Writer and TV sports analyst Bill Simmons took on the ludicrous Roger Goodell NFL press conference in an angry podcast on Monday — on his own BS report. (Coincidentally, he called the NFL commissioner’s obvious lies “f’ing BS.”) Here are just a few of the gems from Simmons’ take on Goodell, who is a very rich unsympathetic man running a tax exempt boys club: “Has there ever been anyone more insincere? It was like watching that guy who ran Enron.” And then he took aim at the hypocrisy: “Does the hypocritical breast cancer awareness start this week?” he asked, about the NFL campaign to promote breast cancer awareness. “Because that’d be great. We care about women! [the NFL can pretend].”
“Goodell, if he didn’t know what was on that tape, he’s a liar,” Simmons said, referring to the infamous video of disgraced running back Ray Rice punching his wife. Simmons continued: “I’m just saying it. He is lying. I think that dude is lying. If you put him up on a lie detector test that guy would fail.” Not too many other people paid to talk about sports for a living have been as direct about Goodell’s failures. Goodell’s too powerful. A few women journalists, like Hannah Storm, have made appeals, but few high-profile men. Simmons is being hailed as a courageous exception. But why should it be courageous to point out Roger Goodell’s cynicism and duplicity? Shouldn’t that be common? Simmons starts talking Goodell at 11:49 in the audio below.
