The subject of returns

Brief entry this week, as most of the local sports here in Wisconsin is engulfed by the fervor over a potential Brett Favre comeback. All I will say about that is both Favre and the Packers management team have done a terrible job of handling things from communications and professional standpoints.

To be fair, though, such a situation as is currently arising in Green Bay has been going on all year in the IndyCar ranks. One of, if not the most prominent absence from the series this year, has been Canadian Paul Tracy, whose experience, candor and aggressiveness is unrivaled anywhere in the paddock.

The will-he, won't-he race saga has gone on since Gerry Forsythe wouldn't let him out of his contract. Tracy limited his own options by saying, A. he wouldn't bring money to a drive, B. he would only consider the top teams (big three, Penske, Ganassi and AGR) and C. previous statements about the IndyCar Series after losing, controversially, the 2002 Indianapolis 500.

PT wasn't at Indianapolis; the only sign of him was a phone call to the most notable open-wheel writer of note, Robin Miller, on bump day. Frankly, racing only one event, as he will in Edmonton in two weeks, is nothing more than a PR stunt to gain publicity for the promoters.

It's unreasonable to expect that in a third car for Vision Racing in conjunction with Derrick Walker that PT will run competitively, or even be in a shot with a win/top five. Conspiracy theorists will claim, though, that there were certain agendas in earlier wins this year by Graham Rahal at St. Pete and Danica Patrick in Japan, and wouldn't be quick to discount a PT triumph north of the border.

I've been fairly critical and not overly optimistic about the unification, but when two egos this big join forces, especially as each has been on polar opposites of the open-wheel divide the last twelve years, come together, this is HUGE. It may only be for one event, but it signals a hatchet between these two is buried.

It's racing's ultimate irony. Imagine if W. Bush and Al Gore collaborated on environmental policies. Or Rosie O'Donnell and Donald Trump going into business ventures. PT and TGeorge on the same team?? Seriously?

When I first got into open-wheel in 1996, I knew there was a greater chance of seeing one open-wheel series again then these two teaming up. BOTH are happening in the same season. Who knew?

Some other notes to pass on in the ranks - Alex Tagliani is in line for a drive at Conquest Racing at Edmonton if not sooner based on Enrique Bernoldi's apathy and lack of results of late. Nashville seems a casuality of the desire to incorporate more road and street course events. And Tracy's sponsor, Subway, may comprise a bigger role in the marketing division of ICS down the road.

Stay tuned on those fronts. Until next week, cheers.