Bill Simmons is leaving ESPN

[Uriel]

Bill Simmons and ESPN Are Parting Ways

By RICHARD SANDOMIR (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/s/richard_sandomir/index.html)
MAY 8, 2015

http://static01.nyt.com/images/2015/05/09/sports/09espn-1/09espn-1-blog427.jpg


Bill Simmons, who built a personal empire at ESPN (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/business/companies/espn/index.html?inline=nyt-org) and is one of America’s most influential sports personalities, will leave the media giant when his contract expires in the fall. He and the company were unable to reach an extension after months of talks.

“I’ve decided that I’m not going to renew his contract,” said John Skipper, the president of ESPN. “We’ve been talking to Bill and his agent and it was clear we weren’t going to get to the terms, so we were better off focusing on transition.”

Skipper said that the differences between the company and Simmons were “about more than money,” although he would not offer details. He added: “We’ve had an excellent run with Bill, almost 15 years. It’s been good for us and good for him. It was a decision I had to make and he had to make to move forward.”

Grantland, the sports and entertainment site run by Simmons for ESPN, will be unaffected by his departure, Skipper said.

“It long ago went from being a Bill Simmons site to one that can stand on its own,” Skipper said.

Simmons’s contract expires at the end of September.

The outspoken Simmons built himself into a major brand at ESPN (http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/05/magazine/can-bill-simmons-win-the-big-one.html), branching out from his base as a freewheeling columnist to host a popular weekly podcast, the B.S. Report; to create Grantland; and to play a role in the launch and success of the “30 for 30” documentary film series.

But his future at ESPN became a cause célèbre last year when the company suspended him (http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/25/sports/football/espn-suspends-bill-simmons-for-tirade-on-roger-goodell-.html) for three weeks for calling N.F.L. Commissioner Roger Goodell a “liar” during a podcast and effectively dared his bosses to fire him.

Simmons became a free-speech martyr during his absence, with the likes of Lena Dunham and Judd Apatow supporting him. Those who spoke out on his behalf on Twitter used the hashtag #FreeSimmons.”

Skipper said that the incident had no bearing on his decision to end ESPN’s relationship with Simmons.

Now the intrigue will begin about his next step. Simmons could join another traditional media company, like Fox, or a digital media outlet like Yahoo. Or he could use his high profile to start his own multimedia platform with investment from private equity.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/09/sports/bill-simmons-and-espn-are-parting-ways.html
Thoughts?

[jeebus]

Who gives a shit

[Pelicans78]

Cool. Annoying prick anyway.

[The Gemini Method]

His Grantland site is better anyhow.

[Spurminator]

I wish Grantland was able to break off from ESPN but I'm sure whatever he does next will be just as good. Eventually he'll probably be able to pull some of Grantland's best writers away from ESPN.

[LnGrrrR]

I'd be surprised if half the writers at Grantland don't come with him. I'll follow. Wonder if he will write more now.

[cjw]

Best content on ESPN was Grantland by a mile. Now even more reason to push for ESPN to extend my Insider membership for $1 next year again (if for nothing else than occasional airplane reading).

Will be interesting to see where he lands next. If I were him, I'd try to start my own site and poach the best and brightest from Grantland and elsewhere. Eyeballs will follow, and I'd endeavor that his probably have deeper pockets than the average ESPN viewer.

[unleashbaynes]

Simmons is an actual journalist, ESPN isn't about that life.

[Trainwreck2100]

Grantland, the sports and entertainment site run by Simmons for ESPN, will be unaffected by his departure, Skipper said.


i doubt that

[in2deep]

fuck Simons

[JamStone]

Way better writer than TV personality anyway. He should and probably will focus on his writing more. Don't really need him on TV, especially his NBA analyst stuff. I wouldn't go so far as saying it's horrible. But it certainly isn't very good. His basketball hour is slightly more tolerable. But his written work is what makes him any good. He should stick to that.

[Robz4000]

Hopefully this starts the departure of all the worthwhile journalists from ESPN. Too much catering to the casual fan/large markets has ruined it.

[Clipper Nation]

Simmons is a faggot.

[whitemamba]

Who gives a shit


Simmons is a faggot.

This

[K...]

I'd be surprised if half the writers at Grantland don't come with him. I'll follow. Wonder if he will write more now.

