ESPN suspends Bill Simmons after criticizing NFL commissioner

Bill Simmons speaks at the panel and screening of "Beyond Playing The Field" during the 2010 Tribeca Film Festival at the School of Visual Arts Theater on April 24, 2010 in New York City.

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File photo by Rob Loud/Getty Images for Tribeca Film Festival

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NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell talks during a press conference at the Hilton Hotel on Sept. 19, 2014 in New York City.

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Elsa/Getty Images

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ESPN's Bill Simmons was suspended after calling NFL Commissioner Roger Gooddell a liar after saying he didn't see the video of Ray Rice punching his fiancee.

Normally a company suspending an employee for insubordination wouldn't create a trending topic on Twitter. But, when the company is ESPN, the employee is Bill Simmons and the topic is the NFL: Cue the firestorm.

Simmons is a popular columnist at ESPN and also runs Grantland. ESPN suspended Simmons after calling NFL commissioner Roger Goodell a "liar" on his podcast.

The suspension has led to a firestorm of criticism of social media and a Twitter hashtag: #FreeSimmons

Richard Deitsch, who covers sports media for Sports Illustrated, joins Take Two for more on the story.