Question of the day: What do you think about the fine imposed on Brett Favre by the NFL?
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Writers from around Tribune Co. talk about the $50,000 fine Favre received for not cooperating with the NFL’s investigation into allegations that he sent inappropriate photos and messages to a former New York Jets game-day host. Check back throughout the day for more responses, and feel free to leave a comment of your own.
Dan Pompei, Chicago Tribune
The NFL could not prove that Brett Favre did anything that violated league policies regarding workplace conduct in the Jenn Sterger affair. So a $50,000 fine for failure to cooperate with the league in a forthcoming manner seems to be plenty of punishment. The NFL has to judge players in these kinds of situations just the way a court of law would: That’s innocent until proven guilty. Favre was not proven guilty. Whether he was guilty could be debated, but it’s not being debated anymore in the league offices. Even though nothing came of it, the situation can serve as a lesson to other players. This much is certain: Everyone is probably very happy to see this ugly matter closed. Everyone, that is, except Jenn Sterger.
Dom Amore, Hartford Courant
The best news to come out of the NFL’s “disciplining” of Brett Favre is that the sad, sordid situation is over for now. Favre, who seems determined to hang around until all the shine is off his image, will leave the game seeming far less appealing than he would have if he’d stuck with his original retirement three years ago.
Favre, being Favre, will likely trot out and play at least some of the Vikings’ game this week to give his fans a farewell appearance. Although Favre has tended to get whatever Favre wants, he should not have been allowed to take this extra bow. The league’s decision to fine him $50,000 for “not cooperating” in its investigation into the lewd-texting incident may be the best Roger Goodell can legally do. Then again, it may not; legal expert Roger Cossack has noted that in any other business an employee refusing to cooperate in a sexual-harassment investigation would be fired.
If the NFL has decided to let Favre slide because this is to be his last game, that’s wrong. Part of every player’s job is to avoid bringing embarrassment to the league and his team, and this episode, in which former Jets employee Jenn Sterger alleges Favre sent her lewd photos of himself via his “smart” phone, was an embarrassment. Favre should have been suspended.