Brett Favre
So, the biggest off-the-field storyline of this season has finally (and thankfully) come to a head.
According to NFL.com’s Jason La Canfora, the NFL has fined Favre $50,000 for lack of cooperation during the investigation of whether he sent racy pictures and voicemails to Jenn Sterger, who, at the time, was a New York Jets sideline correspondent.
The punishment could’ve been much worse for Favre; due to lack of evidence available to commissioner Roger Goodell, the league didn’t impose a more severe fine — or suspension — for workplace conduct or any other NFL policy.
La Canfora points out that this fine reflects Favre’s actions toward the investigation, and not for his alleged actions toward Sterger, who met with the league privately last month. The investigative review took longer than expected because at no point was Favre candid toward the allegations.
Favre’s salary in 2010 was $16 million, so this is nothing more than a drop in the bucket for him. He’ll still be available for Week 17 and, as of now, is slated to play at Detroit.
An official statement from the league has been released, here’s an excerpt.
The NFL office conducted an investigation to determine whether Brett Favre’s interaction with New York Jets game-day employee Jenn Sterger in 2008 violated the NFL Personal Conduct Policy.
In reviewing the matter, the sole focus was on whether there was a violation of league policies regarding conduct in the workplace. NFL policies do not extend to private conduct or make judgments about the appropriateness of personal relationships, except where that conduct or those relationships raise issues under the law or league policies.
The investigation included an analysis of publicly available reports; a series of interviews with knowledgeable individuals, including Sterger and Favre; a review of communications between the two furnished to our office; and independent forensic analysis of electronically stored material. The investigation was limited in several respects because the conduct occurred in 2008 but was not brought to our attention until this fall. As a result, certain records and individuals were unavailable to the NFL.
You can read the statement in its entirety here.
