Paul Tagliabue Lifted Anthony Hargrove's Suspension Because Of Brett Favre's Penis

Earlier today, former NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue vacated the punishments of the New Orleans Saints players implicated in the bounty scandal. One of those players is defensive end Anthony Hargrove, a current free agent who was suspended seven games for allegedly lying to investigators. Tagliabue's reason for scaling back Hargrove's suspension? As alluded to here, it was the precedent the league set when it once investigated Brett Favre for gunslinging pictures of his cock.

From Pro Football Talk:

For starters, Tagliabue compared the suspension of Hargrove for obstruction of justice, to the $50,000 fine imposed two years ago on Favre himself for lying to the league in connection with the investigation regarding whether he sent inappropriate cell-phone photos to a former Jets employee.

"Although not entirely comparable to the present matter, this illustrates the NFL's practice of fining, not suspending players, for serious violations of this type," Tagliabue explains in his official ruling. "There is no evidence of a record of past suspensions based purely on obstructing a League investigation. In my forty years of association with the NFL, I am aware of many instances of denials in disciplinary proceedings that proved to be false, but I cannot recall any suspension for such fabrication."

[ PFT]