If you were in a drunken slumber all weekend, you may have missed this: ESPN’s Lou Holtz made the unwise decision to invoke a Hitler comparison (seen here first) Friday night while talking about the first-year struggles of Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez. We’re not here to judge whether or not ESPN should reverse course and suspend/punish the old codger the way it did ESPN.com writer Jemele Hill when she dropped the H-bomb earlier this year. That’s obvious, of course it should.

What’s really confounding is the fan reaction. Or rather, the lack thereof. Remember how unruly Boston fans were so worked up and angered by Hill’s words that they called radio stations to vent about it, and then posted Hill’s phone number on the internet? One could argue that the mob mentality against Hill is the reason ESPN reacted with a suspension.

How come nobody’s giving the same treatment to Holtz?

Let us guess, you’re going to say it’s different - Holtz screwed up on live TV, and talking heads get a break because of the immediacy of TV (tell that to ESPN’s Shaun King, who was suspended from the Arena League Championship after using the word “wife beater” to describe an undershirt; Sportscenter’s Stan Verrett was not); Hill talked about “fans,” whereas Holtz directed his comment at a coach; it took place on a Friday night, which is a graveyard for viewers (and amazingly, there’s still no video); and of course, Holtz is a 71-year-old man, so even if he was born in West Virgina (where Rich Rod used to coach) and he became a legend at Notre Dame (which hates Michigan), show the man some sympathy!

Excuses, excuses. We have no stake in this race. We’ve poked fun at Holtz a couple times, and gently prodded Hill. It’s the double standard for Hitler references that is most disturbing. Maybe you can help us: Why was everyone so outraged when a black woman invoked Hitler’s name, but nobody was outraged when a white man did?

Lou Holtz Compares Rich Rodriguez to Hitler While Discussing Leadership (Michigan Sports Center)