Tonight — finally! — ESPN is going to have an in-depth discussion on the NFL's domestic violence problem. The discussion will feature the opinions of up to 11 men and zero women, in a remarkable showing of the exact flavor of dumb meathead that ESPN is so adept at that it should trademark.


The panel was ostensibly was conceived of and approved of by several people who get paid money to do their jobs. Their jobs creating television programs that are good and informative. They are bad at their jobs. A domestic violence panel involving 11 men and 0 women when women constitute the vast majority of domestic violence victims is neither good nor informative.

Understandably, this has upset many people with brains that they use to think rather than promote ESPN programming, including Esquire's Ben Collins. Collins has had about enough of ESPN's blatant NFL defense. He argues that ESPN's pre-Monday Night Football man only domestic violence discussion is even more insidious when you consider just how pathetically cowardly and craven the network is.

[...] you will not hear these words: "Roger Goodell is a liar." You will not hear these words because ESPN has a $15.2 billion broadcasting agreement with the NFL. You will not hear these words because it would interfere with the amount of money both ESPN and the NFL can make. You will not hear these words because ESPN is not a company in the business of journalism. It is an entertainment outlet that sometimes reports convenient, timely information to drive interest in future programming. You will not hear these words because ESPN has intimidated its on-air staff into standing down against domestic violence.


What an excellent way for ESPN and the NFL to lead into October Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

[UPDATE: ESPN publicist Josh Krulewitz tells our sister site Deadspin that despite Esquire's report from the 26th, tonight's programming "was never going to be" a panel on domestic violence. Krulewitz says it's a "regular episode of Countdown, hosted by Suzy Kolber."]