Normally, when the football watching community wants ESPN to shut up about Brett Favre, or at the very least, tone back its coverage, it continues to beat us over the head with all Favre, all the time. It's like a never-ending jackhammer assault that just keeps banging at your ears until you eventually give in and cry for mercy.
That's why it's a little odd that the network -- the worldwide leader -- has yet to really offer comment on Sunday's report from Jay Glazer. You know, the one where Favre, allegedly, spilled the beans on Green Bay's secrets to Detroit head coach Rod Marinelli.
This seems like the perfect topic for the screaming panels of Pardon the Interruption or Around the Horn to attack with the passion of a thousand Woody Paiges. And yet they haven't. It remains a giant elephant sitting on ESPN's couch, eating all of its peanuts -- making a huge mess under the table -- while everyone continues to ignore it.
As Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk explains, there's a very good reason for that. Well, maybe it's not a "very good" reason, but it is a reason. I guess.
Under the heading "DO NOT REPORT . . . DO NOT REPORT . . . . DO NOT REPORT . . . DO NOT REPORT" (um, we get the point) appears the following: "Yesterday, FoxSports reported that Brett Favre spent 60 to 90 minutes before the Week Two game between the Lions and the Packers educating the Detroit coaching staff regarding the Packers' offensive strategies. WE HAVE BEEN TOLD BY RELIABLE SOURCES THIS REPORT IS NOT TRUE. We did NOT report it yesterday. Today, the NFL responded to the report, saying even if Favre did this he did not break any league rules. We are NOT reporting it today, because that would mean airing the erroneous report. DO NOT REPORT IT."Well that settles it. As Florio points out, even if the report were false, that should be all the more reason for ESPN to offer a take on it, even if to clear Favre's crystal-clear good name and make mention that one of their competitors messed the sheets on a potentially big story.
Either way, I'm sure ESPN will continue to ignore Brett Favre coverage until he throws a touchdown, or puts a dead animal in a teammates locker, or goes to the bathroom, or has a four-month public debate with himself on whether or not he's going to retire.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
10-21-2008 @ 5:43PM
Joel said...
I'm surprised that it wouldn't be against league policy. In many private-sector jobs, it's not only against company policy, but illegal to give competitive information about a former employer to a current employer. While I understand that the Lions aren't his current employer, the general principle is the same.
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10-21-2008 @ 10:23PM
Biebs said...
I'm not sure about that. Teams routinely pick up players for one week that played in preseason for their opponent. The Pats did this all the time, and then dumped the player right after the week.
Also, while I believe this is scummy, it's not like Favre had knowledge of the 2008 Packers. He was essentially lopped out of the team when he retired in March. For example, I would assume that the Dolphins quizzed Pennington on the Jets offenses since he was practicing with them 3 weeks prior to playing them, and that didn't seem to have too much of an effect on the game.
10-21-2008 @ 10:24PM
giant fan since 57 said...
The times they are a changin....
Don't waste your time watching ESPN if you want the real scoop on the NFL. The real story is on the blogs, like SB nation, where the posters know far more about their teams than the talking heads of ESPN.
By the way, am I the only one who is irritated by ESPN's MNF openings where they talk X's and 0's and ignore the excitement of the home team entry into the stadium. Monday Night Football is just not the special event it used to be.
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10-21-2008 @ 10:24PM
steve said...
All Favre all the time? You mean all dallas all the time. I can't turn espn on ANY TIME, night or day and not hear something about dallas.
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10-22-2008 @ 10:34AM
dan said...
It's not the deed that's going to sink Favre's reputation. It's the cover-up.
There's nothing wrong with what he did. He's no longer under contract with the Packers, he can say whatever he wants to whoever he wants. But why is he lying about it? Everybody knows he did it. Chris Mortenson and ESPN can believe Bus Cook's denials all they want, but it seems pretty clear that this doesn't get reported if it's not true.
Anyway, go Pack! ...and go Brett. Get the Jets to the playoffs, getting us a 2nd rounder in the process, and I'll be happy. As for the rise and fall of it all, who cares? All this crud can't change the fact of all those wonderful Sundays for 16 years. But, my advice: Don't lie about it. Be a man.
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10-22-2008 @ 10:34AM
Mark said...
Funny thing is the Lions are so bad they can't even cheat and win. That's hilarious!!!!
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10-22-2008 @ 12:17PM
David said...
The facts are : Brett Never talked with the lions! The truth is this was propaganda perpertrated by Ted Thompson of the Packers to offset attention from the 3-3 packers at the time and the rising grumblings in the green bay camp about the decision to release Favre. Word was at the time this was released the was division in the Green Bay camp and it was getting worse. Boys and Girls this was an attempt to snowball a young team and circle the wagons which worked if you watched the defense sunday against the colts. Another short lived Ted Thompson fostered scam.........lol ....
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10-22-2008 @ 12:51PM
brownpride57 said...
how canwe be sure that it did happen,dont you remember that saying ,dont believe anything of what you hear and only half of what you see?what i think what happened is some one got really angry and started to make rumors and we as sapps believe whatever is out there , i for one am alot skeptical about alot of things and this is one of many,you have to let time go by and see what the truth caoes out and you have to dig a little bit deeper if you want the truth
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