When Julie Burchill’s nasty rant about trans people in The Guardian last year caused a huge backlash, the paper withdrew it from their website. The Daily Telegraph couldn’t wait to re-publish it. Because, you know, being vile about trans people is just so much in the public interest. There may have been advertising revenue involved as well. And nice fat fees for Burchill and Toady Young for media interviews.

It does not surprise me, therefore, that a website called Real Clear Sports decided to reprint Caleb Hannan’s poisonous piece from Grantland.

But wait, you say, Grantland apologized. They were contrite. They said it was a mistake to run that article. And Hannan is reportedly traumatized by the whole thing and is, get this, asking for his privacy to be respected.

So, if Bill Simmons was approached by Real Clear Sports, do you think he said, “well, no, that was a real error of judgement on our part to run that, we’d like to see it forgotten”? Or do you think he said, “reprint fee please?”

And when Caleb Hannan was asked about it, do you think he said, “please, no, this has been an awful experience for me, I just want it to go away.” Or did he perhaps say, “wow, I never thought that outing trans people could be so profitable. SHOW ME THE MONEY!!!”

I think you know the answer to that.