Multiple sources are reporting that Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre has informed the team of his decision to retire after 17 seasons.

Though I’ve been highly critical of Favre’s reckless style of play toward the latter end of his career, Brett Favre is the first superstar quarterback of my youth to retire. I’ve seen the entire breadth of Favre’s career unfold before me and now to see it come to an end today is a little surreal for me. Sure, I was a football fan when Montana retired and ditto for Jim Kelly, Dan Marina and John Elway but I didn’t see their ascent from rookie to NFL legend. I remember Favre throwing touchdown passes to Robert Brooks, Antonio Freeman and Mark Chumura. I remember Favre running down the field in The Superdome with his helmet off after throwing his first touchdown pass against the Patriots in Super Bowl XXXI. That moment will be forever be his legacy and will serve as a snapshot, indicative of how Favre played this game for 17 years.

But Favre was hardly Superman and as fans, we were reminded more than once that number 4 was mortal. In 1996, he entered rehab to treat an addiction to vicodin. In 2003, Brett’s father, Irvin, was died of a heart attack while behind the wheel in Kiln, Mississippi. The following day Brett played on Monday night football, threw for 399 yards and four touchdowns. In 2004, Favre lost his brother-in-law in an ATV accident and shortly thereafter learned that his wife, Deanna had breast cancer. The following year Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast, destroying the home of Favre’s parents in Mississippi. Favre played every down in 2005. Never has there been a more tragic, at the same time more inspirational sports star than Brett Favre and the sports world will miss him dearly but is profoundly better having had him for almost 20 years.

I honesty sit here stunned. After having a resurgence and leading his team all the way to the NFC Championship, a game away from the Super Bowl, many, myself included, believed that he would be back given that most of a team that finished with the second best record in the NFC would return in 2008. Instead, Favre has decided, finally, to walk away and return to Kiln, Mississippi.

We wish him luck. God knows, he finally deserves some.

Finally saw The Bourne Ultimatum over the weekend and loved it. It was everything that The Bourne Supremacy should have been but wasn’t. Matt Damon proves, once again, that he’s one of the greatest actors of our generation and turns in another powerhouse performance. The supporting performances are great, Joan Allen manages not to ruin this film like she did in Supremacy, Julia Stiles is actually really terrific and you really can’t say enough about David Strathairn, the guy is liquid on screen. The action sequences were top-knotch and even had me smirking like a geek with their awesome-ness (a smirk which drew several wayward glances and eye-rolls from my girlfriend who enjoyed it but clearly not as much as I did). Behind Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Ultimatum was my favorite movie of the summer.

I also saw Ron Howard’s The Paper with Michael Keaton, Glenn Close and Robert Duvall and really enjoyed it. I think it was very true to life at a newspaper and the actors were really convincing newspeople. I don’t think this film is as true to form as a picture like Shattered Glass but was every bit as enjoyable. The flick is perfect for a rainy day. Definitely worth a spot on your Netflix queue.

Currently blasting the speakers on my MacBook and in my car is Kanye West’s new single Stronger which features an amazing slowed-down sample of Daft Punk’s “Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger.” The song is fantastic and really embodies everything that I unashamedly love about Kanye West. The guy is inventive and not at all afraid to take risks. Can’t wait to pick up Graduation when it comes out on Sept. 11.

Worth mentioning was the trailer for Peter Berg’s The Kingdom that I saw before The Bourne Ultimatum, which I am more excited about then I can even describe. Jamie Foxx, Hillary Swank, Jason Bateman and the imcomparable Chris Cooper in what looks like it could be one of the best films of the year.

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No, seriously…

British teen OD’s on espresso.

Some moron paid more than $1,500 for an oil smudge on a garage floor in Virginia. It doesn’t even look like Jesus. Frankly, it looks like a goat.

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ESPN’s Mark Schlabach lists college football’s biggest secrets in ‘07.

Lawrence Taylor tells Michael Strahan to hang it up.

Saints linebacker Scott Fujita sets the record straight on his water park foot injury.

Pair of pieces from ESPN’s Pat Forde on Kentucky quarterback Andre Woodson and on Darren McFadden going pro after this season.

DC United player pissed about ESPN’s Beckham-centric MLS coverage.

Jon Gruden is still sifting through his pack of quarterbacks.

Not really news but I find it interesting that every week there is a letter from a reader in the Buffalo News about how awful Sabres management is. Every week, never fails.

Hoosiers hope to improve their pass rush. It really can’t get any worse.

The AJC’s Terence Moore wants Michael Vick’s staunchest supporters to wake up and smell the roses.

A nice piece in the Houston Chronicle on Texas A&M quarterback Stephen McGee.