Espn will pay $'to keep the remains and who actually like Simmons on a personal level. Why would Lowe opt out when he has an elite position. Grant land will be the same. After Simmons there is enough talent to keep interest. Hire another celebrity newsy writer and let every else continue as has been. They have too many different podcasts anyway.

[K...]

This is actually the best possible thing for Grant land, because now they can promote other personalities.

Some of you guys are confusing cumulative talent with synergistic talent. Grant land minus Simmons is just that, x number of articles missing. If you only do there to read Simmons them Simmons will be somewhere else with the exact same amount of writing.



Unless Fox sports puts him on tv.

[JMarkJohns]

Grantland already losing publisher

https://twitter.com/pkafka/status/596704096406654976

[JMarkJohns]

Espn will pay $'to keep the remains and who actually like Simmons on a personal level. Why would Lowe opt out when he has an elite position. Grant land will be the same. After Simmons there is enough talent to keep interest. Hire another celebrity newsy writer and let every else continue as has been. They have too many different podcasts anyway.

ESPN is notorious for not paying its talent. Save for elite of elite, most of its superstars go to other networks. I'd doubt they pony up big bucks to everyone. Maybe one or two popular writers, but Grantland is about the collective while. Lose one, no big deal, lose several, it unravels. ESPN is fool enough to think it made Grantland through association.

[VBM]

Whitlock chillin' in the cut like

http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--EFH_WTNq--/stzrqicanrcjh4fzycwd.jpg

[TampaDude]

:sleep

[Caltex2]

Simmons is an actual journalist, ESPN isn't about that life.

LOL, good one. He's a fan that got his own platform on ESPN.com Page 2 many years back. Any of us on this site could be reach sports journalism fame if given that opportunity.

That said, it may be a scenario like Screamin A. Smith where his contract ran out and he just has to do something else for a minute before coming back strong for ESPN.

[The Gemini Method]

LOL, good one. He's a fan that got his own platform on ESPN.com Page 2 many years back. Any of us on this site could be reach sports journalism fame if given that opportunity.

That said, it may be a scenario like Screamin A. Smith where his contract ran out and he just has to do something else for a minute before coming back strong for ESPN. He actually was on Sports Illustrated before his time with ESPN. He wasn't a good T.V personality but on ESPN there aren't many worthwhile. His written stuff is chill and his blog and vlog is epic. His Boston homerism aside, he'll be fine. How Jamele Hill or Stephen A Smith continue to be considered journalist is beyond me. As the move behind 30 for 30 he got many of you slackjawed hicks some quality sportumentaries.

[davethedope]

Way better writer than TV personality anyway. He should and probably will focus on his writing more. Don't really need him on TV, especially his NBA analyst stuff. I wouldn't go so far as saying it's horrible. But it certainly isn't very good. His basketball hour is slightly more tolerable. But his written work is what makes him any good. He should stick to that.

I hope this is true because as a TV personality he was the fucking worst.

Never read his shit tho, from what I understand he's just a repressed homosexual Boston homer with racist tendencies

[DMC]

Sprewell move. Bill is nothing without some big name media giant to back him.

[Infinite_limit]

I hope this is true because as a TV personality he was the fucking worst.

Never read his shit tho, from what I understand he's just a repressed homosexual Boston homer with racist tendencies
Simmons is racist? Never got that sense

Definitely came off as one of the few voices on ESPN that spoke the reality.

[Killakobe81]

I used to love his mailbags. He can write good articles and a good book when he is moved to do so ... but I'm with Jam his voice and face are not for TV. His podcasts have it's moments the Goodell meltdown was awesome for sure. But I do like the Grantland staff the mix, of sports, entertainment and analytics is great ...

But who can be shocked by this? He was suspended ... has spoken ill of some of ESPN's biggest partners and I am sure he wanted a raise and or more artistic freedom. They said no of course but maybe he knew that ... I bet both parties wanted to part ways ...

[Infinite_limit]

Bill is the finest mind/personality on ESPN for basketball and it's not even close

[Killakobe81]

Bill is the finest mind/personality on ESPN for basketball and it's not even close

Personality yes. I think Lowe is actually the better mind and less biased but Simmons is the better personality because he is witty. Lowe tries but that is not him he needs to stick his combo of metrics, film study and solid analysis.

That being said I follow Simmons on twitter cuz he is funny first, thoughts second. I follow Lowe for insight only

[Thread]

He's a SOB...can dish it, but, cannot take it.

