The Bill Simmons Thread

ifmanis5

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Papelbon's Poutine said:
I hope this moves gives him some inspiration, but God I hate the pilgrimage to podcasts over sitting down and typing. It's lazy and sloppy and frankly I could read a transcript of a podcast in less than half the time it takes to watch it.
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Get used to it. On today's pod with House he quoted Tony Kornheiser's line of 'my hands don't work anymore,' meaning he is done typing. I don't think it's a loss either, he was clearly burnt out as a writer; he'd said all he could say, was out of ideas and out of new ways to express them. The podcasts are much more in his wheelhouse now.
 
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ifmanis5 said:
Get used to it. On today's pod with House he quoted Tony Kornheiser's line of 'my hands don't work anymore,' meaning he is done typing. I don't think it's a loss either, he was clearly burnt out as a writer; he'd said all he could say, was out of ideas and out of new ways to express them. The podcasts are much more in his wheelhouse now.
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Seriously. Simmons hasn't written well in years. Many many years. It's no lose, he's moved onto other things.
 
Clears Cleaver

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I said this two years ago. Why would he ever write again? No one gets paid to write, unless it's a book. Simmons makes more in one podcast than he would writing three columns a week for a month.
 
Papelbon's Poutine

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My comment wasn't specific to him as much as it was just kind of a general statement about media in general these days. I know it's a personal preference, but I tend to read articles while also doing something else - watching TV, cooking, listening to music, etc. I don't really care to devote my undivided attention for 30-45 minutes to a podcast, I don't generally drive long enough distances to listen to them in the car, and I don't care to listen to them in segments. I fully understand the dynamics involved, they make more money, it's easier and quicker for them, they aren't held to as high a standard for accuracy, etc.  
 
It works for a lot of people, just not for me. Even beyond podcasts, there's a dozen headlines a week that I click on and when it's a video instead of print, I click out of it. I'm aware that's where everything is headed, it just strikes me as incredibly ADHD. That's all I meant. 
 
PBDWake

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I do wonder why you consider it to be "incredibly ADHD" when you're talking about reading articles while watching tv or cooking or something else. I'm a voracious podcast consumer because it's the same for me. I listen at work, the only difference is the media is flipped. My work is in print/on my computer, and the podcast is the audio stimulus.

There are a lot of reasons why podcasts are becoming the method of choice for a lot of people, and I honestly believe that a lot of people's feelings on it are just because newspapers were first. It's not a decline in content or intelligence any more than the advent of blogs were one for the top end of print media. Sure, there are a million and one voices out there, and the million might be idiots, but they were always there, you just couldn't hear them.

The best podcasts exist alongside print media as complementary pieces. To educate myself on something, I'd rather have the facts laid out in front of me for me to peruse and reference back on as I need to. But for opinion pieces? Podcasters are audio columnists, often with secondary voices involved. It's nice to have a medium where a) someone like Wesley Morris doesn't have to cut 3 additional paragraphs from his article he felt were significant to make a word count, and b) there's often a voice to call out when someone is being stupid, as opposed to the one sided lecturing most newspaper opinion pieces are.
 
jimbobim

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Papelbon's Poutine said:
I hope this moves gives him some inspiration, but God I hate the pilgrimage to podcasts over sitting down and typing. It's lazy and sloppy and frankly I could read a transcript of a podcast in less than half the time it takes to watch it.
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Was going to post some solid self- awareness and this post is the perfect intro to it. BS seems to have realized he got too big to guarantee quality across all areas.
 
Personally, I think leaving is causing him to more acutely look at what he himself if producing and creating content wise. It has resulted in more volume which is nice I would say. Hopefully he remains attentive to quality we'll see. 
 
“I still have to figure out where I’m going to write and how much I’m going to write,” he said. “The last couple years, I was trying to do too many things. I was able to do them, but when I finally left, it took a couple of months to recover from them. You step away, and you’re just like, Wow, this is great. I’m just going to to go the movies. Not working is really fun.”
 
http://awfulannouncing.com/2015/the-grantland-exodus-to-bill-simmons-has-reportedly-begun.html 
 
Clears Cleaver

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Papelbon's Poutine said:
My comment wasn't specific to him as much as it was just kind of a general statement about media in general these days. I know it's a personal preference, but I tend to read articles while also doing something else - watching TV, cooking, listening to music, etc. I don't really care to devote my undivided attention for 30-45 minutes to a podcast, I don't generally drive long enough distances to listen to them in the car, and I don't care to listen to them in segments. I fully understand the dynamics involved, they make more money, it's easier and quicker for them, they aren't held to as high a standard for accuracy, etc.  
 
