Favre’s Feat Is a Tribute to Fathers and Sons

The brilliant performance of Green Bay’s Brett Favre, who passed for 399 yards and four touchdowns in beating the Oakland Raiders on Monday, the day after losing his father, Irvin, to a heart attack at 58, still resonates in the sports world.

“Favre didn’t just bring honor to his own father, Irvin; he brought honor to all the kids and fathers who tossed the football or baseball in the backyard, particularly those who had to part before it was time,” wrote Michael Wilbon of the Washington Post. “We already knew how physically tough Favre is. He’s Cal Ripken tough. He doesn’t miss a start, no matter what’s hurting.

“Nothing is revered in pro football like physical toughness and Favre has that in such abundance, it’s scary. But what happened Monday night defines the NFL regular season that’s about to end, much the way baseball’s regular season was defined in large part by Barry Bonds hitting those late-summer, game-winning home runs after the death of his father and hero, Bobby Bonds.”

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Trivia time: Who’s the only major leaguer to have hit into four triple plays?

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Colorful: The paint scheme on stock car racer Kenny Wallace’s yellow, orange and blue Stacker 2 car was voted the second worst on the NASCAR circuit in 2003.

“While you’re reaching for your sunglasses, you might want to grab your parachute pants and jelly shoes, as well,” sniffed the editors of NASCAR .com. “But we must admit that thousands of pounds of fat were burned just from people running away from this nightmarish, ‘totally ‘80s’ design.”

Wallace’s car was only second worst?

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A vote for Modell: The voters for the NFL’s Hall of Fame will gather next month to vote on the class of 2004. Jon Saraceno of USA Today believes it’s time for Baltimore Raven owner Art Modell to be inducted.

“Voters shouldn’t approve Modell because he is old and in poor health....

“They should admit Art Modell because he has earned it. To freeze him from the Hall says more about the electorate than it does the man.”

Don’t expect that argument to go over well in Cleveland.

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Filial devotion: Hall of Fame outfielder Kirby Puckett, who played for the Minnesota Twins, was asked by St. Paul Pioneer Press columnist Tom Powers if he ever wished he’d had the chance to play one more game.

Puckett was hit in the face by pitcher Dennis Martinez in the final game in the 1995 season. He later learned he had glaucoma, which ended his career.

“Look, I got no regrets. I gave it everything I had,” Puckett said. “We had some good and we had some bad. I don’t need to play one more game. Let me go back and see my parents one more time. How about that? That’s all I want.”

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Trivia answer: Hall of Fame third baseman Brooks Robinson of the Baltimore Orioles.

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And finally: Coach Hubie Brown of the Memphis Grizzlies to the San Antonio Express-News, on why he had no qualms about trading for troubled Portland Trail Blazer Bonzi Wells: “I’ve been in the league 30 years, so I’ve had guys who would make Bonzi look like Mary Poppins.”