In the ongoing, dramatic saga that was Deflategate, everyone had an opinion. Everyone except President Barack Obama, that is.
Obama sat down for an interview with HBO’s Bill Simmons recently and the diehard Boston sports fan tried to his best to weasel an opinion out of the POTUS. It almost worked.
Simmons opened the topic by asking Obama if he would ever take on the role of commissioner for a major sport and, if so, which he would like. A lifelong basketball fan, Obama admitted he’s “best suited” for hoops, but that “I cannot believe that the commissioner of football gets paid $44 million a year.”
Then, we almost got the hot take of all hot takes. From GQ (Simmons’ questions in bold):
When you said, “I cannot believe…,” I didn’t know where you were going with that. Have you thought about calling Roger Goodell and being like, “What are you doing? Can I help you?” (Obama laughs.) “Can I give you some advice? Want to have dinner?”
They’re making a profit, and I think that’s what the owners are most concerned with.
So you think the owners like having him there?
You’re not going to drag me into your fights, man. Come on — I’ve got enough fights of my own. (laughs) This is between you and Roger.
Simmons, of course, was suspended by ESPN — who has a broadcast partnership with the NFL for “Monday Night Football” and select playoff games — last year for calling Goodell a liar on his podcast in the wake of the Ray Rice scandal.
Obama admitted when the New England Patriots visited the White House in April that Deflategate had been “blown a little out of proportion” after cracking a joke.
It looks like that’s all the support the team is going to get.
Thumbnail photo via Geoff Burke/USA TODAY Sports Images
