Since this is a newspaper column about sports, I am obligated to write the words Brett and Favre as many times as I can.

Brett Favre.

But this column isn't about Brett Favre. It's about the major league baseball trading deadline, which comes at 4 p.m. today.

Brett Favre.

The Pittsburgh Pirates already have made a splash this trading season, sendingXavier Nady and Damaso Marte to the Evil Empire for some shoelaces and pinball machine parts.

Well, maybe it wasn't that bad. The Pirates did get the Yanks' top outfield prospect and three young arms who could potentially, help a beleaguered pitching staff soon.

But they are no Brett Favre.

The Angels' formidable offense got a boost when the Braves unloaded Mark Teixeira on their doorstep.

There are sure to be more today before the clock strikes. Then there is the waiver-wire trades, which do happen deep into August.

But deadline deals rarely work. For every Rick Sutcliffe, who went 16-1 with the Cubs after his trade fromCleveland, there is Larry Anderson, who the Red Sox acquired in 1990 for some dude named Jeff Bagwell.

How did that turn out?

Brett Favre.

Even the Pirates have made some shrewd deadline deals in the past. The Brian Giles trade to the Padres comes to mind.

The Buccos got Jason Bay and Oliver Perez, who the club then parlayed for Xavier Nady, in the deal.

Giles has hit a mere 74 home runs in the five-plus years he has been in San Diego. Bay has hit 136 home runs since landing in the 'Burgh.

Perez, well, he's no BrettFavre either.

Here is a list of some of the worst trade deadline deals ever made.

Brett Favre.

n Red Sox send Bagwell to Astros for Larry Anderson.

Anderson pitched 22 innings for the Sox and blew three saves. Boston was swept in the playoffs by Oakland.

Bagwell went on to win an MVP award and launch 450 homers.

n Tigers jettison JohnSmoltz to Braves for Doyle Alexander.

Probably one of the worst trades made at any time, let alone at the deadline. The Tigers were desperate for a veteran arm and got one in Alexander, who went 9-0 with a 1.53 ERA down the stretch, but won just 20 games for Detroit after that time.

What has Smoltz done? What hasn't he done. Starter, reliever, starter again — he's a Hall-of-Famer.

n Mariners ship Derek Lowe and JasonVaritek to the Red Sox for Heathcliff Slocumb.

Yes. Heathcliff Slocumb. Boston got a key piece to their starting rotation, as well as a catcher and a leader.

The Mariners got Heathcliff Slocumb.

Not BrettFavre.

n Royals send DanMiceli and Jon Lieber to the Pirates for Stan Belinda.

Yes. There was a time when the Pirates made good trades. But they undid this one by sendingLieber to the Cubs for Brant Brown.

That deal was dumb.

Mike Kilroy is a staff writer for the Butler Eagle.