Greg Bromberg

The start of the MLB season is here and I, for one, couldn't be more thrilled. All that offseason stuff doesn't mean anything to me. Roger Clemens, Winter Meetings, Trades and Free Agency ... who cares!  

Now that the season is underway, I'm checking box scores, watching and attending Spring Training games and looking at a lot of stats. I enjoy what happens on the field and I don't want to know about anything else.

I don't want to know about how much a player is making. I don't want to know about who Derek Jeter is dating. I could care less about Barry Bonds or Roger Clemens. None of that enhances or takes away from my love for the game.

I'm looking forward to attending several Marlins games this season and not because I'm a Marlins fan. Truth be known, I'm a Brewers fan, but I enjoy sitting at the ballpark and watching games, no matter which teams are playing.

Here's to an exciting 2008 season. Go Brewers!

Brett Favre became the Green Bay Packers' starting QB when I was 20 years old in 1992. To put that in perspective, he has started every game in my adult life. I was living in Milwaukee at the time and had suffered through years and years of horrible Packer teams.

The year that he took over for Don Majkowki, I purchased not a replica, but an authentic Majkowski jersey. What a horrible mistake. The Magic man blew out his knee or something to that degree and Favre took over. At the time, I was angry that I wasted my money on the Majkowski jersey. I vowed that I would never make that mistake again.

But then, a couple of years later, Favre started putting up MVP numbers, and so against informed judgement, I jumped on the bandwagon and purchased a Favre jersey. Suffice it to say, I got my money's worth out of that jersey and it more than made up for my Majkowski mistake.

Anyone who lived in Wisconsin during Favre's wild years knows that he was always the life of the party -- Mark Chmura, Frank Winters and he living it up in Green Bay and Milwaukee. During his drinking years, Favre used to get behind the bar and serve free drinks to patrons, who absolutely loved him for his fun-loving spirit. He was the life of the party.

Like a lot of us when we were in our 20s, there was a time when partying was the only thing on our mind, myself included. But, there's a point when you realize that there is more to life. What I find most admirable and impressive was Favre's willingness to turn his life around in his late 20s. Favre decided that he didn't want his legacy to include getting drunk and partying all the time. He settled down, got married, had another child with Deanna Favre and became a true role model.

I think that's what I'll remember most about him ... that he grew up like most of us.

Living in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. affords me the luxury of being in close proximity to several Spring Training sites. Some friends and I will be heading to Jupiter, Fla. to attend a Marlins game at Roger Dean Stadium this afternoon.

Spring Training games are a lot less casual than regular-season games for several reasons. I like how players are more accessible before and during the games. Players roam around the field, stretching or running wind sprints somewhere in deep center field. Other players will line the fences, signing autographs or having conversations with fans of all ages.

The Florida sun beats down, the smell of hot dogs and hamburgers fill the air and Jimmy Buffet music plays. The sound of the crack of the bat hitting the ball and the polite cheering from the crowd gets me in the baseball spirit.

I'm looking forward to the season. My Brewers should be strong. I'm not happy about Yovani Gallardo's knee injury, but he shouldn't miss too much time. Milwaukee's lineup is as solid as it has been in years, so I say let the fun begin!

I appreciate the comments from those who have responded to my question. I would like to add a postscript to the events that took place after the game on Saturday.

First, my niece is doing fine. Kids are pretty resilient and I think she was able to cope with the loss a lot better than I would have, and for that I applaud her.

Second, I noticed after the game that the coach from the opposing team approached my niece. I wasn't close enough to hear what he was saying to her, but it appeared to me that he was offering some nice words of encouragement. However, as I learned the next day, he was very unhappy with my niece because she elbowed his daughter in the closing seconds of the game. The coach took the opportunity to not offer words of encouragement, but instead to scold my niece, who was already feeling pretty bad about the loss. Suffice to say, his words didn't help Marisa's emotional disposition and they shook her up even more.

In getting Marisa's side of the story, the young girl apparently shoved my niece, who responded with the elbow. Now, this all probably seems funny and childish as you're reading it, I'm sure. I don't deny that my niece elbowed the girl. If Marisa takes after my side of the family, we've got fiery German blood coursing through our veins and we are very competitive.

However, what this coach on the other team failed to see was his daughter's original push. He only witnessed the back end of the play, which was my niece's elbow. But what this coach failed to understand is that things are going to happen in the heat of battle and, in my opinion, you let them slide off your back with that knowledge.

For him to single out my niece I think was wrong. If I would have heard what he was saying to Marisa, I don't think I could have been held accountable for the things I probably would have said and done in defense of my niece. Well, maybe I would have. LOL. Anyway, I would love to get your opinion as to whether this guy was in the right to approach my niece? Or, do you feel my niece was wrong to defend herself by throwing the elbow.