1. Was anyone surprised by Brett Favre’s announcement to finally throw in the towel after 17 years of Packer football?

Sheena

No, I wasn’t surprised in the least, but sad, yes. For Packers fans, the silver lining is that they won’t have to spend another long winter wondering if their national treasure will retire. He’s already accomplished everything that any great quarterback could possibly ask for: setting records for most career touchdown passes, most career yards passing, most career victories by a starting quarterback, and the list goes on. If you ask me, Mar. 4 was as good a time as any to say goodbye to good ‘ol #4.

Maks

It is a little bit more of a surprise this off-season after what he was able to accomplish, but I think his reasoning is pretty legit. Anything other than a Super Bowl win in 2009 would probably go down as a disappointment for Favre. Plus, he gets to go out on top, and I can relate to that. It’s like playing IMA ball and calling it a day after beating a team of 5-foot-7-inch, Allen Iverson-wannabes to avoid getting spanked by a couple of 40-year-old Brad Miller-wannabes.

Maxwell

After watching the NFC championship last year, it became apparent that Favre did not have enough left in the tank. He could still play quarterback in the NFL but he did the right thing and let the Packers get on with their future. Aaron Rodgers has a lot on his plate but has been an understudy to one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history.

Allen

I sure was. Like the Jamie Moyer of football, Favre never faltered, had a strong skillset and enjoyed playing the game. After such an impressive 2007 season I thought he would be back for at least one more go, but I guess his age is catching up.

2. With the Pac-10 women’s championships this weekend, who gets your victor vote?

Sheena

I’m going to go with the Cardinal. Stanford is scheduled to play game five against Arizona, who they’ve already shut down twice this season by more than 20 points each time. Even though they’ll most likely meet UCLA, one of the few teams to beat them this season, the Bruins are too young and inexperienced to take down the No. 1 seed again.

Maks

My vote goes to Stanford. They’ve got scoring (Candice Wiggins), they’ve got shooting and rebounding (Jayne Appel), and most importantly, the Cardinal has a 15-game winning streak going into the tournament. It’s hard to pick anyone else.

Maxwell

If I had to put money down, it would be on Stanford. The team is tough on the road and now are leading the Pac-10.

Allen

Stanford is the easy pick here. Candice Wiggins just broke the Pac-10 scoring record held previously by Lisa Leslie, and the Cardinal has beaten its closest competitor, Cal, twice during the regular season.

3.Was Arsenal’s Emmanuel Adebayor overstating his team’s ability when he said, “We can beat every single team in the world,” after their victory Tuesday against reigning UEFA Cup champions, AC Milan?

Sheena

Absolutely, but I wouldn’t blame the guy. It’d be hard not to get excited after scoring what’s probably the most important goal of his career thus far. Sure, beating the reigning champs on their own turf says something about Arsenal’s ability to respond under pressure, but Adebayor has got to learn how to keep his ego in check.

Maks

I don’t know anything about soccer, but for his team’s sake, I hope he’s not the soccer equivalent of Pittsburgh Steelers’ safety Anthony Smith.

Maxwell

Arsenal is gross. They are a deadly team when all of the puzzle pieces fit. They showed true heart yesterday when they closed out AC Milan in Italy. Anyone who has played with Arsenal in FIFA ‘08 knows how tough they are.

Allen

Overstating is an understatement. The Boston Red Sox can’t beat 21-year-old Felix Hernandez, the United States can’t beat teams like Italy and Argentina in Olympic basketball, and yes, even the USC football team loses once in a while ... to Stanford. It’s possible that Arsenal can beat every team in the world, but it is very improbable.

4. Which MLB teams deserve attention so far in this year’s spring training?

Sheena

Even this early on in spring training, the Braves look pretty golden after pounding out 16 hits and 10 runs against the 2007 National League East Division Champs just a few days ago. The Reds, Red Sox and Yankees also have some fresh young talent striving to make a name for themselves this spring, so an eye should definitely be kept on them as well.

Maks

The Kansas City Royals do, because let’s face it, this is about the only time of the year those guys are still in contention.

Maxwell

Seattle Mariners’ son. The pitching staff is already top five in the American League. The lineup will be dangerous if they can steal some bases and play small ball. A solid coaching staff rounds out the AL West champions. Also look out for the Arizona Diamondbacks and Philadelphia Phillies.

Allen

I’ll give you a hint: This team recently changed its name and has never finished better than fourth in its division. If the Tampa Bay Rays (formerly Devil Rays) were your guess, then you win. The Rays are rebuilding and are making serious strides to get themselves out of the cellar, so the next time you make fun of these perennial noncontenders, think again, because each year they are going to get better and better. Boston and New York fans, beware.