Aug 4th 2008 11:06PM by JJ Cooper (author feed)
Filed under: Packers, Vikings, NFC NorthThe Vikings didn’t cheat.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell ruled today that the Vikings did not violate tampering rules when some of their coaches had conversations with Brett Favre while the Packers quarterback was enjoying his brief retirement. According to Goodell: “None of those conversations suggest that Favre was soliciting a job or that other teams were soliciting his services.”

Talking to Favre about his golf game was always OK, and even a mention of the wonderful night life in Minneapolis would have been within the rules. If the coaches had asked him to please come to Minnesota because Tarvaris Jackson is all that’s standing between Minnesota and a trip deep into the NFL playoffs, well that would have brought down the wrath of Goodell.

What it means is that the Vikes won’t be docked draft picks for talking to Favre. It also means that if the Packers and Vikings do talk about a trade, it won’t be done with some ugly tampering charges hanging over the Vikings’ heads to muddy the waters.