ESPN personality Skip Bayless called Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel an alcoholic last week, and the comment soon landed all over the internet and in newspapers.
Bayless incurred no punishment from ESPN, which came as a surprise to Sports Illustrated’s Richard Deitsch.
Deitsch, the magazine’s sports media writer, recalled the network having recently suspended Bill Simmons three weeks after calling Roger Goodell a liar.
So Deitsch asked ESPN about what appeared to be a double standard, and ESPN provided this statement:
When discussing the widely reported public behavior, Skip based his comments on information he has from sources within and around the Browns’ organization with knowledge of Manziel’s continued pattern of behavior, as well as Skip’s personal family experiences with alcoholism.
As a result, Awful Announcing wrote this piece proclaiming Bayless the most powerful man at ESPN.
