Last October marked the 5th anniversary of one of the stranger situations to befall an NFL insider.<\/p>\n
Seemingly out of nowhere, NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport tweeted (it was still Twitter back then) that he had been suspended for two weeks<\/a> for posting something that \u201cwent against [NFL Network\u2019s] guidelines.\u201d<\/p>\n After much speculation about what damaging thing Rapoport must have done to warrant a punishment so severe for someone whose career depends on their constant vigilance, Andrew Marchand revealed that the insider had posted a video ad for male-grooming brand Manscaped without approval<\/a>.<\/p>\n The video, in which Rapoport promoted the Manscaped Lawn Mower, had actually been posted in mid-September<\/a> and had long since been deleted.<\/p>\n pic.twitter.com\/jdN1GceONW<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 10, 2020<\/a><\/p>\n It\u2019s one of those sports media stories that often elicits a good chuckle, but it turns out it was actually a fairly painful moment in Rapoport\u2019s life and career.<\/p>\n \u201cI can look back and sorta laugh now. It was definitely not funny then,\u201d Rapoport told Marchand on the latest episode of his podcast<\/a>. \u201cIt was like my world was collapsing. I went to therapy. I cried. It was terrible. Because if I don\u2019t do this, what am I gonna do? And what are people gonna think?\u201d<\/p>\n Rapoport added that he received calls from players and reporters who had been suspended at some point, and that the situation \u201cdefinitely gave me a little street cred.\u201d<\/p>\n While it might have been miserable at the time, the NFL insider says he feels like he came away from the suspension with very clear eyes and a valuable lesson.<\/p>\n \u201cI learned a really good lesson,\u201d he added. \u201cThe fact that it was that, of all things, added to the ridiculousness of it. My wife shot the [ad for Instagram] that I was in. The whole thing was ridiculous. But, I didn\u2019t do what I needed to do\u2026 I thought it was approved because the podcast that I was doing at the time; it was a sponsor there. And so, I was told, \u2018we\u2019re good.\u2019 But I didn\u2019t do what I needed to do\u2026 It was my responsibility, and I took the blame, and I deserved the blame\u2026 It\u2019s a good thing to know. When your name is on it, and when it\u2019s about you, you are responsible.<\/p>\n \u201cThe whole thing was miserable. I got suspended two weeks, lost pay, the whole thing. But the lesson was pretty valuable.\u201d<\/p>\n The life of the insider has been critiqued<\/a> and questions oftened<\/a>. Rapoport has never been one to complain, but the two-week ordeal did rock his sense of purpose.<\/p>\n \u201cJob\u2019s 24\/7. If I\u2019m not sitting around making calls or being on TV and breaking news, then what am I gonna do? My world is collapsing. I didn\u2019t know what to do. I have a schedule. I\u2019m very good with my schedule\u2026 all of a sudden, I had nothing to do. I couldn\u2019t post. I couldn\u2019t be on TV.\u00a0 I couldn\u2019t make calls. I didn\u2019t know what to do. It was really bad.\u201d<\/p>\n \t