I took a Daily Show-like end-of-year hiatus, but have returned to let you know what’s really grinding my gears with the new year afoot. It’s not the Republican House or the trash piling up on the streets. Instead, it’s the NFL.

If you recall, just before Thanksgiving, I engaged in a lengthy analysis of the harassment allegations against QB Brett Favre dating back to his season with the New York Jets in 2008. I favored Jenn Sterger, then in-house sideline reporter for the Jets, for a number of reasons, one of which was we happened to meet once, and I came away thinking she was “smart, kind, and principled.” No legal case was brought at the time. Rather, all parties relied on the NFL, which conducted its own investigation… and dragged its feet so hard they resembled a wide receiver trying to make sure both his were in-bounds for a touchdown.

Nearly three months passed since Deadspin broke the story using questionable practices. Favre’s seemingly-genuine retirement loomed. Injury caused his streak of consecutive starts to snap. His current team, the Minnesota Vikings, whimpered into a playoff-less postseason. The two-year statute of limitations in New Jersey to bring a workplace sexual harassment claim appeared to expire.

And then, buried just before New Year’s Eve, the NFL finally issued a decision: a supremely underwhelming and perplexing ruling. Read the rest of this entry »

It’s time for a break from politics to discuss the sports media entrée of the past month: that Brett Favre is a Dirty Old Grandfather.

Unless you’ve had your head under a misguided Rand Paul supporter’s foot for the last 40 days, you’ve likely heard the story that Deadspin broke about the NFL’s Brett Favre allegedly sending suggestive voicemails and cell phone pictures of his manparts to a girl named Jenn Sterger in 2008. At the time, Favre was quarterbacking for the New York Jets and Sterger was working for the team as a sort of in-house sideline reporter/hostess. Due to that, the accusations bring issues of workplace sexual harassment to the fore.

There’s been a lack of major public developments since this whole ugly business was exposed. Favre has been terse or evasive with the press, the NFL has conducted its own investigation, and Sterger, with her manager and lawyer, has considered her legal options.

Of course, that hasn’t prevented a media melee, where outlets sliced and diced each party to the scandal. First Favre was slammed, and Sterger was given the benefit of the doubt. Now some are even sympathizing with Favre, while others hurl accusations that Sterger is just another attention-grabbing opportunist.

Read the rest of this entry »