LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Ben Affleck stands by his expletive-filled rant against the NFL and commissioner Roger Goodell over ''Deflategate.''
During an interview Wednesday on the debut episode of HBO's ''Any Given Wednesday,'' the New England-raised Affleck passionately criticized the NFL and Goodell for suspending New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady for using underinflated footballs during a 2015 playoff game.
The Oscar winner says on Twitter that he used the F-word 18 times during the five-minute diatribe. Upon reflection, he says, ''12 probably would have been sufficient.''
He called the piece ''one of my favorite interviews'' and added, ''(hash)GoPats.