Unlike Tiger Woods, Brett Favre May Have No Chance for Redemption

Is everything in his life about to crash down for Brett Favre the way it did for Tiger Woods? News that former Playboy and Maxim model Jenn Sterger received sexting pictures from Brett Favre that included cell phone camera shots of his penis actually came to light in early August. At the time, there was nothing that substantiated the story, however, and given the fact that the mainstream media did not run with the story, there was little attention paid.

Now, though, Deadspin has released the pictures that it claims are of Favre's penis as well as voicemail messages that sound, at least to the amateur ear, just like Brett Favre. And because this all seems to be, well, hard evidence, the story has taken off. Further fueling the fire was Brett Favre himself this week, as he appeared stone faced and issued basically no comment on it when asked about it by reporters at a football related press conference. Generally, most will believe, if there is no truth at all to the story, then a strong denial would be given and lawsuits filed, but Favre said, "I'm not getting into that. I've got my hands full with the Jets and am trying to get some timing down with our guys, so that's all I'm going to discuss."

While many may be titillated by tales of a Hall of Fame quarterback, who is a grandfather and who turns 41 years old tomorrow, sending pictures of his penis to a comely sometime nude model and sometime sideline reporter, most will likely be surprised to hear the National Football League is investigating the matter and could actually end up suspending the Viking quarterback. The NFL has a "personal conduct policy" that is like nothing else in any other sport. The league has the right to discipline its players for conduct detrimental to the league, even if that conduct is noncriminal in nature and is part of the player's personal life.

In addition to possible league issues, Favre, it would seem, has some serious explaining to do to his wife, Deanna Favre, as the two have worked through troubled times before that included Favre's well documented substance abuse problems and less publicized extramarital affairs. The couple nearly split in 1999 according to her autobiography because she caught him talking to another woman on the phone.

Logic would say that Favre's career is almost over anyway. In addition to his age, he is battling elbow tendinitis and he has shown lesser production so far this year than what the Vikings will need to make a serious Super Bowl run this year. But Favre has built an image of a 'good old country boy' and family man. He's parlayed that image into massive endorsement deals with companies such as Wrangler, who clearly try to promote a clean and scandal free image.

He made over $7 million last year in endorsements; it is hard to imagine that the companies paying Favre to represent them in television ads are comfortable with the allegations that he sent pictures of his penis to a 26 year old sideline reporter. While none of his sponsors have yet pulled, they almost certainly will if the scandal continues; particularly if new allegations are made concerning Favre.

The world has watched the downfall of Tiger Woods over the past year as his personal life was destroyed, his endorsements mostly were gone and his golf game unraveled. In 2011, we will see if there will be a second act, even a redemption, for the athlete that had the most to lose and did so. Woods is still young enough and could continue to play at the top level of his sport for another twenty years even.

Brett Favre, though, is an old man in a young man's game. For him, his career, his endorsements, his marriage, and his reputation might all be hanging by a thread thanks to him sending pictures of his penis to one Jenn Sterger.

Source: New York Post