[-21-]

Way better writer than TV personality anyway. He should and probably will focus on his writing more. Don't really need him on TV, especially his NBA analyst stuff. I wouldn't go so far as saying it's horrible. But it certainly isn't very good. His basketball hour is slightly more tolerable. But his written work is what makes him any good. He should stick to that.
True, but he's still better than most ESPN TV personalities imo.

[Kool Bob Love]

He's a SOB...can dish it, but, cannot take it.

your ass was in the living room while bill was there first hand. Fuck you.


http://youtu.be/lgoV5u2WWJs

[Thread]

your ass was in the living room while bill was there first hand. Fuck you.


http://youtu.be/lgoV5u2WWJs

That was the night Kori ran Luva off because she couldn't take it. Only dish it.

[Spur-Addict]

He actually was on Sports Illustrated before his time with ESPN. He wasn't a good T.V personality but on ESPN there aren't many worthwhile. His written stuff is chill and his blog and vlog is epic. His Boston homerism aside, he'll be fine. How Jamele Hill or Stephen A Smith continue to be considered journalist is beyond me. As the move behind 30 for 30 he got many of you slackjawed hicks some quality sportumentaries.

She's the fuckin' worst, hands down.

[Spur|n|Austin]

His Grantland site is better anyhow.

[Silver&Black]

She's the fuckin' worst, hands down.

Amen to that....preach brother.

[Malik Hairston]

He has a ton of Hollywood connections, I imagine he'll be starting his own shit and won't have much trouble generating financial backing or interest IMO..

Generally speaking, ESPN personalities become irrelevant when they aren't under the ESPN umbrella, but there are examples of people that have succeeded without them, and I think Simmons will be another..

[Thread]

It's left over business from his suspension...there is just a "gentlemen's agreement" in place to not air this feudal relationship. Must be nice to hate your bed partner, but, still able to sleep with them. The [common man] doesn't get this cozy arrangement. We're made naked, ridden hard, put up wet in front of the entire company.

[AlexJones]

He's a pretentious faggot now but at one point the dude was clearly the best sports journalist in the country

[Thread]

He's a pretentious faggot now but at one point the dude was clearly the best sports journalist in the country

You can't hate innately & represent "country" AJ. Even under the cloak of protection that ESPN provided didn't fool me 1 iota.

[Thebesteva]

I have some respect for him, but in his earlier days on ESPN, it was like having CN write articles about the Lakers. Guy was a salty butt hurt writer

[DMC]

He's a SOB...can dish it, but, cannot take it.
Thread

[DMC]

He has a ton of Hollywood connections, I imagine he'll be starting his own shit and won't have much trouble generating financial backing or interest IMO..

Generally speaking, ESPN personalities become irrelevant when they aren't under the ESPN umbrella, but there are examples of people that have succeeded without them, and I think Simmons will be another..
Maybe, but he had a sweet gig at ESPN. Who else will put that gnome on national TV in the heat of the moment in big games to hear him whining? I love his writing style, but he's a major homer and even admits it. You cannot give an unbiased take on something, hard as you might try, if you're a fan of a team. However he's basically a regular guy who connects with regular guys and gives takes we agree with. He doesn't do anything insightful to where you go "hmmm never considered that".

I think he'll be ok, but to walk away from that gig shortly after getting face time on TV, that's probably a bad move.

Maybe he goes to NBA on TNT or something like that, because ESPN has a big chunk of NBA coverage already, any other startup or new position is going to be in the shadows of that.

[da_suns_fan]

He's not a sports "journalist". What investigative work has he ever done?

His columns, though, are entertaining as hell (or at least they used to be when thats all he did).

The thing is he doesnt need ESPN. He can do his own youtube specials, podcasts and grantland and have tons of exposure without being on T.V.

[Venti Quattro]

My guess is Turner Sports picks him up. He's not being renewed (expiring contract) so he's free to walk to any rival as he pleases

[DMC]

He's not a sports "journalist". What investigative work has he ever done?

His columns, though, are entertaining as hell (or at least they used to be when thats all he did).

The thing is he doesnt need ESPN. He can do his own youtube specials, podcasts and grantland and have tons of exposure without being on T.V.
You're eat up with stupid.

He doesn't make money from Youtube and podcasts are just there to generate interest in his other material. Grantland belongs to ESPN.

