Bill Simmons did not hold back during the debut of “The Bill Simmons Podcast” on Thursday.
The former ESPN commentator ripped his former employer for multiple reasons, including its coverage of Tom Brady and the New England Patriots during Deflategate.
“Granted, I’m a little biased here from what my experiences were the last two years at ESPN,” he said. “The way everyone else was covering Goodell’s role in this whole story versus the way ESPN covered it, it was embarrassing.”
He added: “And especially in the weeks after the broken cell phone thing, when it came out that they had obviously leaked stuff, that something really legitimately shady was going on, and yet if you went to ESPN you didn’t see anything. … They didn’t really do anything until that giant Don Van Natta and Seth Wickersham’s ‘Outside The Lines’ investigation.
“It’s hard to come away from that and not think that ESPN is in the bag for the NFL—because they were.”
This wasn’t the first time Simmons has come out swinging against his former network. He went on an epic Twitter rant following an “Outside the Lines” investigation into Spygate after Brady’s four-game suspension for Deflategate was overturned.
Simmons also gave a few thoughts on NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and his interview with ESPN’s Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic.
“I thought it was hilarious when Roger (Goodell) finally decided to give his interview and it was with ‘Mike and Mike,’ ” Simmons said. “… Whoa, buckle up; put some shoulder pads on, Roger. This one’s going to get rough.”
Simmons strikes again.
Thumbnail photo via Twitter/@BostonGlobe
