There are plenty of rumors making the rounds regarding the quality and quantity of the evidence that got the San Francisco 49ers busted for tampering with Chicago Bears linebacker Lance Briggs.

We’ve heard bits and pieces, all of it off the record and plenty of it on double-secret background, due to an apparent gag order that Commissioner Roger Goodell has imposed (and that hasn’t necessarily been respected by all parties).  We’ve tried to get more details directly from NFL spokesman Greg Aiello, who declined to supply anything beyond the league’s official release on the matter.

Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News has some additional info, and he says that the case against the Niners entailed more than two incomplete phone calls to agent Drew Rosenhaus.

The additional evidence?  Internal e-mails exchanged by key members of the team’s front office during key moments of the timeline.

Kawakami also throws a few fastballs at the 49ers for their alleged tactics in spinning the story in a manner that makes it look like they were busted for doing not much of anything.  We can’t do Kawakami’s remarks justice, so we’ll merely invite you to read them right here.

Meanwhile, some Internet hack has written about the whole tampering thing for SportingNews.com.