In October 2000, the NBA discovered that the Minnesota Timberwolves had entered into secret contracts that allowed them to circumvent salary cap rules. While teams in all sports stretch the rules, the Wolves and Smith exacerbated this particular situation by putting their agreements down on paper.

NBA Commissioner David Stern at the time handed out one of the most severe spankings a professional sports franchise has ever received. He voided Smith’s contract with the Wolves, fined the team $3.5 million and took away their first-round picks for the next five seasons – a move the organization from which the organization is still recovering.

One must wonder after reading ESPN’s snippet of a Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel Packers Insider story if the Minnesota Vikings might soon be in for the NFL’s version of the Wolves’ punishment. The paper reports that the tampering charges the Green Bay Packers filed against the Vikings are based on phone records showing that Brett Favre had numerous conversations with both his friend, Darrell Bevell, the team’s offensive coordinator, but also head coach Brad Childress.

Perhaps this is fitting for the organization that brought to the public the “Love Boat.” And perhaps it’s only karma coming home to roost for the Vikings for allegedly chasing after a quarterback that has given them fits for nearly two decades. But really, who could ever guess that Favre would be dumb enough to allegedly made and take these calls on, get this, his Packers’ issued cell phone?

Because the Packers owned the number, the paper reports, they were able to review the phone records and make the recovery.

Telephone calls, ESPN blogger Kevin Seifert points out, do not constitute evidence of tampering, nor are conversations between two men who have known each other for a long time. But while Favre and Bevell had a relationship through their years together in Green Bay, Favre and Childress have no such long-term relationship.

The NFL doesn’t have a long history of dealing with tampering situations. But they do have a recent one. This year the league stripped San Francisco of its fifth round pick in the draft and forced the 49ers to switch spots with the Chicago Bears in the third round after Commissioner Roger Goodell found them guilty of tampering with Bears linebacker Lance Briggs.

That penalty was based on the 49ers allegedly having contacted Briggs’ agent, Drew Rosenhaus, during the 2007 season.

It’s hard to say what the hard evidence was in that case. But one can only guess that it was no stronger than phone records as they are alleged to be in Favre-gate. And one might also guess that Goodell will come down even harder on the Vikings if he decides the team disregarded the “warning” the commissioner put out in the 49ers/Bears case.

All in all it appears as though even if Favre never plays another down in the NFL he might have had an impact on the landscape of the NFC North for years to come. And what a stupid and potentially embarrassing way to enter the preseason for the Vikings after an offseason that has been lauded by many as providing the team with its strongest chance to make the playoffs and possibly even contend for a Super Bowl in a long time.

This story continues to degrade Favre’s legacy and now it is making two teams look like complete doofuses as well.