Minnesota Vikings Visit the New York Jets as Favre Sexting Story Continues to Grow and NFL Investigates

The Brett Favre and Jenn Sterger and masseuses story is not going away. As Favre's team the Minnesota Vikings visit the New York Jets tonight, many are wondering what the ongoing NFL investigation will reveal and whether or not there is a smoking gun yet to be found, such as the alleged picture of Favre masturbating with Crocs on.

As Favre prepares to play in the eye of the storm tonight, the story is hitting a fever pitch in terms of interest and is now being widely discussed in the mainstream media. On Monday, even the Today Show got involved Amy Robach gave an overviews of the events, timeline and allegations against Favre.

All of this could be very bad news for Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings.

While the league would never say this publicly, there is no doubt that public perception and opinion will go a long way towards determining whether or not Favre will be suspended during the season. As despicable as Favre's alleged acts seem to be, it is difficult to imagine that lewd messages he sent to another adult two years ago would be enough to punish him legally. But the NFL cares deeply about its image and it reserves the right through a personal conduct clause written into its basic agreement with its players to punish players based on their off the field behavior, illegal or not.

The Favre story, which is close to morphing into a full blown scandal, was first reported back in early August when online sports gossip site Deadspin reported that Sterger, a former Playboy model and sideline reporter for the Jets, had told Deadspin that when he played for the Jets he texted a series of graphic pictures to her as well as a number of voicemails. The story did not really get much attention at that point, presumably because there was no potential evidence offered by the website.

The timing probably not coincidental to the Jets and Vikings game tonight, Deadspin released pictures and voicemails last week which it claims are of Favre's penis and his voice. It says that Jenn Sterger refuses to go on record yet, but that a third party provided it to Deadspin.

Reports suggest, however, that Sterger is considering whether to discuss the situation directly with the NFL as the league conducts its investigation. Perhaps less salacious, but even more damaging potentially to Favre, are allegations that came to surface over the past several days, made by two former Jets' masseuses, that Favre propositioned them to have a threesome.

It will be interesting to see whether and how ESPN, long accused of being in Favre's pocket before this story broke, will cover the story. The game tonight will attract a nationwide audience and it seems likely that a significant number of people will be introduced to the particulars of the story tonight. Public opinion, which is a key determinant to Favre's future, will shape and harden quickly over the next 24 to 48 hours.

As the Minnesota Vikings and New York Jets battle tonight, remember that Brett Favre is battling both the Jets and for his public image and popularity.

Sources:

NY Post