Brett Favre and Playboy Pinup Jenn Sterger…

Just in time to take the arrival of Randy Moss out of the headlines, it appears that quarterback Brett Favre allegedly sent lewd photos and text messages to a female sideline reporter while he was with the New York Jets.

 

Credit: CBS News

 

Speaking to reporters yesterday, Favre declined to comment, stating: “I’m not getting into that.  I’ve got my hands full with the Jets.” Here is some video from the Los Angeles Times.

Obviously, the Jets are not all that he has his hands full with…

Could this possible take Karen Owen’s “senior thesis” out of the news?

From CBS News:

In August, Deadspin posted a story suggesting future Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre sent a slew of graphic photos - namely shots of his private parts – to model Jenn Sterger.

Now, Deadspin says they have the evidence.

The no-holds-barred sports website has posted voicemails and X-rated photos that Favre allegedly sent to Sterger when the QB played for the Jets and Sterger was a sideline reporter for the team.

Twitter Down Again…

I’m used to seeing the “fail whale” on Twitter, but today I’m seeing a robot with a missing hand. Very strange indeed!

Anybody know if there is an issue with Twitter, or if there is some large news story that’s causing the outage? I hope I’m not missing Brett Favre’s announcement

Brett Favre to Retire

Will he or won’t he? It’s been the most famous question since “to be, or not to be?” Now it appears that we have the answer.

According to multiple sources this morning, Brett Favre has told the Minnesota Vikings that he will not play in the 2010 season.

So what do you think? Is this the real deal? Will Brett change his mind next week. I’ll tell you what, with all his flip flopping, he’d make a great politician. I think that’s his next profession once he hangs them up!

From ESPN:

Favre has sent text messages to teammates saying, “This is it,” league sources told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter.

Neither Favre nor the Vikings have confirmed the news but a press release is expected Tuesday, the sources said.

The Associated Press also reported that Favre is saying that he’s not returning this season.

This would be the third retirement for Favre, who also retired after 16 seasons with the Green Bay Packers after the 2007 season and one season with the New York Jets after the 2008 season.

The 40-year-old Favre has been working out at his home in Hattiesburg, Miss., still rehabbing a surgically repaired ankle that was injured in Minnesota’s overtime loss to the New Orleans Saints in the NFC title game. He has yet to inform the team if he will honor the second year of his contract and come back for another run at the Super Bowl.

Indianapolis Colts Advance to Super Bowl

The Indianapolis Colts have advanced to the Super Bowl, which will take place this year in Miami on Sunday, February 7. Their opponent will be either the Minnesota Vikings or New Orleans Saints, who play each other in the NFC championship later today.

The Jets held a 17-13 lead at halftime (and at one time led 17-6) but the home team dominated the second half on their way to a 30-17 victory. Peyton Manning absolutely shredded the Jets defense this afternoon for 377 yards and 3 touchdowns.

Before the season began, I picked the Colts and the Vikings in the Super Bowl. I still feel that this will be the match-up, although it will be VERY difficult to knock off the Saints at the Superdome.

No matter who wins the NFC Championship game, it should definitely be a fun Super Bowl this year! Manning vs. Favre or Brees? You have to think it’ll be high scoring!

Brett Favre Vs. The Packers…

High drama in Minnesota tonight as, for the first time ever, Brett Favre will take on his former team, the Green Bay Packers.

Brett Favre has said that revenge isn’t on his mind but you know that he will want to come out and prove himself tonight on national television. Speaking of proving himself, what about Aaron Rodgers? Stepping out of Brett Favre’s shadow for a Monday night showdown!

This is one game that I can’t wait to see. Thoughts from anyone else?

From USA Today:

Favre played for 16 years in Green Bay and had a nasty divorce in 2008. Earlier this year he acknowledged to SI.com that he wanted to stick it to Packers GM Ted Thompson.

Fox’s Terry Bradshaw said last month he was “fed up” with Favre for his annual retirement drama. Yesterday on Fox NFL Sunday, Bradshaw blasted Favre:

“Oh really Brett? It’s not about revenge? I’m sorry but no one believes that this time around.”

ESPN analyst Ron Jaworski also threw cold water on Favre’s theory. Cast off by the Eagles after a decade, Jaworski said got amped up to play his old team in a preseason game.

“This was a team I played (with) for 10 years, that I loved to play for,” Jaworski said, via the Green Bay Press-Gazette. “But when you get that opportunity to go against a team that basically got rid of you, (that said) you’re not good enough, you want to show what you can do.”

He’s Back! Brett Favre Signs with Vikings

Brett Favre, the three-time MVP who spent most of his career with the Green Bay Packers, and last season with the New York Jets,  has signed a one year contract and will play for the Vikings this season.

