There comes a point in every civilization at which you just know it’s headed downhill. For the Romans, that moment probably came around the time Caligula was having awesome orgies and naming his favorite horse a senator (something we’re poised to do with Christine O’Donnell).
For our country, that moment came last week, when the sports blog www.deadspin.com published what most people would describe as “very, very damning” voicemails that Brett Favre left for a female reporter as well as several pictures of his wang.
The collective media response could be summed up as lacking. Really, no one had anything to say?
Not a peep out of Herm Edwards, who managed to take the moral high ground on every other issue in the NFL? Peter King had nothing to add?
Seemingly everyone has walked around on egg shells with regard to this story, no doubt in large part because Favre happens to be a cash cow that everyone is content to keep milking until he dries up.
Well allow me to say a few words on what’s quickly becoming the “official NFL season of sexual harassment and just overall grossness” (that phrase is trademarked, don’t use it or the National Football League will come after you with a couple of goons and some cement shoes).
It’s ridiculous that Favre gets off with a pass when other athletes get skewered for lesser offenses. Why do we play morality police when a player gets caught with weed but don’t say anything when someone sends a picture of their penis to some random woman?
Plus, it’s not like Brett Favre is a bachelor living the high life in New York City.
He’s a married man who has played up his relationship with his cancer-surviving wife at every opportunity.
She seemed oddly silent for someone whose husband was just busted sending pictures of his genitals to another woman.
I suppose I’m angry with the Favre coverage because he’s been given a free pass for the last couple years while he waffles about his future.
I’m not sure who he thinks enjoys reading about the endless rumors about his retirement plans because everyone I know hates it.
I can already hear some readers saying “Well, then just don’t read about it, no one is forcing you to.” WRONG! If every sports site is running a Favre story on the front page, I have no choice but to be complacent in the stupidity.
Here’s my problem with the media coverage and the NFL with regard to it’s inane personal conduct policy.
Treat each incident with the same level of commitment or just scrap the policy. I never understood the point of it — how can a middle-aged white lawyer who has lived a privileged life make moral judgments on 20-something, predominantly black athletes, most of whom didn’t grow up with the nearly as many advantages?
Or, if they insist on keeping it, they have to treat this story the same way they treated Santonio Holmes and his marijuana bust. Suspend Favre for four games and stop the insanity. Or civilization as we know it will come to an end. Probably.
Maystrovsky is an alumni of the class of 2010.
