Bill Simmons Suspension Starts, Fans On Twitter Demands To Free The Sports Guy
ESPN suspended top talent Bill Simmons on Wednesday after a profanity-laced tirade against National Football League (NFL) Roger Goodell, whom Simmons called a “liar” in many instances in the latest podcast from the editor of popular sports entertainment website Grantland.
A press release titled “ESPN Statement on Bill Simmons” was published on the ESPN website on Sept. 24:
“Every employee must be accountable to ESPN and those engaged in our editorial operations must also operate within ESPN’s journalistic standards. We have worked hard to ensure that our recent NFL coverage has met that criteria. Bill Simmons did not meet those obligations in a recent podcast, and as a result we have suspended him for three weeks.”
The suspension means that Simmons also known as “The Sports Guy” won’t be able to use all ESPN platforms including his social media accounts on Facebook and Twitter.
The move to suspend Simmons came as a surprise to most of the sports fans who believe that the popular sports personality was untouchable by the ESPN top brass. Although there were instances in the past when he was also suspended for controversial remarks.
The suspension will end on Oct. 15— just about two weeks before the start of new season of the NBA, Simmons' favourite league and sport.
Simmons tirade against Goodell came on a podcast aired on Monday but the YouTube video has since been taken down by ESPN.
"I just think not enough is being made out of the fact that they knew about the tape and they knew what was on it," Simmons said in the podcast.
"Goodell, if he didn't know what was on that tape, he's a liar. 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. For all these people to pretend they didn't know is such f------- bulls---. It really is. It's such f------- bulls---. And for him to go in that press conference and pretend otherwise, I was so insulted. I really was.”
Simmons did not stop there and dared his bosses at ESPN.
“I really hope somebody calls me or emails me and says I'm in trouble for anything I say about Roger Goodell. Because if one person says that to me, I'm going public. You leave me alone. The commissioner's a liar and I get to talk about that on my podcast ... Please, call me and say I'm in trouble. I dare you,” Simmons challenged.
ESPN responded with the 3-week suspension— unprecedented by Simmons’ standards. He was suspended for two weeks in 2009 and then for a few days from Twitter in 2013.
As expected, Simmons’ and sports fans were in uproar over the 3-week suspension and some took to Twitter to show support for Simmons.
#FreeSimmons Yet ANOTHER example of the "You can't handle the Truth!" phenomenon... #VerySad
— Cindy (@cindym0801) September 25, 2014
Not watching @espn until they #freesimmons. @BillSimmons — Ted Chan (@upwardmobility) September 25, 2014
Three weeks for speaking truth, and one for insinuating that women ask for domestic violence. This is the society we live in. #freesimmons
— Kavita Pallod (@KavitaPallod) September 25, 2014
"Apparently saying Roger Goodell is a liar is a much worse offense than Roger Goodell lying" #freesimmons — T (@ImTaylorLosi) September 25, 2014
Punch a woman out. Two weeks. Say an abuse victim may have brought it on herself. One week. Call a liar a liar. Three weeks. #freesimmons
— Mike Rodman (@PatriotMike) September 25, 2014
Was ESPN correct in putting the clamps down on Simmons? Or was it an overreaction on the part of the sports network?
Bill Simmons' fans in the internet certainly doesn’t think so as the #freeSimmons hashtag was one of the top trending topics on Twitter in the United States after the suspension was announced.