It works for a lot of people, just not for me. Even beyond podcasts, there's a dozen headlines a week that I click on and when it's a video instead of print, I click out of it. I'm aware that's where everything is headed, it just strikes me as incredibly ADHD. That's all I meant. 
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yes, its true. twitter, etc. I blame the Kardashians
 
Leather

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ifmanis5 said:
The Bill Simmons Podcast is already the #2 podcast on Apple's list (#1 is This American Life). I'm guessing he grabbed Klosterman and Lowe from G'Land as well. He'll not be writing any columns, just podcast and a show on HBO. I could possibly see a book from him since a publishing company would make him a great offer.
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Klosterman isn't beholden to, or the property of, Grantland in any way. That's like saying film producers "grabbed" Woody Allen from the New Yorker because he writes a humor piece every few years.

Klosterman's Grantland efforts are like 5% of his work.
 
nattysez

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Richard Dietsch from SI says the 4 staffers who left Grantland for Simmons are Sean Fennessey, Juliet Litman, Mallory Rubin and Chris Ryan. Editors all, I believe, which makes sense. Gotta build the infrastructure first.
 
Clears Cleaver

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Its likely that the writers and contributors will not be part of Simmons' online project, but treated more like freelancers. ESPN paid a lot for those folk and I'm guessing that whomever is underwriting the new venture will not want to fork over the cash right away
 
The Social Chair

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Fierman and Fennessey leaving is truly the end of the Simmons version of Grantland.

I bet ESPN starts to phase out the pop culture side of Grantland.
 
Spacemans Bong

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I'm listening to Simmons' Klosterman podcast and for fuck's sake, I want to punch Bill in the cock.

Klosterman says he basically has zero interest in baseball these days after being a big Twins fan back in the day and having a Mike Schmidt poster on his wall. He's just about to go into some long thought on why baseball doesn't fit the modern American cultural zeitgeist or whatever and Simmons interrupts him with a retarded beard joke, the whole conversation shifts to beards, and then Simmons reads an ad from Stamps.com.

I REALLY WANTED TO HEAR KLOSTERMAN TALK ABOUT THAT, BILL. SHUT THE FUCK UP.
 
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Spacemans Bong said:
I'm listening to Simmons' Klosterman podcast and for fuck's sake, I want to punch Bill in the cock.

Klosterman says he basically has zero interest in baseball these days after being a big Twins fan back in the day and having a Mike Schmidt poster on his wall. He's just about to go into some long thought on why baseball doesn't fit the modern American cultural zeitgeist or whatever and Simmons interrupts him with a retarded beard joke, the whole conversation shifts to beards, and then Simmons reads an ad from Stamps.com.

I REALLY WANTED TO HEAR KLOSTERMAN TALK ABOUT THAT, BILL. SHUT THE FUCK UP.
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I have no idea how Simmons is going to pull off a TV show where he's the star. This could be The Magic Show-level bad. 
 
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nattysez said:
Richard Dietsch from SI says the 4 staffers who left Grantland for Simmons are Sean Fennessey, Juliet Litman, Mallory Rubin and Chris Ryan. Editors all, I believe, which makes sense. Gotta build the infrastructure first.
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https://twitter.com/julietlitman/status/653623436401594373

And Dave Jacoby is gone to ESPN Radio. Grantland will be dead before The Undefeated at this rate.
 
ifmanis5

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Spacemans Bong said:
I'm listening to Simmons' Klosterman podcast and for fuck's sake, I want to punch Bill in the cock.

Klosterman says he basically has zero interest in baseball these days after being a big Twins fan back in the day and having a Mike Schmidt poster on his wall. He's just about to go into some long thought on why baseball doesn't fit the modern American cultural zeitgeist or whatever and Simmons interrupts him with a retarded beard joke, the whole conversation shifts to beards, and then Simmons reads an ad from Stamps.com.

I REALLY WANTED TO HEAR KLOSTERMAN TALK ABOUT THAT, BILL. SHUT THE FUCK UP.
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Bill does this all the time with Chuck and Chris Connelly.
 
Just as the guest opens the door to an interesting idea, Bill is immediately closing it for a cheap laugh and off to another topic. It's infuriating. I remember he did this with Klosterman when Chuck made the point of 'no one cares about rock music anymore' when Chris Martin was filling in for Bono and Bill just yessed it and moved on. Wait! Go back! Sigh.
 
JBill

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I know this was inevitable after they axed Simmons, but Grantland dissolving before my eyes depresses me more than I thought. I hope they all find soft landing spots, with Simmons or elsewhere.
 
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JBill said:
I know this was inevitable after they axed Simmons, but Grantland dissolving before my eyes depresses me more than I thought. I hope they all find soft landing spots, with Simmons or elsewhere.
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Seriously some of my favorite podcasts are just evaporating before our eyes.
 
allstonite

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Wingack said:
 
Seriously some of my favorite podcasts are just evaporating before our eyes.
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Just in the past 2 weeks my rotation has lost Prince Movies, Food News, NBA After Dark, Hollywood Prospectus, and Firewall and Iceberg. People I don't know taking better jobs for themselves is killing my entertainment while at work. It's terrible.
 
