Posted by ESPN.com's Kevin Seifert
GREEN BAY, Wis. -- If nothing else, the tampering case between the Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings rekindled a division rivalry that has saturated both teams.
The Packers were angry and suspicious this summer when they learned that then-retired quarterback Brett Favre was speaking often with Vikings offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell and coach Brad Childress. They wondered if the Vikings were making a pitch for Favre to come out of retirement, temporarily replace young starter Tarvaris Jackson and lead them on a run to the Super Bowl.
Favre, of course, was still under contract with Green Bay. If he wanted to play again, the Packers had first dibs. The last thing they wanted was Favre strengthening a division rival.
The Vikings, meanwhile, were livid when the Packers asked commissioner Roger Goodell to investigate the conversations as possible tampering. It is widely-known that Bevell and Favre speak often, even during the season, and the Vikings wondered if they were being used to draw attention away from the Packers' burgeoning dispute with Favre.
Media leaks further increased tensions. Packers coach Mike McCarthy said last week he wished he could express his opinion on Favre's reported interest in playing for another NFC North team, while Vikings owner Zygi Wilf tersely said he was looking forward to the teams' meeting on the field on Sept. 8. And Monday, hours before the NFL exonerated Minnesota, Childress publicly criticized one of the Packers' beat writers for his reporting on the issue.
NFL rivalries are usually for the fans. In the case of the Vikings and Packers, it's fair to say the enmity is now universal.
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