Ben Affleck gave former ESPN personality Bill Simmons’s new HBO talk show a lively start with a five-minute, expletive-filled rant on deflategate.
During an interview on the Wednesday debut episode of Any Given Wednesday, Affleck passionately criticized the NFL and Commissioner Roger Goodell for suspending New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady for using underinflated balls during a 2015 playoff game. The New England-raised Affleck calls the issue a “ridiculous smear campaign” and questions Goodell’s integrity.
Affleck’s appearance is being heavily discussed on social media. Some say he appeared to be drunk, others call him an angry and passionate Patriots fan.
A representative for Affleck 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.”