Source: Vikings tampered with Favre

[Harlan Huckleby]

Favre threw Campen under the bus. I wonder if Campen is the Packers source. Maybe he let it known to Campen that the Vikings have shown interest, and this is payback time for Campen. That's just speculation, but it would be interesting.

I was speculatin' the same thing. I can only imagine the debriefing Campen had to give the Packers after Brett's info came out. Ted and Mike probably put a sack over his head and took him to Egypt where they could get medieval on his ass.

maybe, but I somehow sense Mike Sherman's hand in this.

[DonHutson]

One point that has not been emphasized: Its not just TT. If McCarthy wanted to stick with Favre, there is no way TT would go out on this limb.

I also think the situation is more nuanced than TT driving Favre out of town. I believe his offer to bring Favre back in an undetermined role is sincere, if not so welcoming. There is room to work this out.

Fair enough. You can sub Packers for Ted if you want.

I'm less optimistic that a solution exists where Favre comes back. Especially since the tampering charges are intended to imply that Favre is a sneaky traitorous fuck, and since Brett has called Ted a lying incompetant asshole. The Blame Game seems to be all about exit strategy in my opinion.

[DonHutson]

Ted and Mike probably put a sack over his head and took him to Egypt where they could get medieval on his ass.

maybe, but I somehow sense Mike Sherman's hand in this.

I think you just heard the word "ass" and subliminally your mind drifted to Sherman. It's understandable. His was a biggun'.

[Fritz]

Favre threw Campen under the bus. I wonder if Campen is the Packers source. Maybe he let it known to Campen that the Vikings have shown interest, and this is payback time for Campen. That's just speculation, but it would be interesting.

I was speculatin' the same thing. I can only imagine the debriefing Campen had to give the Packers after Brett's info came out. Ted and Mike probably put a sack over his head and took him to Egypt where they could get medieval on his ass.

Egypt? All they had to do was get that private jet and book a flight to Guantanamo Bay. A little Caribbean vacation for Campen.

I did not hear where Favre said he thought Tampa was too hot, but the dude lives in frickin' Mississippi and played his college ball in the deep south.

I maintain that Favre really truly isn't sure he wants to play football this year, but he is sure he's been slighted by the Packers.

Just wondering - Michael Strahan dithered and slithered about retirement until near the end of training camp last year. I wonder how it would have worked out if the Pack had said to Favre, "Ah, just let us know by the end of July." Could that have worked out? Would Favre be able to train enough in camp to perform at the level he did last year? Would the indecision have in some way hurt the organization, or would he have stepped in and been just fine? Or if he decided to retire at the last minute before camp started, would the Pack be okay with, say, Rodgers and Brohm and maybe an aging, useless vet as the third stringer (someone JT O'Sullivanesque, perhaps)?

[FritzDontBlitz]

This shit gets funnier by the day. Has Jerry Angelo called yet? I'm kinda looking forward to the ability to see Favre play all 16 games instead of just 8 or 9 a year.

[Lurker64]

Whether or not the allegations of specific tampering can be proven, it bears mentioning that the NFL under Goodell has a very low standard for tampering. For example, according to this article (and this one) the main evidence in the recent ruling against the 49ers was that phone records showed a 49ers official had called Rosenhaus during the timeframe in question. The records at no point even indicated whether or not Rosenhaus actually answered the phone, but the 49ers were still punished with loss of draft picks and draft position.

The Bears had a record that a phone call was made and the 49ers ended up losing draft picks and draft position, that's it. By this standard if the Packers have anything whatsoever of substance (e.g. "more contact between Favre and Bevell than usual in June-July" or "any single utterance of 'you should come be a Viking' by Bevell") then the Vikings are going to get tagged in this one.

Also considering that this controversy has dominated media coverage of the NFL but really hasn't left the league as a whole looking good, Goodell might be inclined to lower the already very low standards for this charge. I mean, no NFL fan was really aware of the Briggs/49ers situation and not a lot of them called, but a large number of NFL fans fall into the camps of "Sick to their stomach", "angry at someone", or "annoyed at this whole situation" about the Favre thing.