Isn't the "look, I'm an ignorant (fill in team name here) fan, watch my stupid takes.. haha just like other (fill in team name here) do" played out already, or at least well covered by people like Koolaid man and Infinite faggot?

[TheCultOfPersonality]

Well at least they still have Britt McHenry.

[vander]

so those 4 times I went to Grantland.com I was actually still going to ESPN? dammit. I will never forgive Simmons for this. I might still forgive Zach Lowe though.

[Infinite_limit]

jews chopping down another Catholic

[Xevious]

Can he take that dumbass Jalen Rose with him?

[DMC]

Can he take that dumbass Jalen Rose with him?
I think he's in speech therapy paid for by ESPN so it's best to leave him where we know to avoid him.

[Jacob1983]

The unfunny dumbass is at Staples Center.

[LnGrrrR]

Espn will pay $'to keep the remains and who actually like Simmons on a personal level. Why would Lowe opt out when he has an elite position. Grant land will be the same. After Simmons there is enough talent to keep interest. Hire another celebrity newsy writer and let every else continue as has been. They have too many different podcasts anyway.

Because Simmons has vision. He created the Grantland page. He came up with the 30 for 30 idea. People like working for leaders with vision. He'll poach more than you think. He won a lot of credit for sticking to his guns on the Goodell=liar thing.

[DMC]

Because Simmons has vision. He created the Grantland page. He came up with the 30 for 30 idea. People like working for leaders with vision. He'll poach more than you think. He won a lot of credit for sticking to his guns on the Goodell=liar thing.
He's a native Baaaaston homer though, so you naturally have an affinity for him. I like the guy just fine, but I don't want to see or hear him ever again. I'll read his articles though.

[LnGrrrR]

He's a native Baaaaston homer though, so you naturally have an affinity for him. I like the guy just fine, but I don't want to see or hear him ever again. I'll read his articles though.

Oh yeah, definitely. You should hear all the shit I'm getting for this Brady thing. I'm in complete "DGAF, rings bitch" mode, because what else am I supposed to do? Stop being a fan? Anyways, back on topic, yeah, his voice sucks out loud. Definitely a better writer. Hopefully he'll get to doing more of that now.

[DMC]

Oh yeah, definitely. You should hear all the shit I'm getting for this Brady thing. I'm in complete "DGAF, rings bitch" mode, because what else am I supposed to do? Stop being a fan? Anyways, back on topic, yeah, his voice sucks out loud. Definitely a better writer. Hopefully he'll get to doing more of that now.
Yeah who fucking cares about that Brady shit? They won, move on...

Bill does better when he can offer his take in a well thought out form, not on the fly when he's more of a questioner. He's a writer, one of the best sportswriters in the world actually, and he shouldn't screw that up. He can run an operation without needing to be part of it. I see him contracting for ESPN tbh.

[Killakobe81]

i like him fine. He overdoes the pop reference stuff ...
and is a homer but he is a clever writer.

[ViceCity86]

I would like to see him on Inside The Nba.Dump Shaq.He's awful.Replace him with Simmons.

[LnGrrrR]

Yeah who fucking cares about that Brady shit? They won, move on...

Bill does better when he can offer his take in a well thought out form, not on the fly when he's more of a questioner. He's a writer, one of the best sportswriters in the world actually, and he shouldn't screw that up. He can run an operation without needing to be part of it. I see him contracting for ESPN tbh.

Mostly idiots. I had a guy here saying Pats only win because they cheat. 2001, I asked? "The league set it up... Patriots, 9/11?" Ok what about 2003 and 2004? "Headset radios cut out!" It's like, if that's all it takes to win a championship, more teams should be cheating. I thought it was because, ya know, tackling and throwing and catching and stuff.

[DMC]

Well they haven't made it any easier to ignore the calls. There seems to be enough issues with things to warrant suspicion, but they are a great team for sure. Great teams do what it takes to win. In the NBA they grab jerseys, flop and do all sorts of other shit because they want an edge. If the Pats are deflating balls and that got them to the ring, more teams will be doing it.