Just my opinion but I believe that the longer Favre plays, the more he ruins the spot in history he had made for himself as a Packer.

From CNN:

For 16 seasons, he was the ultimate Packers hero. But now that the Brett Favre era in Minnesota has launched — at long last, with yet another trademark flip-flop — the most fascinating question to ponder is whether that instantly makes him Green Bay’s ultimate villain as a Viking?

What a strange and unexpected trip Favre has inspired these past 15 months or so, and all I know for sure is that I couldn’t have picked a much better vantage point to witness this particular chapter of his late-career melodrama. Since last fall, I have lived here in Madison, deep in the heart of Packers country but not all that far from where Viking-loving hearts bleed purple. Green Bay is 2½ hours to the northeast. The Minnesota state line is about 2½ hours to the northwest.

Who Are the World’s Most Valuable Sports Teams?

As a sports fan, I’ve often asked myself this question. Today, Forbes had a great article which gives more insight into the answer to this questions.

It turns out that in 2003, no pro sports team in the world was worth a billion dollars. By the end of 2008, there were 24, led by European soccer powerhouse Manchester United.

From Forbes:

It begs the question: Is pro sports a bubble? That’s hard to say. But with the economy in peril, the days of skyrocketing growth appear to be over, at least for now.

“We’re in for some trying times for the next year or so,” says Larry Grimes, a Washington, D.C.-based mergers and acquisitions consultant who specializes in the sports industry. What he sees ahead is not so much the bursting of a bubble, which by definition would include a wave of selling at distressed prices, but a leveling off of franchise valuations to reflect the current reality. With prospective buyers having trouble lining up financing, many current owners will have little choice but to sit tight and ride out the storm.

The $1 billion-and-up club isn’t particularly broad-based. By Forbes’ count, it consists of the New York Yankees, a handful of European soccer clubs and, well, most of the NFL. Spearheaded by the Washington Redskins, which became the first NFL team to break the billion dollar barrier in 2004, the league now boasts 19 of 30 clubs valued above the magic number. The Redskins have since been surpassed by the Dallas Cowboys, whose lucrative merchandising business and (starting next season) new stadium have pushed their value to $1.6 billion, second overall to Manchester United.

Other NFL teams in the top 10 include the New England Patriots (three recent Super Bowl titles), the New York Jets and Giants (a shared new stadium on the way) and the Houston Texans (the league’s biggest stadium naming rights deal). Even the NFL’s least valuable franchise, the Minnesota Vikings, is knocking on the door of billionaire row at $839 million.

Other than the Yankees, no baseball team has managed to crash the sports’ billionaire club. The most valuable NBA franchise, the New York Knicks, checks in at $613 million. In the NHL, the Toronto Maple Leafs lead the valuation standings at just over $400 million. But while businesses of the NHL, NBA and MLB don’t stack up to the NFL, the average team value has grown at a pace that doesn’t figure to be sustained much longer.

Major League Baseball’s 30 clubs are worth a collective $14.1 billion, up from $6.6 billion in 1999. Growth rates are similar in the NBA, to $11.4 billion from $5.3 billion, and in the television-challenged NHL, to $6.6 billion from $3.6 billion.

Casey Anthony’s Parents on Larry King Live Tonight

UPDATE: This is a post from earlier this week. For an update on Friday’s show, please follow this link.

As anticipated, George and Cindy Anthony are going to be on Larry King Live tonight. The Web site is promoting this broadcast which will take place at 9 p.m. (ET)/6 p.m. (PT).

From the Web site:

Exclusive! Caylee Anthony’s grandparents. Their daughter’s in prison – charged with the murder of Caylee. So why do her grandparents think she’s still alive? Get their side of the story! They take YOUR calls!

Any thoughts on what we might here? Any discussion topics that are sure to come up? Anybody going to try to call in? You can email your questions as well through the Web site.

Vikings Tight End Shown Naked on FOX Broadcast

This weekend, Fox televised a clip of Vikings owner Zygi Wilf’s post game locker-room speech after Sunday’s victory over the Detroit Lions. During the live broadcast,  starting tight end Visanthe Shiancoe was inadvertently shown naked in the background. Here’s a link to some video where Shiancoe is asked about the incident.

Before you ask…no I don’t have a picture! I’ve heard that the actual video has been pulled off of YouTube as well.

From the Associated Press:

Visanthe Shiancoe is having a breakout season at tight end for Minnesota. His national exposure is now at an all-time high.

Shiancoe wasn’t available to the media Monday, but he joked with a gossip columnist for the Star Tribune of Minneapolis about it. “How’d it look?” he told the newspaper.

But Shiancoe’s agent, Tony Agnone, told the St. Paul Pioneer Press that his client was embarrassed and hopes fans understand it wasn’t intentional.