Bill Simmons Exposed as Bruins Bandwagon Fan, Refers to Rich Peverley as Patrick Beverley

by Michael Hurley on Fri, Jun 10, 2011 at 8:58AM

Bill Simmons is the first person to admit he’s not a diehard fan of the Boston Bruins. He loves the Red Sox, Celtics and Patriots, and somewhere in his past is a lost love for the Bruins. He’s said for years that Jeremy Jacobs turned him away from the sport, and he’s never really come back.

Which is fine. But when Bruins fans saw Simmons — the self-proclaimed former “Boston Sports Guy” — in the front row at the TD Garden during Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final, they got upset.

You see, Bruins fans — real Bruins fans — live and die with the team, and this week is perhaps the best of their lives. Meanwhile, a guy who admits to not care much about the Bruins is in the front row, banging on the glass after the B’s score a goal. Jealousy, rage and a bevy of other motions followed among Bruins fans.

Simmons tried to help explain it in a column on his new site, Grantland.com, but he didn’t help his case.

“When some people online noticed me in the background of this picture taken right after Patrick Beverly‘s first goal, I got crushed by a few blogs for being a front-runner.”

You might notice that Patrick Beverley is not on the Bruins. Rich Peverley, however, is.

Simmons tried to make amends via Twitter, but only made matters worse.

“Forgive me for the Rich Peverly F-up – I used to know someone named Patrick Beverly, just brainfarted. 3 hrs sleep + 2 flights, I get slack,” he wrote, again misspelling Peverley’s name.

“Rich PEVERLEY,” he then wrote. “Come on, I’m cranking out columns, not sleeping, flying all around the country, it’s like the old days! Cut me some slack!!!!”

He then solved the mystery.

“I knew I knew a Patrick Beverley from somewhere!” he wrote, followed with a link to an NBA player.

Seems about right. Nice sweatshirt, though.