I'm very interested to see what Simmons has up his sleeve. I'm wondering if it's just a podcast network like Carolla's or a Nerdist type place. Or maybe a Grantland 2.0 starting much smaller and more manageable since they no longer have ESPN/Disney financing it.
 
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allstonite said:
 
Just in the past 2 weeks my rotation has lost Prince Movies, Food News, NBA After Dark, Hollywood Prospectus, and Firewall and Iceberg. People I don't know taking better jobs for themselves is killing my entertainment while at work. It's terrible.
 
I'm very interested to see what Simmons has up his sleeve. I'm wondering if it's just a podcast network like Carolla's or a Nerdist type place. Or maybe a Grantland 2.0 starting much smaller and more manageable since they no longer have ESPN/Disney financing it.
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But wouldn't it still have the financial backing of HBO?
 
allstonite

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Maybe? We don't know much yet and that's why I'm curious. We don't know how much, if at all, HBO will be involved in whatever he has going on with Ryan, Litman etc. Or how much they'd be willing to sink into something that might not make them money. 
 
Jnai

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Grantland is more or less dead. Which is sad.
 
Some of my favorite sports content in 2015.
 
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jose melendez said:
If the Cheap Heat podcast goes away, I am going to lose my shit.
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I imagine they will find a new landing spot, Feral Audio with WeWatchWreslitng maybe?
 
EDIT: Assuming they get forced out/leave. I'd also assume Simmons would want a wrestling pod on any network he comes up with.
 
allstonite

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jose melendez said:
If the Cheap Heat podcast goes away, I am going to lose my shit.
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I think they're safe for now. Shoemaker just renewed with Grantland I believe and Rosenberg is starting to do a bunch more with ESPN radio lately. 
 
Kliq

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FYI I have a wrestling podcast coming out soon and everyone should totally listen to it.
 
JBill

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Simmons mentioned in his podcast today that a Grantland podcast was edited to cut out goodbyes to the departing editors. Rembert (@rembert) tweeted earlier that it was Barnwell and Mays on the football podcast. What is the point of this exactly other than ESPN being petty?

Cousin Sal then asked Simmons which Grantland writers he would have liked to have but couldn't get? They both crack up and Simmons says "we'll see how this goes." So I assume he's working to get more.
 
jimbobim

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JBill said:
Simmons mentioned in his podcast today that a Grantland podcast was edited to cut out goodbyes to the departing editors. Rembert (@rembert) tweeted earlier that it was Barnwell and Mays on the football podcast. What is the point of this exactly other than ESPN being petty?

Cousin Sal then asked Simmons which Grantland writers he would have liked to have but couldn't get? They both crack up and Simmons says "we'll see how this goes." So I assume he's working to get more.
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Zach Lowe would presumably be the top guy he'd like to poach. 
 
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jimbobim said:
Zach Lowe would presumably be the top guy he'd like to poach. 
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Depends on how the site will be slanted. Rembert actually seems like the better get to me if it's not a pure sports site. He can write about sports from a columnist perspective, and he's much more useful during the offseason and on pop culture and just good writing in general. Lowe is probably the most respected name that could get poached, but I love me some Rembert, 
 
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PBDWake said:
 
Depends on how the site will be slanted. Rembert actually seems like the better get to me if it's not a pure sports site. He can write about sports from a columnist perspective, and he's much more useful during the offseason and on pop culture and just good writing in general. Lowe is probably the most respected name that could get poached, but I love me some Rembert, 
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I wonder how it would go if they got Greenwald. Would Greenwald be in a weird spot where he wouldn't write negative critiques of HBO shows? He criticizes ABC shows but he is pretty far removed from that.
 
StuckOnYouk

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That would have fascinating stuff. 
 
Also, according to Francesa, radio would not be able to afford a Mike and the Mad Dog reunion. 
 
jimbobim

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I've been really enjoying the podcasts.
 
The last one with Wasserman was a pretty enlightening listening, but when discussing Wasserman's clients Bill notes that Hanley is a client and says "O i guess we won't go there" and Wasserman immediately agrees. I mean throughout the whole pod,especially when talking NBA FA and rep, Wasserman sheds some light where he can and acknowledges where he can't. Would have been interesting and informative to get a sentence or two on Hanley especially with regards to the injury/DL decision nonsense throughout last year. 
 
Clears Cleaver

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Wasserman was great, really enlightening. I took the Hanley comment as "let's not bring it up, he was awful for your team" more than "he's gonna be traded and we can't talk about that." Although there may be part of both reasons there.
 
The LA stuff, the Olympics, the NBA
 
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