All-star quarterback Brett Favre is taking heat for some allegedly inappropriate passes, as the NFL investigates reports the 20-year veteran made unwanted and inappropriate sexual advances toward employees of his former team.
In a story posted online Thursday, popular sports blog Deadspin claimed Favre left several voicemails and texted lewd photos to former sideline reporter Jennifer Sterger when he played for the Jets in 2008.
Recordings of the voice mails posted on the site feature a man asking to meet up with Sterger, who is now a TV personality for the Versus network. The website also posted a video that contained the voicemails and several graphic pictures -- said to be the 41-year-old Minnesota Vikings quarterback -- that were allegedly sent to Sterger's cellphone.
There is no independent confirmation the photos are of Favre, or that the voice mail messages feature his voice.
For Favre's part, the husband of 14 years and recent grandfather has refused to comment.
Sterger, who has modeled for Playboy and Maxim magazine isn't talking either, but her manager Phil Reese said Friday his client "did not provide Deadspin with any information."
Deadspin admits it paid a confidential third party source for the material.
"We got contacted by a third party that wasn't her who said that they had all this stuff that she had mentioned which were the voice mails, the MySpace messages, and the photos that Brett had sent to her. Based on our own investigations and asking other people, we are 100 percent convinced it's Brett Favre," said Deadspin Editor-in-Chief A.J. Daulerio.
The site claims two other former Jets employees -- both unnamed massage therapists -- have made similar allegations.
The NFL is now investigating the allegations against Favre.
Minnesota Vikings coach Brad Childress said he has talked with his star quarterback about the allegations and the NFL investigation.
"We just talk about what's out there and look it right in the eye and deal with it to the extent we can," Childress told reporters on Saturday. "It doesn't affect anybody else in this locker-room, except Brett Favre."
Favre, who raked in $7 million in endorsements last year, is now trying to escape what could be the most damaging sack of his life. The same surely goes for the famously scandal-averse NFL, which is already reeling from a recent spate of scandals involving Michael Vick, who served time for his involvement with an illegal interstate dog fighting ring; Ben Roethlisberger, who was suspended for four games following allegations of sexual assault; and Mexican reporter Ines Sainz who came forward in September with allegations she was suffered locker room harassment by Jets players and coaches at a team practice.
With files from CTV's Omar Sachedina and The Associated Press
