** NOTE: This post contains graphic language that some might find offensive **
Actor Ben Affleck has people questioning his sobriety after an almost-five-minute, expletive-filled rant about “Deflategate” on ex-ESPN personality Bill Simmons’ new HBO talk show.
During an interview on the Wednesday debut episode of Any Given Wednesday, Affleck passionately criticized the NFL and its commissioner, Roger Goodell, for suspending New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady for using under-inflated balls during a 2015 playoff game.
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The New England-raised Affleck called the issue a “ridiculous smear campaign” and questioned Goodell’s integrity.
“Deflategate is the ultimate bulls**t f**king outrage of sports ever,” Affleck yelled, sometimes slurring his words. “It’s so f**king stupid that I can’t believe,” Affleck shouted, slurring his words on occasion. “They gave him a suspension for a quarter of the season, which would be equivalent of suspending a baseball player for 40 f**king days — 40 quarter days, to be exact.
“Which is what they do when you get busted taking steroids. And by the way, if the NFL really knew how to test for steroids and HGH, there’d be no f**king NFL. So instead, what they did was suspend Tom Brady for four days for not giving them his f**king cellphone and for having a friend who called himself the deflator.”
Affleck’s appearance is being heavily discussed on social media. Some said he appeared to be drunk, while others said he was just an angry and passionate Patriots fan.
Affleck acknowledged treatment for alcohol addiction more than a decade ago.
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A representative for the actor didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
Simmons tweeted that the interview was taped in the late morning and Affleck was simply “fired up.”
With files from The Associated Press