Tonight's ESPN broadcast
of Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings versus the New York Jets on
Monday Night Football will be fascinating to watch; and I'm not talking
about only the football game. All the evidence of Favre's sexting of Jenn Sterger is common knowledge, and the subject is being widely discussed in most mediums of NFL coverage.
But what will ESPN do tonight? How will they cover an obvious
black-eye for their all-time favorite player? Will they strangle the
golden goose in the name of journalistic integrity?
Favre will not address the allegations, but he also won't deny them. And Ms. Sterger
has been silent about the entire situation. So critics deriding her as a
publicity wh*** are proven wrong, as she has done nothing opportunistic
so far. Of course, I will strike that sentence from the record if/when it's revealed she sold the material to a third party, who later turned it over to Deadspin.
And Deadspin's
critics have been proven wrong too. The website had the goods to back
up their claims; and there was substance supporting the rumors and
gossip. They're actually the whistleblower here, as two more Jets-employed women came forward after the cell phone pics surfaced to indicate Favre harassed them.
We'll discuss the two "winners" in more detail later, but first let's discuss those who took some hits these past couple days.
Totally awesome graphic at the top of this page created by
Yardbarker.com
Deanna Favre
Some have referred to Sterger as the real victim in this situation,
and to some extent that's true. No one wants to be harassed/the
recipient of unwanted creepiness, but the real victim here is actually
Brett Favre's wife Deanna. This must be a very difficult time for her as
the embarrassment she's feeling must be beyond belief.
Of course, Deanna has admitted publicly in recent years that she's well aware of Favre's cheating, and threatened to leave him because of it.
(And yes, it made me queasy just now to link out to a Rupert Murdoch
owned publication. I'll need to shower four times today to clean that
filth off!)
Coincidentally, it's eerie how much Deanna looks exactly how Jenn Sterger
will likely appear in about 10-15 years. It reminds me of that "Lost"
episode when we find out how Benjamin Linus' mother looks EXACTLY like
Juliet Burke.
But if there is one single person who's opinion on this situation
matters more than anyone else, it's Deanna Favre, and it's a bit sad
that everyone covering this story has overlooked this fact.
Favre/ESPN/The NFL/anybody with a sports figure as a hero
First we had all the steroid miscreants (Bonds, Sosa, Clemens,
McGwire, Giambi, A-Rod, Palmeiro...I know there's a couple more I
forgot) in Major League Baseball. Then came Tiger, then LeBron, and
Lance Armstrong is next. A lot of the damning stuff is already out there
about the doping, philandering douchebag cyclist, but believe me
there's MORE on the way.
Roethlisberger, Vick, Favre, I guess the only lesson to be learned
here is "don't have a professional athlete as a role model." And if
you're over the age of 12, you probably shouldn't anyway. If you have at
least one parent who's a solid functioning member of society and not
certifiably insane, you got all the role models you need.
And also, think for yourself. Don't let a multimillionaire jock do
the thinking for you. And perhaps Favre isn't the real villain here,
maybe it's ESPN and their ilk for taking a gifted athlete and fierce
competitor and transforming him into a deity that is never to be
questioned.
Jenn Sterger
Now that we've broken down the losers, let's talk about those who
have gained from this scandal. It's like a CNBC stock-picking show!
For everyone that thought Ms. Sterger was just trying to cash in on
an embarrassing situation surrounding a legendary QB, you were wrong.
For everyone that thought she was once again using sex to keep her 15
minutes of fame going and take her career to the next level- wrong.
She's avoided this situation like the plague, and I've gained a newfound
respect for her.
And again I take it all back if/when it's
revealed she sold the material to a third party, who later turned it
over to Deadspin.
For how Deadspin gained from this, go here.
Paul M. Banks is President and CEO of The Sports Bank.net , a Midwest focused webzine. He is also a regular contributor to Chicago Now, the Chicago Tribune's blog network, Walter Football.com, the Washington Times Communities, Yardbarker Network, and Fox Sports.com
He also does a regular guest spot each week for Chicagoland Sports Radio.com
You can follow him on Twitter @thesportsbank
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