[Venti Quattro]

Inside the Shocking, Abrupt Divorce of Bill Simmons and ESPN (http://www.vanityfair.com/news/2015/05/inside-shocking-abrupt-divorce-bill-simmons-and-espn)
The co-author of the definitive history of ESPN, Those Guys Have All the Fun, reports on how the network and its biggest star met their bitter end.
BY JAMES ANDREW MILLER

The union of Bill Simmons—columnist, commentator, on-air personality, and human hot button—and ESPN, the sports media colossus he’s called home for almost 15 years, was no ordinary marriage. It was instead a bizarre, fabled partnership, with triumphs and setbacks and a seemingly endless stream of gossip and drama, both inside ESPN’s corporate campus at Bristol, Connecticut, and on the Internet. It was arguably one of the most important affiliations ESPN had ever entered into with a single individual; Simmons parlayed an online column and rabid fan base into a fiefdom that included the Web site Grantland, the 30 for 30 documentary series, and a starring role as an on-air NBA commentator. And now, it’s over.

Simmons’s contract with ESPN expires later this year. The network’s president John Skipper made it official on Friday when he told Richard Sandomir of The New York Times, “I’ve decided that I’m not going to renew his contract. We’ve been talking to Bill, and it was clear that we weren’t going to get to the terms, so we were better off focusing on transition.”

How about that for a shocking finale—not only to Simmons’s employment with ESPN but also to his relationship with Skipper, the man Simmons once considered the best guardian of his interests at the network, if not in the world? When Skipper was head of content for ESPN under then-president George Bodenheimer, he and Simmons forged a bond that was critical in Simmons’s decision to remain at ESPN the last time negotiations were hammered out in 2010. That contract, worth around $5 million per year, made Simmons the highest paid piece of talent in the network’s history up to that moment.

Later, when Skipper got Bodenheimer’s job and became ESPN president in 2011, the executive dug much deeper into the business side of the company and deeper into duties other than being Simmons’s protector. Simmons was left largely to fend for himself amongst the ground troops in Bristol, and neither he nor they were pleased with the arrangement. Many in Bristol believed Simmons, who ran his mini empire a continent away in Los Angeles, had a heightened sense of entitlement, and operated as if certain rules simply did not apply to him. They resented the fact that he sought, and sometimes got, larger roles in decision making and policy making than talent typically did.

Problems and tensions were clear to many throughout 2014. Then all hell broke loose in the fall when, at the height of the Ray Rice domestic-abuse scandal, Simmons called N.F.L. commissioner Roger Goodell a liar during a segment on his podcast. ESPN suspended him.

The suspension was supposed to include a two-week dock in pay, but when he looked at his paychecks afterward, Simmons could hardly help noticing that the checks were for the usual amount. He interpreted this as ESPN holding out an olive branch; the public censure had been just for show, Simmons thought; there was no financial penalty after all.

That might have smoothed things out between Simmons and management—but on December 19, Simmons opened his pay envelope and was not pleased. Two weeks’ worth of salary wasn’t there: “Merry Christmas, Mr. Simmons—here’s your lump of coal.” Simmons had had enough. The chances of him staying at ESPN from that point onward became less and less probable.

Even so, Simmons was curious to see what would happen when ESPN started seriously talking about a new deal. There was one broad conversation. Simmons made a point of not putting forth any specific requests—a pre-emptive strike against ESPN trying to say later, “We were unwilling to meet his demands so we didn’t renew him.” But no dollar amounts were specified, and no actual back-and-forth negotiations went on.

Minus any set of definitive demands from the Simmons team, ESPN negotiators didn’t have much to say no to. Both sides retreated, then ESPN never re-engaged. There were two or three months of silence during which Simmons became increasingly bothered by three key factors:

1. He was hearing more and more that Skipper’s people in management were badmouthing him;

2. Management hadn’t added to the head count at Grantland since May of 2014, and;

3. It was clear to many that Bristol was trying to bury the idea that Simmons had been some kind of magical auteur behind everything classy at ESPN. Bristol was no longer putting him forward for features about the 30 for 30 documentary series, despite the fact that he had been one of the chief architects and a major driving force behind the venture. In fact, Simmons and ESPN exec Connor Schell had written what proved to be a vital memorandum trying to save the project after its first round of documentaries concluded.

Simmons believed he had valuable instincts about what was best for ESPN content—certainly for his ESPN content—and he wanted a spot and a voice at the table. This worked fine for such high-profile company projects as Grantland, the stylish and much-discussed Web site that Simmons helped create, and it worked fine, too, for the highly acclaimed 30 for 30, into which Simmons had considerable input. On those two projects, bosses recognized his contributions and gave him prominent roles and unusual autonomy.

