1 of 1- tkihshbt
- Scott Rolen
Offline 
- Registered: 9/07/2010
- Posts: 7,244
Bill Simmons Out At ESPN
I'm sure everyone has seen something about it now, but ESPN cut bait on Bill Simmons. As a long-time reader, I think this pretty much sucks, even if SImmons annoyed me more often than not.
Maybe I've got the tinfoil hat on, but I think the NFL was pushing ESPN to do this. Simmons keeps needling them and the NFL (Goodell) is a totalitarian outfit. You are not allowed to be a rights holder and criticize from any platform. Simmons clearly didn't care about that, since he criticized Goodell on nearly everything that's gone down the past year.
That said, Simmons has basically stopped being a columnist, which is what people want from him. There's something on Deadspin about his podcasts not making any money, but if that's true, it's on ESPN for being terrible at marketing the product.
I've seen people suggest this hurts Simmons's leverage, but I don't believe that will be the case. When the Colts cut Manning, there were still teams waiting to back up the trucks of money for him. Fox, NBC and CBS would all jump at the chance to get him on board.
- artie_fufkin
- Administrator
Offline
- From: God's Little Acre
- Registered: 9/08/2010
- Posts: 22,429
Re: Bill Simmons Out At ESPN
I have to admit I've never understood Simmons' appeal. The 30 for 30 series is quite good, but all he really did was come up with the concept. It's like giving Alexander Graham Bell credit for the iPhone.
- tkihshbt
- Scott Rolen
Offline
- Registered: 9/07/2010
- Posts: 7,244
Re: Bill Simmons Out At ESPN
artie_fufkin wrote:
I have to admit I've never understood Simmons' appeal. The 30 for 30 series is quite good, but all he really did was come up with the concept. It's like giving Alexander Graham Bell credit for the iPhone.
Most likely a generational thing. I would bet most of his fans were born between 1975-1990.
Last edited by tkihshbt (5/08/2015 7:08 pm)
- •
Thread Starter- artie_fufkin
- Administrator
Offline
- From: God's Little Acre
- Registered: 9/08/2010
- Posts: 22,429
Re: Bill Simmons Out At ESPN
I have to admit I've never understood Simmons' appeal. The 30 for 30 series is quite good, but all he really did was come up with the concept. It's like giving Alexander Graham Bell credit for the iPhone.
Most likely a generational thing. I would bet most of his fans were born between 1975-1990.
A lot of his references are about Celtics teams I watched. The part I don't get is why most of his stuff is in the context of his own experience. I really don't care about how much he enjoyed watching the '86 NBA finals with his dad. So did I, but I've never felt compelled to write 5,000 words about it.
- tkihshbt
- Scott Rolen
Offline
- Registered: 9/07/2010
- Posts: 7,244
Re: Bill Simmons Out At ESPN
A lot of his references are about Celtics teams I watched. The part I don't get is why most of his stuff is in the context of his own experience. I really don't care about how much he enjoyed watching the '86 NBA finals with his dad. So did I, but I've never felt compelled to write 5,000 words about it.
Yeah, I can definitely see how someone would be annoyed at that style of writing.
- •
Thread Starter- artie_fufkin
- Administrator
Offline
- From: God's Little Acre
- Registered: 9/08/2010
- Posts: 22,429
Re: Bill Simmons Out At ESPN
A lot of his references are about Celtics teams I watched. The part I don't get is why most of his stuff is in the context of his own experience. I really don't care about how much he enjoyed watching the '86 NBA finals with his dad. So did I, but I've never felt compelled to write 5,000 words about it.
Yeah, I can definitely see how someone would be annoyed at that style of writing.
It's very Northeast-y to look through the world only from your own prism, especially if you're from New York City. Before McGwire admitted to using steroids, Mike Lupica wrote a book about the chase for the home run record in 1998. It was all done in first person, with him comparing his relationship with his children with the way he and his father were immersed in the 1961 home run record chase between Maris and Mantle. I expected some insight from a writer who had access to the athletes, and instead I got yarns about how Lupica would leave notes reading "McGwire hit two; Sosa hit one last night" for his children on the breakfast table before he left for work. It was a very disappointing read, but I should have known better. I had seen Lupica on TV before and was aware he made everything about him.
Last edited by artie_fufkin (5/09/2015 12:36 pm)
- tkihshbt
- Scott Rolen
Offline
- Registered: 9/07/2010
- Posts: 7,244
Re: Bill Simmons Out At ESPN
You should seek out the oral history of "The National." Lupica was not liked by his colleagues and wasn't cooperative with the author. Not very shocking.
Will Leitch wrote a really good book a few years ago about his father and baseball. If you can stomach reliving the 2008 Cubs and a game where Felipe Lopez batted cleanup behind Pujols, it's a good read. It reminded me of how baseball was a bond between my dad and I, except his dad was a slave driver who drank beer while making a two-hour drive to Busch Stadium every Sunday.
- •
Thread Starter