Kyrie Irving Oct 19, 2022; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving (11) reacts during the second quarter against the New Orleans Pelicans at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Two notable sports figures that have been in the news recently are Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving and former Green Bay Packers legend Brett Favre. Both have been accused of doing some pretty nefarious things, but there are some in the sports world who think that one of them is being treated much more harshly than the other.

Irving is currently serving a suspension without pay after he refused to explicitly apologize for sharing an antisemitic film on his social media accounts last week. Irving was combative with the media and seemed incapable of understanding why his refusal to stop promoting the film wasn’t good enough. He would later apologize.

Favre, meanwhile, has been mired in controversy surrounding his role in a welfare fund scandal in which it appears he knew he was taking money intended for the state’s poorest and using it to find a Southern Miss volleyball stadium as well as other ventures. While he has been interviewed by the FBI and sued by the state of Mississippi, he maintains his innocence as of yet.

While the two situations are vastly different and involve very different power structures, there are some in the sports world drawing comparisons to the fact that Irving is losing money over his situation while Favre has yet to be punished in any discernable way (though he has lost various sponsorships and did return some of the money he received).

Philadelphia Eagles defender Darius Slay is among those making that connection.

https://twitter.com/WhosTYE/status/1586831726940233728

Not everyone was making the connection, however.

https://twitter.com/carronJphillips/status/1589657417729511426

Coincidentally, Favre was also part of a different “whataboutism” exercise when he was still being accepted in NFL circles while Colin Kaepernick had been presumably shunned.

[Audacy]

About Sean Keeley

Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Editorial Strategy Director for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.