When it came to coverage of the N.B.A., however, everything heated up, including Simmons. Before long, you had a mighty Bristol quagmire. Simmons and the N.B.A. production team rarely saw eye-to-eye. On NBA Countdown viewers could tell that Simmons felt more comfortable, for instance, with Michelle Beadle as co-host than with Sage Steele; it showed on the air. He also seemed frustrated by what he considered the inadequate amount of time devoted to halftime and other ancillary shows, and objected to slotting pre- and post-game coverage directly opposite big playoff games on other networks. To him, that was intentionally scuttling ESPN shows—suicidal programming.

You didn’t have to be Nostradamus to see that things were looking bleak for the team of Bill Simmons and ESPN. When Simmons appeared on the Dan Patrick Show on Thursday, he once again attacked Goodell, saying with a certain formality that Goodell lacks “testicular fortitude.”

Simmons has always believed that he can only do his job well if he is free to speak his mind on any subject, even if it’s directed at Goodell. (In 2011, the N.F.L. sold broadcast rights for Monday Night Football to ESPN in a deal spanning through 2021 and costing $15.2 billion.) The appearance with Patrick, however, proved a tipping point. Skipper decided to cut his losses now, and announce Simmons’s departure, four months before his contract was up in September.

ESPN will still own intellectual properties like Grantland and the wildly popular podcast, the B.S. Report. One executive was even heard starting to plan who else might host the B.S. Report. Maybe the executive thinks that “B.S.” stands for something other than “Bill Simmons.”

Simmons, meanwhile, has already had multiple offers and will no doubt wind up having more autonomy and, possibly, a bigger paycheck wherever he lands in his post-Bristol existence.

In the end, one could say with minimal originality, but considerable accuracy, that Bill Simmons simply flew too close to the sun. He miscalculated how much value ESPN put on him and on his unique abilities and talents. He might also have forgotten a cardinal company rule that remains sacred whether it’s ESPN’s Old Guard talking or its new one: nobody, but nobody, can be bigger than those four initials.

On the other hand, it could be said that Bristol forgot a kind of cardinal rule itself: in an era where fans can get not just scores but highlights, and a ton more, on their smart phones, distinctive and original content is the way to engage and hold onto an audience plopped in front of big 99-inch screens. That content often comes with a big price tag—and with a requirement that the people with unique abilities and talent who create it be treated like the stars you’ve paid for.

[Thread]

^Cowherd was talking with somebody from ESPN this morning on his program about this Simmons departure. I do not recall the gentleman's name, but, it was not the usual silly shit conversation that goes on with Cowherd. This was shop talk. There is a lot more to this than meets the eye. But, they're gonna keep in house.

[DMC]

I think Jalen Rose tried to rape him.

[Splits]

652632898978222082

:wow

[spurraider21]

https://i.gyazo.com/b2f75d270cd955b18e4c866885674eea.png

[Clipper Nation]

Simmons is still a faggot who needs actually interesting people to carry him.

[K...]

Simmons is still a faggot who needs actually interesting people to carry him.

Still learning to hire good people and sticking up for them is a Great skill.


Shout out to the people who argue drake is the best rapper. Bill Simmons is the drake of sports commenting.

[~O~]

I'm guessing Tupac is Zach Lowe?

[Kawhitstorm]

Simmons is still a faggot who needs actually interesting people to carry him.

Simmons is the Puff Daddy of sports writers.

[Kawhitstorm]

I'm guessing Tupac is Zach Lowe?

Z-Lowe is the equivalent of a backpacker in hip-hop.

[Kidd K]

So ESPN is not renewing one of the few people they trot out who isn't hive-minded and only promoting of the most popular teams and players in hopes of increasing ratings. Shocking news, totally not sarcasm. . . :lol



You can't hate innately & represent "country" AJ. Even under the cloak of protection that ESPN provided didn't fool me 1 iota.

Being the best at something in a country does not make one "represent" said country. What would you prefer, another Lakers apologist/Kobe fluffer like all the other slobs at ESPN? Regardless of how bad that team or player perform?

I'll take someone who relays reality and talks about what's actually happening, thanks.



Bill is the finest mind/personality on ESPN for basketball and it's not even close

Exactly. I dunno if I'd crown him as the finest, but he was/is clearly one of their top guys.

[spursistan]

652632898978222082

:wow
Expected, i think he will try to nab Zach Lowe from them, too..

[Stevie Johnson]

I love how Simmons wears his make-up.

