[The Final Dakar]

…hole. Gives a two game suspension for domestic violence after having seen the video, does damage control afterwards by introducing new rules that will suspend a player for 6 games for the first violation (which I believe is still less than for pot), then indefinitely suspends Ray Rice after the release of the video, claims they never saw the video (that anonymous sources claimed they have seen) and no gets caught out when police confirm they sent it to NFL offices. The situation is so bad Congress is grandstanding on his grave and they're implementing an independent commission to try and save face.

…and the worst part is this will likely have no affect on the success of the NFL this season.

Thoughts?

[osiris]

The fact that the new rule is so lenient says it all. What a bunch of loathsome asshats.

[Mike Wuerthele]

The head of the NFL a BRO?

No. Say it isn't so.

[The Final Dakar]

Someone on twitter pointed out that Rihanna is singing the national anthem at tonight's Ravens game. Oh, life's small ironies.

[subego]

Not that we need confirmation via conjecture, but I heard Brian Urlacher say (I'm paraphrasing) "Bears head of security was an FBI agent for 20 years. If we needed to find stuff out, we'd go to him. I find it hard to believe the NFL doesn't have access to similar resources".

[The Final Dakar]

It's just amazing how bad of a liar he is. It insults our intelligence above his decision making.

[OAW]

Former Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice has always said being the NFL Commissioner would be her "dream job". Now that law enforcement is refuting the claims of Goodell that no one in the NFL saw the tape I expect she will be in that position shortly. You heard it here first!

OAW

[The Final Dakar]

So, ESPN is an ass…

Bill Simmons practically begged ESPN to suspend him, and the oafish and epically tight-assed media behemoth did just that Wednesday night, giving him three weeks for coming to the same conclusion about NFL commissioner Roger Goodell that just about everyone in the thinking public has.

"Goodell, if he didn't know what was on that tape, he's a liar," Simmons said Monday. "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 ****ing bullshit. It really is — it's such ****ing bullshit. And for him to go in that press conference and pretend otherwise, I was so insulted. I really was."

He went on to challenge ESPN:

"I really hope somebody calls me or emails me and says I'm in trouble for anything I say about Roger Goodell," he said. "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."

ESPN's full statement is below:

"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."

For some perspective:

Stephen A. Smith got suspended a week for victim blaming Ray Rice's wife for possibly 'provoking' him.

Ray Rice got two weeks (games) for actually hitting his wife.

Bill Simmons got three weeks for calling Goodell a liar.

[The Final Dakar]

Oh I forgot to mention, ESPN pulled down the podcast episode in question. That always works; it's not like I have a copy on my iPod right now

[Shaddim]

ESPN has been working the NFL's shaft for decades, it's become SOP.

[The Final Dakar]

Originally Posted by Shaddim 

ESPN has been working the NFL's shaft for decades, it's become SOP.

Doesn't make this any less disgusting.

[Shaddim]

just more predictable.

[The Final Dakar]

Originally Posted by Shaddim 

just more predictable.

Simmons gets suspended from time to time by ESPN. IN fact, the frequency which people get suspended from ESPN is a little disturbing. Outside the NFL they it feels like its the most PC image sensitive place to be.

[sek929]

ESPN is terrified of anyone in their organization bad-mouthing the sacred cow of the NFL.

[Waragainstsleep]

Disney Vs. NFL. What a fight that would be.

[The Final Dakar]

Been a few articles on the Simmons thing. Nice to see it get some media attention.

[The Final Dakar]

Autopsy shows Chiefs LB Belcher had CTE damage - SFGate

I have a feeing that medically the chances of correlation are probably low, but I wonder if we should start checking NFL players involved in violent altercations for signs of CTE. (Assuming its possible do it without an invasive biopsy)