On the field, Brett Favre is an NFL legend. A Southern Mississippi standout who threw only four passes for the Falcons before cementing his status as a Packers legend. Once he took over Doug Majkowski’s spot in 1992, Favre never relinquished his position throughout his 16-year stint in Green Bay. Whether it’s the Pro Bowl, All-Pro, NFL MVP, or Super Bowl, Favre won it all in his two decades on the gridiron. But off the field, Favre’s antics have often got him in some serious trouble. One of those was his alleged involvement in the Mississippi Welfare Fund scandal. That seems to have alienated the way another NFL legendary QB, Michael Vick, views him.
Similar to Favre, Vick has had his fair share of troubles off the gridiron. He once had to spend 548 days in prison for charges related to a Virginia dog-fighting ring. He bore the full brunt of the law and the public outrage that came with it. So, given Favre hasn’t been punished yet by the authorities for misusing almost $5M from Mississippi’s Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Fund, Vick branded him “untouchable.” In Netflix’s controversial documentary UNTOLD: The Fall of Favre, Vick didn’t hold back from publicly calling out the Packers legend.
“People go to jail for stealing money everyday. If it’s that important, the right institutions can get involved. But, you know some people are untouchable in certain ways and that’s just the way it is,” Vick said. He then proceeded to call the whole system rigged in favor of Favre, “I just think that’s kinda how the system is rigged. You know, some situations have to be played out in court. Some have to be played in the public.” Favre has since denied any wrongdoing related to the Mississippi Welfare scandal.
Besides, he has also paid $1.1M for speaking events he couldn’t attend. But Vick is still outraged by the fact that the public continues to worship his Hall of Fame image. Last year, when Favre was called to testify in front of the US Congress House Ways and Means Committee, people fawned at his presence. Some lawmakers were even captured adoring his football skills, while others took the opportunity to ask for his autograph.
This shows that even if Favre has been accused of scandals. He has continued to find himself maintaining the hero status he lived by on the field. Aside from Vick, Mississippi Rep. Bennie Thompson also gave his thoughts on how Favre misused the public image for his personal gains. “Brett Favre, with his name, ID, and reputation, could have done a lot of good for a state like Mississippi. But he didn’t. He took advantage of the people who were on that path and struggling..In certain circles, he’s still an icon. That doesn’t mean that he can’t do wrong. He did do wrong. I don’t know how he sleeps at night.”
It’s not like Favre has a clean chit in this case. To this date, he continues to face the public wrath for using $5M to build a volleyball stadium at his alma mater, where his daughter played. However, until the day a clear mandate is offered, Favre may have to deal with all the comments against him. As for the Mississippi Welfare scandal, it wasn’t the only controversial thing Favre was involved in off the field.
Netflix’s portrayal of Brett Favre’s alleged texting scandal
Favre had just completed his storied Packers tenure, which saw him achieve everything he could have ever dreamed of. His chapter led him to the New York Jets, where he only lasted one season. But the only season he played saw him get tangled with former Jets sideline reporter Jenn Sterger, in a flurry of unsolicited text messages. Sterger in the early 2000s rose to prominence after going viral at college football games. This eventually led her to pursue a career in sports journalism. But the trajectory of her career took a deadly turn courtesy of Favre. At that time, Favre was a married man. However, Jenn accuses him of harassment, which the NFL didn’t find to be a violation of their personal conduct policy.
Though they ended up fining Brett Favre $50,000 for not cooperating with the investigation, Sterger still remains haunted to this day. 15 years later, she still gets nightmares thinking about that incident. Soon after the release of the Netflix documentary, Sterger told TIME magazine, “I’m still processing it all. The hardest thing to do is to forgive someone who hasn’t necessarily asked for it and doesn’t care that they have harmed you.”
In the documentary itself, Sterger accused Favre of ruining her life while he enjoyed his to the fullest: “My life was ruined. And he went to the Hall of Fame.” Even to this day, Favre has yet to publicly comment on the scandal involving Sterger. He also, as per Netflix, denied making any comments on the documentary. But only time will tell whether Favre comes up with his part of the story. Until then, his image will continue to get tarnished by the things shown on the Netflix docuseries.
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