Welcome back to the heaving underbelly of the internet. That incessant hum you hear is because some people are all atwitter about the ethics and legitimacy of a post on this site. Read and enjoy.
* "Deadspin Pushes Ethical Envelope Again With Brett Favre Story" [Daily Finance]
* "For better or worse, Deadspin is considered one of the leading sports blogs, and as such, they're dragging the genre down the toilet bowl once again with their story about embarrassing messages supposedly sent by Brett Favre to Jenn Sterger of Versus (I won't link the article, I'm sure you can find it). It's another damaging blow to the credibility of independent online sports sites." [On The Forecheck]
* In this case, Favre will surely deny texting improper pictures to a former coworker, just as he has denied texting his intentions to retire to current coworkers. Heck, there's a chance that no one in the media will be able to muster the nerve to even ask him about these new claims. [B]ut there's someone who will ask Brett a question or two about it. She may ask him many questions or two about it. Favre's wife will want to know chapter-and-verse details about what he did or didn't say and what he texted or didn't text and who in the hell else he may have been involved with in this or other ways. [PFT]
* "So wait a minute? Deadspin has never seen the pictures? They are just going on Jenn Sterger's word here? Jesus Christ. Whatever happened to blogging integrity? Like can I just start making shit up too? I mean say what you want about me, but when I run an Evan Longoria cock story we produce the cock pictures and the email. None of this hearsay bullshit. Oh wait they have a picture a watch so it must be true. Nevermind." [Barstool Sports, Jr.]
And some emails:
* SUBJECT: FUCK OFF
AJ,
You are a faggot for running a bogus story.
You are a Fraud, and a Liar!
FUCK OFF MOTHERFUCKER
YOU ARE THE DOUCHE
* SUBJECT: On Favre:
I do not like to send these kind of e-mails. It's unlike me. But I would like to take this time to point out that you are a massive piece of shit.
Brett Favre is NOT my favorite person right now. But you are scum for fabricating a story like that. Deadspin is the TMZ of the sports world. And that's not a compliment. But you're making $$$ and generating page views, so congratulations.
SUBJECT: Sterger — I'm disappointed in you on this one A.J.
Hey AJ,
Just so you know I have supported every decision you've made at Deadspin. Every athlete dong, every ESPN horndog story, every controversial decision you've made, I thought you were right. But you really jumped the gun on Sterger imho, and totally dicked her over. You couldn't wait one more day so Jenn could be clear? From what you've presented, Sterger was very unclear about her desire to be on the record (even YOU seemed hesitant - "I'm gonna say she settled on C" is not much of an assertion). You tell her you had "spoken with the Jets" but the Jets said nothing, so you really stretched the truth there. You threaten to use her emails? All those emails that say she doesn't want to go public with this? Private emails? That's pretty dick-ish. And you write her that "I do have our email conversations we had and, frankly, that's enough to get this started" even though in the story you write that only the photos, the voicemails, or her cooperation were enough to give the story "weight." So which is it?
There was nothing preventing you from sitting on this for a day or two (you already sat on it since FEBRUARY) until you actually spoke to her and she was clear about being on the record. I will never defend Ms Seminole Boobs, but I think you fucked her over and generally fucked up on this one. Not the actual story, I think that's a real one, but you handled it wrong.
One dude's opinion.
*****
So, the usual. Still haven't heard a peep out of Sterger, but it appears her handlers are "no commenting" the crap out of this right now. Understood, I guess. Either way, we'll be back tomorrow and see how the rest of this story plays out. I know as much as you do at this point. STRAP IN.
And, hey — thanks for your continued support of Deadspin. Even those of you who "quit reading once and for all" today. Love you guys!
PHOTO: Courtesy of The Smoking Jacket