Like the sunrise, there are two names that are inevitably in the news every day lately. They just won’t go away, and every time I see their names printed my respect for each of them goes down that much more. Who are they?

Alex Rodriguez and Brett Favre.

Now, I’m not saying they are in any way equals — A-Rod’s publicity is far worse than Favre’s — but every headline I read about the two (likely) future hall of famers makes me cringe and wish I had some sort of rewind button to make it all go away. But since I am not Marty McFly, this column will have to suffice.

My latest problem with this duo? Well, it’s a tossup between the book, “A-Rod: The Many Lives of Alex Rodriguez” and Brett Favre’s decision to request a release from the Jets.

The lesser of the two evils seems to be Favre, so let’s begin there. (First, a disclaimer: I am not, nor have I ever been, a fan of any team in the NFC North).

So, Favre says he has no intention of coming out of retirement — again. Well, that seems hard to believe after his decision to ask for his release. He must be doing it because he wants to retire as a Packer then, right?

Wrong. According to a Sports Illustrated report, one NFL source insists “Brett Favre can’t peacefully retire until he finds a way to get revenge on the Packers.” Really? Revenge on the Packers?

I can’t even imagine how many fans he would have left after doing so.

Like NBC’s Tiki Barber told Dan Patrick on his show Friday, I think it’s in Favre’s best interest to hang ’em up as a free agent and enjoy retirement. Besides, how much can he really prove as a member of the Minnesota Vikings anyway?

After tanking midway through last season, does the 39-year-old Mississippi native really believe he has enough left in his tank to carry a team that plays half its games in the dome where he posted a 6-10 record over his career as a Packer?

The best way for Favre to get his revenge would have been to make the playoffs with a Jets franchise that stumbled to a 4-12 record before his arrival. After failing to do so, Favre now appears to feel he still has something left to prove.

Now he has the potential to do just the opposite of getting revenge on the Packers.

If Favre suits up as a Viking when the two teams square off on the Oct. 5 edition of Monday Night Football, it will be a media frenzy. And tickets will be scalped at astronomical prices when the two teams match up again on Nov. 1 in Green Bay

But what if Favre loses? What if Aaron Rodgers out-Favre’s Favre? Imagine this scenario: Rodgers leads the Pack to victory with a Favre-esque overtime drive for the ages.

Not only would Favre not get revenge on the Packers in such scenario, but the Packers — who also felt slighted by the quarterback — would turn the tables and get revenge on him.

Now for the other athlete I can’t bare to read much more about, A-Fraud.

The latest news surrounding the three-time MVP accuses Rodriguez of taking performance-enhancing drugs before and after the dates during which he admitted to doing so. Not only that, but the portions of Selena Roberts’ book that have been leaked to the public also say he was guilty of tipping pitches to opposing hitters as a member of the Texas Rangers.

Tipping pitches? Cheating to make yourself better is one thing, but a quid pro quo with opposing middle infielders hurts your own pitchers and frankly, the integrity of the game. I wouldn’t be surprised in the least if Rodriguez is brushed back once or twice upon his return to the Yankees’ lineup.

Now some will say performance-enhancing drugs do just as much — if not more — to damage the purity of the game of baseball, but I cannot help but disagree. Steroids were a part of the culture and part of every player’s natural desire to get better. Tipping pitches, on the other hand, simply betrays teammates in favor of a “slump preventer.”

As someone who played baseball for a long time, and as an avid fan, I have admired Rodriguez. He wasn’t just good — as Roberts put it, he was like a “tall tale, something that was too good to be true in so many ways.” Well, I guess it really was too good to be true.

Between the steroids and the pitch tipping, Rodriguez goes from a seemingly admirable superstar athlete to an egomaniacal image-obsessed fraud who would stop at nothing to be the best.

Unfortunately for A-Rod — and everyone else — there is enough dirt on him to fill a book, just as Roberts did, so it will be some time before the scrutiny subsides. Adding insult to injury is the fact Rodriguez will soon be returning to the playing field, eliminating his ability to avoid the insanity that is the New York media.

Hopefully, Rodriguez sans-steroids will manage to perform up to the precedent set by his former, supposedly juiced self. And with the Yankees’ new home run-happy ballpark, he should have no trouble getting a few cheap ones to the opposite field in right.

Regardless of how he performs, it seems likely Rodriguez will continue to deny, deny and deny when the best solution to all of his problems would be to come clean, just as he seemed to have already done months ago.

Hopefully Favre and Rodriguez will eventually realize the old adage “Any news is good news” does not apply when your name is perpetually linked to increasingly mind-boggling negativity.

If not, here’s to hoping the news media will grow weary of their relentless attempts to damage their own previously pristine reputations.

Jordan is a junior majoring in journalism and political science. How do you think A-Rod will fare following hip surgery? Have any insider tips on if Favre will end up in Minnesota? Let him know at [email protected].