Favre Picking Up Where Tiger Left Off

Hold onto you hat Tiger Woods. Your ride on the hot seat may very well be over. Or at the very least, you'll have company.

Over the course of this past weekend, we've been privy to numerous reports about Brett Favre and his gallivanting ways since Deadspin first broke the story. According to the article, Favre began leaving voice mails and text messages about meeting up with the aforementioned Ms. Sterger. Things allegedly escalated to the point of Favre sending nude photos of his gentiles to the former Jets sideline reporter and Maxim model.

Now the NFL is looking into this in relation to its Personal Conduct Policy and trying to determine just how accountable or guilty Brett Favre actually is in these actions that supposedly took place in 2008. If they find something that violates the policy, Favre could see a suspension in the matter.

Understand though, that the NFL investigation is the least of Brett Favre's worries. Certainly, a suspension or any validity to the charges could create a similar stigma to the ones that forced Barry Bonds from baseball, but Favre has to look at this from a different angle.

Favre needs to be wary of the Tiger Woods Syndrome.

Like Woods, the timing of the allegations against Favre come at an inopportune time, with the Vikings facing a must-win against Favre's old team in the New York Jets. Also like Woods, the first allegation is likely to open the floodgates of others, with the second allegation coming Sunday when a masseuse who was hired by the Jets in 2008 is saying Favre made similar remarks on her voicemail, a claim backed up by her husband. Inevitably, more will follow, making their play at their 15 minutes of fame and the crushing wave of internet search engines looking for pictures of Jenn Sterger and her cohorts.

Favre has much to lose in the ordeal. His never-ending parade of indecision about retiring or returning will likely end as teams will find it difficult to offer him a deal amid scandal. Favre is also married and there has been no word out of his wife Deanna about the allegations. Of course, Tiger and his wife tried to keep things under wraps as well, but they quickly snowballed beyond spin control. In the end, Woods lost his wife, his swing coach, and numerous sponsors costing him millions of dollars. Favre, while not the marketing machine that Woods was, still could lose quite a bit from the likes of Sears and Wrangler.

Certainly, these are all still just allegations and no one has been proven to have done anything, although no one is denying it either. The investigation and the media fascination will run its course, but unlike Woods, Favre doesn't have years of active play to rebuild his image. He's already on the way out of a storied career and may see this as the straw that broke the camels back.

Of course, the question at the end of all of this won't be whether Favre returns next season or not. It'll be if we as fans still care.

Sources:

- Brett Favre's Cell Phone Seduction Of Jenn Sterger, Deadspin.com

- NFL Investigating Brett Favre Allegations, LATimes.com

- Second Woman Accuses Married Football Great, RadarOnline.com