Pictures or it didn't happen! Yesterday, Deadspin reported that former Packers, Jets and Vikings quarterback Brett Favre sent model and former Jets in-house sideline reporter Jenn Sterger cell phone photographs of his crotch. Deadspin editor A.J. Daulerio explained:

Last winter, close to the Super Bowl, Ms. Sterger and I were discussing a possible collaboration on the proposed "Deadspin Swimsuit Project," which turned into a conversation about the whole "athlete dong photo" phenomenon. She claimed that she's been on the receiving end of several of those types of cell phone interactions by drunk men, some of whom were professional athletes. We later had a phone conversation about who some of the more well-known dong-shot senders were. One person, she claimed, who was very into cell phone-donging her was none other than Brett Favre.

After (graphically) describing the photos and voicemails Favre allegedly sent her, Sterger, who insisted she never "met [Favre], saw him," became wary about divulging the evidence and going on the record. Daulerio agreed not to run the story, "but still persisted because I'm a dick and it's an incredibly funny story, but one that didn't really hold any real weight unless she either gave us the A.) photos B.) voicemails C.) attached her name to it."

Daulerio ran the story yesterday, causing much agita over sports blogging ethics. He defended himself on WFAN's Boomer & Carton show, "This obviously isn’t the nicest thing in the world to do to Jenn, but I did say I wasn’t going to sit on the story forever... I said [to Sterger], ‘I want to move forward with this, can I get your clearance on it?’ And I interpereted her email back to mean ‘Go ahead.’" He also told the Daily News, "What irks me a little bit is when people put us in the same category as The New York Times or you guys. We've run rumors and innuendo from the get-go. That's what we do."