Welcome to Saturday Scorecard. With all the graduation parties, weddings (congratulations, Jason and Paula) and the White Sox in town, we will keep things short and sweet this week.
On to the notes. Estimated reading time, less than five minutes.
Finding the groove: The Brewers' scoring outburst on Friday night was both welcomed and overdue. The offense -- particularly slumping hitters like J.J. Hardy, Bill Hall and Corey Hart -- has underperformed for several weeks but somehow has maintained a grip on first place. The key is to keep a confident attitude and avoid panic. "You can't get it all back in one night," veteran Craig Counsell said.
It was interesting that Jeff Suppan helped spark the resurgence with a run-scoring hit. Sometimes, that's what it takes to open the flood gates.
Purple rain: Days after reporting that the Vikings "suspended" their pursuit of retired quarterback Brett Favre, ESPN tells us that a trainer and a coach will travel to Hattiesburg to watch Favre throw some passes and see how he's progressing two weeks after shoulder surgery.
We've said it before and we'll say it again: Favre is going to play for the Vikings next season. Do whatever you have to do to prepare yourself for that reality, because training camp starts in seven weeks.
On a side note, a friend pointed out that every time ESPN reports a Favre story on TV, the highlights shown feature Favre in action with the Jets and not the Packers. What will it be like when he has played a year in Minnesota?
Walker speaks: Reclusive wide receiver Javon Walker attended The Greg Jennings Celebrity Golf Classic Friday at Merrill Hills and granted an interview with Steve "The Homer" True. Walker talked about taking on Favre during a contract holdout and his time in Green Bay. Some highlights:
Walker on the holdout: "At the time, it was pretty much in the state of Wisconsin, me feeling like I was against the world. As the years have progressed, more athletes have said I did what I did at the right time. Brett and I were totally friends - there was nothing that we did to upset it each other, it was just the nature of the game."
Walker on whether things became personal with the Packers: "It never became personal. It wasn't personal at all. I just felt that every person, at that time, for what you put in, should seek what you should be rewarded. It was never anything personal, if it was, I wouldn't be in Wisconsin."
Walker on Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers: The thing about A-Rod (Rodgers) is he just had to wait a little longer for his time to shine. People were surprised about how Aaron Rodgers played last year - I'd love to play with him. He's proving his potential to the highest level, it's going to be exciting to see what he can do this year."
Walker on new Bears quarterback Jay Cutler, who was his teammate in Denver: "He's gonna be someone to reckon with. He's a talented player. He's a player who is comfortable in his ability. At his best, he'll pick you apart. When you say he hasn't won, it's just been 3 years. The Bears will be much better."
A house divided: Brewers superfan Mark Simons, aka "The Doorman," joked that the interleague series with the White Sox could lead to his divorce because his wife, Stephanie, is a diehard Sox fan. Round 1 went to the Doorman.
Pen ultimate: Pittsburgh beat the odds, overcame an injury to Sidney Crosby and defeated Detroit to win the Stanley Cup in a thrilling Game 7 Friday night at Joe Louis Arena. The Penguins went from the brink of bankruptcy/extinction to the top of the mountain. Maybe there is hope for the Bucks.
To the point: Speaking of the Bucks, virtually all signs point to them taking a point guard in the draft, which means they'll say goodbye to Ramon Sessions. That won't go over well with some fans.
Fair warning: On Tuesday, OnMilwaukee.com sports columnist Dave Begel is going to address the mania he created with his MMA column last week. We're increasing our server capacity to handle the onslaught of e-mails.
Just for laughs: If you haven't seen the Cubs-Twins highlights from yesterday, seek them out and see what Milton Bradley did. Classic.
Lake show: Our prediction of Lakers in 5 is looking pretty good, don't you think?
Host of “The Drew Olson Show,” which airs 1-3 p.m. weekdays on The Big 902. Sidekick on “The Mike Heller Show,” airing weekdays on The Big 920 and a statewide network including stations in Madison, Appleton and Wausau. Co-author of Bill Schroeder’s “If These Walls Could Talk: Milwaukee Brewers” on Triumph Books. Co-host of “Big 12 Sports Saturday,” which airs Saturdays during football season on WISN-12. Former senior editor at OnMilwaukee.com. Former reporter at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.