[HemisfairArena]

No Thread. No chance. For laker faggots.

[Stevie Johnson]

No Thread. No chance. For laker faggots.
Go Warriors! LOL

[DMC]

Simmons is the modern day Jerry Maguire. He had his moment, now all the Renee Zellwegers are filing in and they'll all go free lance in a couple years because ESPN will blackball the fuck out of them.

[spursistan]

looks like it is the beginning of an exodus of editors and writers there..is ESPN pulling the plug on Grantland?

[Clipper Nation]

Simmons is the Puff Daddy of sports writers.

He's the Birdman of sports writers, rubbing his hands together in the background of the video while the real artists are performing.

[InRareForm]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/early-lead/wp/2016/10/28/ratings-for-bill-simmonss-hbo-show-have-hit-rock-bottom/?postshare=3021477680666207&tid=ss_tw

ratings have hit rock bottom for new show

[spursistan]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/early-lead/wp/2016/10/28/ratings-for-bill-simmonss-hbo-show-have-hit-rock-bottom/?postshare=3021477680666207&tid=ss_tw

ratings have hit rock bottom for new show

He just can't fathom he's simply not made for the camera and has been an awful TV personality everywhere..Should stick to radio and the pen, not that he hasn't gotten stale and repetitive with his shticks on both platform..

[Clipper Nation]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/early-lead/wp/2016/10/28/ratings-for-bill-simmonss-hbo-show-have-hit-rock-bottom/?postshare=3021477680666207&tid=ss_tw

ratings have hit rock bottom for new show
Remember when people thought he didn't need ESPN? :lol

This thin-skinned, starfucking, Boston-fellating faggot would be bagging groceries right now if ESPN didn't spend over a decade shoving him down our throats. As everyone with a brain expected, his career ended the moment he bit the hand that fed him one too many times.

[140]

He just can't fathom he's simply not made for the camera and has been an awful TV personality everywhere..Should stick to radio and the pen, not that he hasn't gotten stale and repetitive with his shticks on both platform..
I'm pretty sure he can but when you're getting paid 7 to 9 million to fail, why the fuck not?

[apalisoc_9]

Need to stick to bball podcast and sport writing. Also, i stopped listening to his podcast post-espn..its so random and boring. He doesnt follow a structure like he used to with ESPN.

In other words, his podcast now is just a bunch of boring and lame shit. He's trying to win more fans by talking about random stuff, but hes lost a lot of listeners over the last year..

And its not because he left ESPN..fuck espn..

Its just that his quality of podcasting has deriorated. I'm seripusly doubting he's watching bball games anymore...

[spursistan]

matter of months HBO pulls the plug on it..lol 82k viewers..

[apalisoc_9]

Its a shame because basketball podcasting is slowly deteriorating in willing talent. Zach lowe can be a hit or a miss, the truehoop guys are fun, but its torture if you watch games, The Bbballbreakdown guy is bad at podcasting but his content is always gold. He just looks awkward, The NBA starters...they have an australian there that I doubt understands the rules of basketball.

Nate duncan and Danny leroux is decent...and I like hearing CBA related stuffs..but at times it gets really tedious listenting to them. To be fair, they're one of the very media personalities that I can safely assume watch real games.

[Kawhitstorm]

Its a shame because basketball podcasting is slowly deteriorating in willing talent. Zach lowe can be a hit or a miss, the truehoop guys are fun, but its torture if you watch games, The Bbballbreakdown guy is bad at podcasting but his content is always gold. He just looks awkward, The NBA starters...they have an australian there that I doubt understands the rules of basketball.

Nate duncan and Danny leroux is decent...and I like hearing CBA related stuffs..but at times it gets really tedious listenting to them. To be fair, they're one of the very media personalities that I can safely assume watch real games.

I found a daily podcast that covers the Spurs as part of the "Locked On" network. The host is Paul Garcia from Project Spurs::lol

http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/locked-on-spurs

[Clipper Nation]

Cancelled :lmao

794605204364787712

[FkLA]

Its a shame because basketball podcasting is slowly deteriorating in willing talent. Zach lowe can be a hit or a miss, the truehoop guys are fun, but its torture if you watch games, The Bbballbreakdown guy is bad at podcasting but his content is always gold. He just looks awkward, The NBA starters...they have an australian there that I doubt understands the rules of basketball.

