I've followed Jonah Keri for years on Twitter, and maybe no one is more down to riff with you on some joke. Seems a thoroughly decent guy. Interesting he hasn't responded to that very friendly joke that points out "you're ripping me off!"
Yeah, I had assumed it was just a shitty joke that landed awkwardly, but the radio silence from both of them, along with Ley's "extreme confidence" after, I assume, he would've contacted Keri for the Deadspin piece, make me think otherwise.I've followed Jonah Keri for years on Twitter, and maybe no one is more down to riff with you on some joke. Seems a thoroughly decent guy. Interesting he hasn't responded to that very friendly joke that points out "you're ripping me off!"
Also, Lynn Johnson's transgressions are anything but slight.God dammit JMOH. You couldn't have made a bigger error. Probably the biggest error you've ever made. The FBOFW is in Omar is Dead. I'll never believe anything you ever write now.
Which is why, I wrote:Well Deadspin has never, ever had anything against Simmons, so they should totally be believed 100 percent.
But at the same time, Simmons has a professional skin as thick as a tissue; which is why it's semi-believable that he would throw a shitfit over this.I mean, Deadspin is always on Simmons' ass for something so take it for what it's worth
Agreed, this feels real at least for the moment.the radio silence from both of them, along with Ley's "extreme confidence" after, I assume, he would've contacted Keri for the Deadspin piece, make me think otherwise.
Yeah, my bad that wasn't directed really at you. More at DD for insinuating that because Ley is "100 percent sure" we should believe it was a shoot and not a joke.Which is why, I wrote:
But at the same time, Simmons has a professional skin as thick as a tissue; which is why it's semi-believable that he would throw a shitfit over this.
Might want to read what he wrote again.Yeah, my bad that wasn't directed really at you. More at DD for insinuating that because Ley is "100 percent sure" we should believe it was a shoot and not a joke.
I know Deadspin's history with Simmons, but- and I ask this sincerely, because I don't know if Deadspin writers typically follow journalism 101 protocol- don't you think Ley would have contacted Keri for the story? Assuming he would have, the "extreme confidence" line sticks out.Yeah, my bad that wasn't directed really at you. More at DD for insinuating that because Ley is "100 percent sure" we should believe it was a shoot and not a joke.
I think ascribing any kind of journalistic integrity to Deadspin at this point is a joke. They are basically a blog now. That site has gone to shit/click bait level. Given their hard on for Simmons, I find no reason to buy Ley's take on it.I know Deadspin's history with Simmons, but- and I ask this sincerely, because I don't know if Deadspin writers typically follow journalism 101 protocol- don't you think Ley would have contacted Keri for the story? Assuming he would have, the "extreme confidence" line sticks out.
Also, there's no way Simmons doesn't know he's catching heat for this, both from industry colleagues and the unwashed interwebs masses generally. Given my impression of Simmons as thin-skinned, I would think he would've clarified that he was joking as soon as the pitchforks started coming out, but he's been active on Twitter since then and hasn't addressed it. That's a bit strange to me too. I dunno, the only reason it even reads like a joke is because it's so jarringly obnoxious that it's hard to believe he'd publish it in earnest. But god knows I've made my fair share of these. (My wife is nodding somewhere right now, hi-yo!)
And now I've spent more time thinking about this than is reasonably warranted.
You know, plus the fact that people have been doing trade value rankings since forever. I don't know if Simmons has just forgotten who he stole the idea from, or if he just independently came on the idea cause it's such an obvious idea that half of sports fans have independently arrived at it, but either way, there's no "ownership" here.If it's not a joke (and it now appears at least plausible that it's not), I don't understand Simmons' point. Jonah either has a right to write these columns or he's violating ESPN IP. Simmons has no rights to Grantland content produced by other former Grantland writers.
Good God.EDIT - former Grantlander just emailed me to tell me Simmons wasn't joking, and that Simmons has had beef with Dave Cameron for years over the same thing.
Simmons thinks that getting on a roll in Vegas with all his buddies and then losing it all to some weird looking guy at the table is something that has only happened to him.You know, plus the fact that people have been doing trade value rankings since forever. I don't know if Simmons has just forgotten who he stole the idea from, or if he just independently came on the idea cause it's such an obvious idea that half of sports fans have independently arrived at it, but either way, there's no "ownership" here.
Good God.
Remember that time Simmons ran a letters column column like David Letterman? Or a gambling column like Dave Kindred? Or started using footnotes like DFW?