If the Packers can make a convincing case that the genesis of this whole debacle is tied in any way to the tampering charge, in light of the damage this situation could potentially do to the Green Bay Packers, the NFL may very well come down hard. The NFL doesn't even want teams to entertain the option of "covertly courting your rival's retired superstars in order to create a media firestorm that hurts your rival."

So while the Packers might not be able to prove anything by any reasonable standard, that doesn't mean that the NFL won't find in favor of Green Bay.

[The Leaper]

I don't think Briggs had any relationships with 49er coaches...maybe I'm wrong. In that way, it was easier to prove the call was about "business".

If Briggs is talking to a 49er who he has no relationship with...what the hell else is it gonna be about?

If Favre is talking to Bevell...a guy who he has a friendship with...it will be harder to prove the call was strictly business. Obviously, if they can prove it, the Vikings will be hurt.

[Lurker64]

I don't think Briggs had any relationships with 49er coaches...maybe I'm wrong. In that way, it was easier to prove the call was about "business".

If Briggs is talking to a 49er who he has no relationship with...what the hell else is it gonna be about?

If Favre is talking to Bevell...a guy who he has a friendship with...it will be harder to prove the call was strictly business. Obviously, if they can prove it, the Vikings will be hurt.

But, the phone call in question wasn't between Briggs and the 49ers, it was between the 49ers and Drew Rosenhaus, Briggs's agent. Rosenhaus represents a great number of players in the NFL, including several who were on the 49ers roster at the time of the call. Who's to say the 49ers weren't calling about a contract extension for Frank Gore? (Or Ronald Fields, Jason Hill, Marcus Hudson, or Moran Norris?)

But the NFL found "the existence of a phone call between a team and an agent who represents several players on that team as well as a free agent" to be sufficient "proof" for tampering. So Favre being Bevell's friend might not be any protection here. It seems to me that the NFL is primarily concerned with "avoiding the appearance of impropriety".

[Rastak]

I agree with both Leaper and Lurker actually. Here's my take.

In the 49ers case the conviction so to speak was on pretty flimsy evidence but it did make a certain bit of sense.

If phone records are provided and it turns out Favre and Bevell talked once every month all year, forget it. They are friends and there is no rule prohibiting that.

If he called once a month until late june and then called twice a day? Well, that's a whole different thing. Absent any real evidence but armed with that I would guess it would be enough.

I do like Harv's take on Campen being maybe a witness of sorts. Could very well be. Still, this stuff is so hard to prove.

The league interviews people:

Campen: Favre told me the Vikings want him.
Favre: I never talked about that.
Bevell: I never talked about it.

It's tough and that's why the league doesn't seem to give teams the benefit of the doubt.

[The Leaper]

I see. I didn't really know the particulars of the Briggs situation. It does appear that the Vikings could be in for some penalties.

Pretty soon, the Vikings won't have any draft picks left in 2009.

[Rastak]

I see. I didn't really know the particulars of the Briggs situation. It does appear that the Vikings could be in for some penalties.

Pretty soon, the Vikings won't have any draft picks left in 2009.

Which 2009 picks are they missing?

[The Leaper]

Which 2009 picks are they missing?

All the ones you guys are going to give us for Favre.

[mraynrand]

If I recall, the only Viking who ever tampered with Favre was John Randle

[Harlan Huckleby]

I think Favre's interest in the Vikings is pretty obvious, he's hoping to be reunited with Robert Fergusson. You gotta admire the loyalty.

[SnakeLH2006]

I'm as big a Favre fan as they come....but seriously..Faver will end his starting streak in weeks on that turf....This is so absurd...Favre knows better than to play with the ViQueens. 39 years old..hard to believe it, as iron as he is, but he'd get smoked on that turf. NO WAY it happens.