Keith Olbermann Says NFL Should Suspend Tom Brady for a Year

ESPN takesman Keith Olbermann dutifully went about delivering the hotness his occupation requires Thursday, saying the NFL should suspend Tom Brady for his involvement in the Deflategate scandal.

To his credit, Olbermann pinned most of the blame on Brady's handling of the situation, which began with a coy shrug and has developed over the last 100 days into…a coyer shrug.

Olbermann contended the only aspect of this farce worthy of punishment is Brady's handling of the issue.

"They should suspend Tom Brady for a year—suspend him 24 hours for screwing around with the ball inflation, and then suspend him 364 days for stupidity," Olbermann said.

The general thrust of Olbermann's report is "Just fess up, and let's move on"—an argument he accentuates with a weirdly long tangent on former MLB slugger Jason Giambi's apology/non-admission in 2005.

Raising Giambi, who took performance-enhancing drugs and never admitted to it, Olbermann illustrated how the media and fans are willing to forgive even a half-cocked acknowledgement of cheating. This entire Brady segment might've just been a vehicle for Olbermann to vent latent Giambi rage. Or something.

In any case, the takes continue to roll in hot and heavy on the Deflategate scandal. Maybe we'll get an honest answer out of the Patriots camp soon, or maybe the franchise will continue to sandbag as it waits for the media cycle to turn.

The latter is probably a bad game plan, because maybe—just maybe—deep down in its inkiest, gooiest id, all America wants to do is talk about balls.

Dan is on Twitter. Balls—the great American downfall.