Get real, Bill. Jonah even gave you a hat tip in the column. What more do you need? a TM?
Who's the fucking idiot now?Only a fucking idiot would think Bill was serious for his tweet at Keri.l.
Or created a TV show called After the Thrones. Very original idea.Good God.
Remember that time Simmons ran a letters column column like David Letterman? Or a gambling column like Dave Kindred? Or started using footnotes like DFW?
Get real, Bill. Jonah even gave you a hat tip in the column. What more do you need? a TM?
maybe Andy Cohen and Embassy Row passed?Or created a TV show called After the Thrones. Very original idea.
God dammit JMOH. You couldn't have made a bigger error. Probably the biggest error you've ever made. The FBOFW is in Omar is Dead. I'll never believe anything you ever write now.
Technically he's not a failure. The main forum that contains Omar is Dead is called P&G, with Pinsetting & Gutterballs as a subforum with Omar and others.I'm a failure.
Technically, we're all going to die so what's the point of living? He's a failure, he admitted as much, and I think we should consider leaving it there. JMOH has been the stalwart of the FBOFW thread. He's led the charge with hilarity and astute observations. And then he forgot where he lived.Technically he's not a failure. The main forum that contains Omar is Dead is called P&G, with Pinsetting & Gutterballs as a subforum with Omar and others.
P.S. This is make JMOH feel better, not to pick on you johnmd20.
From Karate Kid to Rashomon in 140 Characters: A Seminar on Interpreting the Sports Guy in Early 21st Century SoSHReading this thread on Simmons's tweet makes me think we, collectively, are at some kind of inflection point in how we communicate and what messages different people receive.
In terms of the history of technology and communication, it's a little like watching a major character in GoT die.
Now this should be the new thread title.From Karate Kid to Rashomon in 140 Characters: A Seminar on Interpreting the Sports Guy in Early 21st Century SoSH
Or at least an elective at Emerson.Now this should be the new thread title.
I was pretty on board with the joking idea but wow Bill as a pretty big defender of his this is pretty pretty pretty pathetic...You know, plus the fact that people have been doing trade value rankings since forever. I don't know if Simmons has just forgotten who he stole the idea from, or if he just independently came on the idea cause it's such an obvious idea that half of sports fans have independently arrived at it, but either way, there's no "ownership" here.
EDIT - former Grantlander just emailed me to tell me Simmons wasn't joking, and that Simmons has had beef with Dave Cameron for years over the same thing.
And here's a link to an old Simmons complaint about this with Cameron.
So true. Hope Bill stays away from the Deadspin comments. Some of those will leave a mark.There's no doubt that his initial tweet was not a joke.
This whole incident is going to make his already paper-mache-thin skin even thinner.
He's acting like a sullen douchebag and he's experienced enough in this field to know better.
Simmons could have made that tweet, thrown in a smiley face, and it would have been fine. But the fact that he hasn't clarified it was a joke is sad. Frankly, it's kind of pathetic.And he's alienating the very people that could help him stop or slow his downward slide. He's in a much less prestigious position now than he was just a year or so ago. Grantland was pretty well respected and enjoyable to read. That's gone. ESPN booted him. His TV show was a total bomb. He has a site now that no one seems to read. And here he is picking fights with a well-regarded guy who he used to work with, when the logical and decent thing to do would be to keep that relationship cordial so that he'll have help and resources if fortunes gives him a chance to improve his lot again.
But, like Schilling, Simmons can't help himself. And it's only going to hurt his career.
No doubt. I wonder if Jonah would have balls enough to tell him 'yeah, I'm busy' and let Bill twist in the wind for a while.If he's smart, he's reaching out to Jonah Keri to do a podcast together to bury the hatchet, like he did with Collinsworth.
Recall this moment that ESPN made him wait a whole 7 minutes into the postgame before passing him the mic, in which he also made a big deal about it publicly rather than going about it the right way:Even for him, I'm kinda shocked this turned out to be legit.
Which member of this year's MLB rookie class is most like a character from Goodfellas?If I were Keri I would start rolling out these columns on a weekly basis. A 'Retrospective 2008 MLB trade value assessment' and shit like that.
Simmons could have made that tweet, thrown in a smiley face, and it would have been fine. But the fact that he hasn't clarified it was a joke is sad. Frankly, it's kind of pathetic.
I think a Mike Trout/Teen Wolf comparison is at least in order.Which member of this year's MLB rookie class is most like a character from Goodfellas?