Packers first-round pick Justin Harrell sees limited time in preseason opener. This might have been the worst first-round pick in last year’s draft.

In case you live in a cave: MADDEN COMES OUT TOMORROW!

Drew Henson fighting for his football life in Vikings camp.

Titans players defend their ownership of pit bulls.

The AJC’s Tony Barnhart on why the SEC is smiling and the things college football fans have learned a week into practice.

Oklahoma quarterback race still not decided.

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Three consumer groups have spoken out against the Whole Foods/Wild Oats merger.

Google to launch iTunes competitor, gBox.

Who owns what in today’s online media landscape.

Microsoft is hoping the release of the Halo 3 this winter can help the system rebound from hardware failures and slumping sales.

Christopher Nolan debuts some ‘Dark Knight’ footage at Chicago comic con. I can’t wait for this but it seems that the producers have gone 0-for-2 in my mind in the casting of Rachel Dawes’ character. First they casted Katie Holmes, who was the worst thing about Batman Begins and now they’ve gone out and gotten Maggie Gyllenhaal who is my least favorite actress on the planet. I have never seen a single film that she’s been in that I enjoyed. I hope she can change my mind.

Cinematical lists seven movie stars who are about to fall off the A-list.

Stereogum has the real cover of Kanye’s new record, Graduation.

Facebook makes the cover of Newsweek.

Newsweek’s 25 hottest universities.

As if you needed another reason to buy Kanye’s new record, 50 cent says that if West’s Graduation outsells his record, which comes out the same day, he’s going to stop making music. (Your lips to God’s ears, sir.)

Top Chef’s Sam Talbot on the now-infamous Rocco episode.

We are oh-so-close to the beginning of college football and eventually the start of the NFL season and I personally can’t wait. There is nothing better for me than waiting around on a Saturday night for a big game in the SEC or Big Ten under the lights. Can’t wait.

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No, seriously…

This guy really did attend the Ray Charles Driving Academy.

Canadian airline loses a very important piece of luggage.

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Jermaine O’Neal backs off his trade demand/ The Indianapolis Star’s Bob Kravitz.

Packers rookie running back Brandon Jackson is impressing everyone in Green Bay.

The NFL Network to make games pay-per-view?

Joe Paterno says the Big Ten needs to reinstate the bye week.

Michigan defensive coordinator Ron English isn’t concerned about all the holes he must fill.

Urban Meyer may not redshirt freshman QB John Brantley after all.

Texas QB Colt McCoy is ready to go after impressive freshman season.

Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis still pretending that freshman Jimmy Clausen won’t start for the Irish.

Cal QB inexplicably dyes his hair various shades of blue.

USC’s trio of tailbacks coming on strong.

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Well-rounded news… 

New iMacs to look like the iPhone?

A nice piece in the LA Times on the trend of artists playing entire albums at live gigs.

Steve Allen to sell his portion of DreamWorks.

A poignant cartoon by Mike Luckovich of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution today as flight delays hit a 13-year-high.

Harold Perrineau talks to Entertainment Weekly about returning to Lost.

A Top Chef bracket that beats the pants off ESPN’s stupid “Who’s Now?”

PopCandy’s breakdown of Lollapalooza.

The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel is reporting that the Packers are supposedly interesting in acquiring temperamental Oakland Raiders wide receiver Randy Moss.

While it may be hard to believe that a man who once pretended to moon the crowd at Lambeau Field during the playoffs could really wear the green and gold, Green Bay is really tired of losing and they’d like to send Brett Favre out on a positive note.

I assumed that it would take a first round draft pick to move Moss from Oakland to Green Bay but according to an NFL personnel director, the chances of the Raiders actually getting a first round pick for Moss are next to none. A second round pick is more likely, according to the source.

While Moss’ track record in Oakland has been downright awful, he hasn’t exactly been playing with Peyton Manning. The past two seasons Moss has been playing with the likes of Kerry Collins and Aaron Brooks. And consider this, if the Raiders take a quarterback with the number one pick, say LSU’s JaMarcus Russell, do you really want Moss nurturing a young quarterback?

The Raiders would be smart to move him, the Packers would be smart to get him.

With Moss, the Packers inch closer to being a moderate threat to the Bears in the NFC Central. With Moss, Donald Driver and Greg Jennings, Brett Favre would have a lot of options in, what some would hope, will be his last season. If they take a defensive player with their first round pick or even a running back, Mel Kiper has them taking Cal running back Marshawn Lynch, the Packers could be a very interesting team in the fall.

While some Packer fans will see this for it is (their team trying to get Brett Favre to the playoffs one last time), I still think dealing for Moss will be a tough pill to swallow for some of Packer nation.