Scattershot thoughts from July 29th.

• I was wrong. Brett Favre won't start the season in a purple 4 jersey. To again quote Clark Griswold, if I woke up tomorrow with my head sewn to the carpet, I wouldn't be more surprised.
• "You're our guy, Sage. We believe in you. We have all along. The guys who kept texting Brett have your back too... unless they're texting Tavaris. In that case, they're completely behind him."
• I think it takes a person with a sick mind to do the things Michael Vick did, but I do believe after nearly two years in prison, the NFL needed to reinstate him and let the market decide. I still hope no one hires Vick, and I'm not convinced anyone will--- at least not this season.
• It's great to have the Cubs and Cardinals trading first place back and forth this late in the season.
• 45 up and 45 down from Mark Buerhle is once in a lifetime stuff. If you live to be 100.
• Urbandale is the best city in Iowa. Really? Urbandale? I know a lot of people with sweet homes in U-dale, and the high school sports teams show up strong, but I don't really even think of Urbandale as a city. Quick, what do you picture as the Urbandale landmark? Cobblestone theaters?
• Iowa ranks as the 12th best party school in the country. Parents hate this, students love it.
• Good news and bad news for Marshalltown's Jeff Clement. Good: he's traded to a team who wants him. Bad: it's the Pirates. Jeff's a good guy. I hope he finally breaks through.
• I've changed my mind about Pete Rose. I think he belongs in the Hall of Fame as a player, but there would have to be a mention he bet on baseball as a manager. It will never happen.
• I wasn't the only one who thought Gene Chizik was a bad fit for Iowa State. The more the players open up, the more we see how glad they are Paul Rhoads is the head coach.
• Kirk Ferentz doesn't care how many games you or I think his son should be suspended. Ferentz will do what he thinks is right. I respect that, even as I disagree.
• I loved our video of the river rescue heroes being honored by the city, and they're all in their sweaty work clothes, and they just want to get back to the job. It's that humble mindset that led to their selfless acts in the first place.
• Phil Mickelson wants to buy 105 Waffles Houses. How much does this guy love "Tin Cup"?
• Interest in the WNBA is dropping. Dropping from what?
• The Barnstormers playoff opponent changed because the scheduled team didn't pay its bills. That's a first. And good thing the AHL didn't do that this past season or the Chops wouldn't have played much.
• Of all the "Dancing with the Stars" celebrities, I was most impressed by Steve-O, of all people. (He and the naked guy, Gilles, from "Sex and the City" spent the most time with fans.) Steve-O signed countless autographs and posed for dozens of pictures, some with Girl Scouts who you hope know him from dancing, and not butt-rockets.
• I think Shawn Johnson is again giving serious thought to competing again in 2012. I think she was leaning the other way until a few weeks ago.
• I can't believe the "shocking twist" in "Orphan". The "Sixth Sense" can sleep easy.
• "G.I. Joe" looks cheesy.