a shotgun golf tournament! Don't forget your group code.

Reunion Celebrates USFL's Short Run [Memphis Commercial Appeal]

Some thoughts on an NFL Draft just passed.

• The NFL Network's coverage — we were fortunate enough to be outside New York City, where we could actually watch the network — was infinitely superior to the ESPN coverage. Frankly, it wasn't even close; the little "Team Needs" graphic at the bottom of the screen was oddly mesmerizing.

• That said, had we not watched ESPN's telecast, we would have never had the opportunity to stare, mouth agape, at whatever the hell has happened to Steve Young's face.

• Fortunately, Berman still had some fun.

• We received a pained text message from our man Mr. Daulerio after the Eagles traded up to pick that obscure quarterback in the second round. ("Reid has gotten into his son's heroin!") Eagles fans seem confused, but that's nothing new.

• Sadly, Lucious Pusey was not drafted.

The 31-year-old Phillips drove onto a field near Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum after losing a pickup football game. He struck two boys, ages 14 and 15, and a 19-year-old man, and narrowly missed four others between 15 and 24 years old. The prosecutor told jurors that Phillips became agitated when his team fell behind in the pickup game. He left the field, accused the boys of stealing from him and drove onto the field at a high rate of speed.

Oh, did we mention the car was stolen?

How will we remember Phillips? For leading the Cornhuskers to two straight national titles in 1995 and '96 (running for 165 yards and two touchdowns in a 62-24 Fiesta Bowl win over Florida in the latter)? Or for his hobbies, among them dragging an ex-girlfriend by her hair down a flight of stairs (at Nebraska), being arrested three times and spending 23 days in jail (Rams), striking a woman who refused to dance with him in a nightclub (Dolphins) or assaulting his girlfriend in 2000 (not under contract)? Ironically, we will remember Phillips for something he didn't do. In the Monday Night game in Tempe, Ariz., on on Sept. 27, 1999, Phillips missed a blocking assignment — some say on purpose — allowing Arizona free safety Aeneas Williams a free lane to blindside Steve Young. The 49ers quarterback sustained a career-ending concussion on the play.

Phillips allegedly pawned one of his Nebraska championship rings at a Las Vegas pawn shop recently. For the record, the price of a squandered career and a wasted life these days is 20 bucks.

By the way, no word on whether Dick Vermeil's going to drive him to prison.

Phillips Faces Up To 20 Years In Prison [MSNBC]
No Coach Ever Solved Lawrence Phillips [USA Today]

We're sure, in the wake of a ridiculous $1.7 billion dollar deal, the folks at YouTube won't let this stand very long, but if you watched "SportsCenter" this morning, you say Michael Irvin — shockingly! — ramble on like, well, a retard for about five minutes about why the Ravens belonged in the top five of the AFC but the Broncos didn't, even though the Broncos had just beaten the Ravens. The entire crew — even Stu Scott! — took turns trashing him, but they cut out the best part, which is Steve Young above. Enjoy while you can.