I’m a huge Bill Simmons fan.
He’s one of my favorite sports writers.
Of course he has a lot of haters, but when you are that well known, you’re going to have many detractors as well as fans.

ESPN suspending him for 3 weeks for calling Goodell a liar and (sort of) daring his bosses to do something about it seems ridiculous.

The police claimed that they sent the tape of Ray Rice to the head of NFL security. There were other reports that the tape was received and confirmation of the receipt.
The way NFL handled this is a joke.
And the way ESPN handled Simmons is a joke, as well.

Anyone who doesn’t have their pockets lined with NFL money agrees with Simmons. There’s no way that Goodell didn’t see the tape, especially if it was in the hands of the NFL. If he didn’t, then that’s another problem on a whole different level. Besides, during the bounty scandal, when Sean Payton told the NFL that he had no idea these bounties were enforced by his defensive staff, Goodell replied, “Ignorance is not an excuse.”

Initially Rice was suspended for 2 games.
Petersen wasn’t even suspended by the NFL. The Vikings deactivated him, re-activated him, then deactivated him.
Stephen A. Smith was suspended one week for telling women not to provoke your man to hit you. Only a week.

Simmons’s suspension is longer than Rice’s and Petersen’s (initial) suspensions combined. Add in Stephen A. Smith’s, and it’s still longer.

ESPN’s ombudsman’s take on the suspension wasn’t that great either.
The moral of the story here is — don’t speak out against the people who line your pockets, no matter how immoral they may be.

I hope Simmons leaves ESPN. He’s one of the few writers that I’d pay money to subscribe to.

The NFL, ESPN, Cover Girl and others have let it known that more than anything, money making is their top priority.

And, I hate myself for not being strong enough to stop watching the NFL… I’m part of the damn problem, too.