Favre Fined: Sufficient Punishment or Slap on the Wrist?

Dec. 30, 2010 — -- On Wednesday, the NFL said that Commissioner Roger Goodell "could not conclude" that Favre violated the NFL's personal conduct policy given the evidence available to him.

"This has been a messy story from the get-go ... and it's a messy ending to the story. I don't know if anybody is happy with it except maybe Brett Favre, who has gotten away ... with a slap on the wrist," ABC News sports contributor Christine Brennan said on "GMA" today.

The fine was intended to reprimand Favre for not being "candid in several respects during the investigation, resulting in a longer review and additional negative public attention," the league said.

"Brett Favre not cooperating, that's significant, that's not just a little laugh-it-off kind of thing," Brennan said. "Why didn't Roger Goodell, who is a get-tough commissioner, why didn't he suspend Brett Favre for the presumably final game of his career [and] send a big statement to NFL players that this is unacceptable."

The scandal began in early October when the website Deadspin first posted voicemails allegedly sent from Favre to Jenn Sterger, a former game day reporter for the New York Jets. The voicemails and inappropriate pictures were allegedly sent to Sterger in 2008 when both were working for the Jets.

In the voicemails, Favre is heard inviting Sterger to his hotel. Favre has admitted to leaving the voicemails but not to sending inappropriate pictures of himself.

Officials from the league said that forensic evidence gathered during the nearly three-month investigation did not establish that Favre sent the objectionable photographs to Sterger.

While Sterger cooperated with investigators, she has not commented on the case publicly.

Sterger's attorney called the fine and outcome of the investigation disappointing.

"Today's decision is an affront to all females and shows once again that, despite tough talk, the NFL remains the good old boys league," attorney Joseph Conway said in a statement.