Nate duncan and Danny leroux is decent...and I like hearing CBA related stuffs..but at times it gets really tedious listenting to them. To be fair, they're one of the very media personalities that I can safely assume watch real games.

Pretty new to the podcast game but I'd have to say Zach Lowe is probably my favorite. TrueHoop seems like it would be ok without Windhorst. That fat walrus has no sense of humor and always seems like he's competing with the other guys. He also comes off as a smart aleck. Haven't listened to Nate Duncan and Danny Leroux, going to give them a shot tbh.



I found a daily podcast that covers the Spurs as part of the "Locked On" network. The host is Paul Garcia from Project Spurs::lol

http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/locked-on-spurs

I recently found this one too and wanted to like it but honestly he sucks. His 'recap' of the Jazz game was terrible. He sounds like an uneducated southsider trying to use big words. Constantly uses them wrongly.

[apalisoc_9]

I would never listen a San Antonio Homer..:lol..The Spurs organization cliche that every spursfans trouts for some reason would kill me.

I find windhorst mostly decent..So long as he isn't talking about the cavs, his opinion is laregly somewhat backed by decent advanced stats etc...Problem is..he thinks Lebron listens to every word he says so he sucks him all the time.

Adrian WOJ is a great reporter but hes one of the least entertaining podcast guys...The topic are nice but man that dude has zero personality.

JJ reddick has a podcast too and he usually ends up player to player..really provides the listener with a different perspective. Im not sure if hes active in the regilar season though.

[apalisoc_9]

Bill simmons doesn't waych basketball anymore tbh..He hasnt cared about basketball for three years now..Dude vanished as fast the 08 celtics trio.

[spursistan]

matter of months HBO pulls the plug on it..lol 82k viewers..
cross that: days..

:lmao

[DMC]

Thing about writing is there's not a lot of prejudice involved in reading. When you see and hear him though, you automatically think of some little richer kid with a whiny fucking voice who spent all his childhood being carted around to professional games, getting the latest kicks and being better than the next person. He cannot talk the way he writes, but then he doesn't have Jalen Rose writing every other paragraph.

The real issue with all of the sports talk is that the guys doing the talking either can't string a fucking sentence together properly or they've never played even college level sports so they are just products of being around the game, so they aren't interesting. That's why writing matters. Saying what you wanted to say before you publish the article, that's much better for your career than bouncing shit takes off a professional player who can just play the "you never played" card and shut you up, even if you're right.

[DMC]

Bill simmons doesn't waych basketball anymore tbh..He hasnt cared about basketball for three years now..Dude vanished as fast the 08 celtics trio.

And I called it in this thread.

[spursistan]

Bill simmons doesn't waych basketball anymore tbh..He hasnt cared about basketball for three years now..Dude vanished as fast the 08 celtics trio.

794607061682294784


He lost it on both fronts..That Ringer website has been a mediocrity...Dude has like written a couple of columns for them in 5 months while outsourcing podcasts to a bunch of nerds and 3rd rate writers/actors etc..

[Clipper Nation]

Simmons' writing isn't any better than his camera presence. He shits out articles that would fit in better on a local Boston aports website than on a national one, and he pads out his word count with forced pop culture references.

[spursistan]

798174460583047168

this is a great an on-the-cool savaging article in NYT..

[spursistan]

Simmons clearly overestimated his own brand, tbh.. It is probably safe to say his best days are behind him..

[Spurtacular]

Simmons clearly overestimated his own brand, tbh.. It is probably safe to say his best days are behind him..

Maybe, he didn't calculate that the average sports fan is getting dumber by the day.

[spursistan]

831619598403379200

Bill Simmons keeps digging his own grave..From the color scheme of the Website to lame articles like this one, he really doesn't seem to realize that his Boston sports homer shtick has gotten old and run it course a long time ago..

[Clipper Nation]

I guess he can't afford a fact-checker? The Patriots and Red Sox both won it all in 2004.

[Mikeanaro]

831619598403379200

Bill Simmons keeps digging his own grave..From the color scheme of the Website to lame articles like this one, he really doesn't seem to realize that his Boston sports homer shtick has gotten old and run it course a long time ago..
That article is like
http://www.releasetheape.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/end-is-near.jpeg

[spursistan]

I guess he can't afford a fact-checker? The Patriots and Red Sox both won it all in 2004.
The Ringer is a combination of awful and fluff...Simmons as podcaster/writer/editor etc is as at TOSB stage..