Author Topic: Bill Simmons Leaving ESPN  (Read 36132 times)

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Re: Bill Simmons Leaving ESPN
« Reply #105 on: October 01, 2015, 04:56:30 PM »

Offline PhoSita

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ESPN also proved that the talking head as personality model doesn't make enough money to justify it.

Their most interesting content recently has been generated in that way, though. 

The B.S. Report and TMQ were my two favorite things on ESPN, and now the only writers at ESPN.com that I regularly read are the beat writers for the Boston teams (Edes and Reiss mostly), and Matthew Berry (their big fantasy sports personality / talking head).  The occasional Jackie Mac article, of course, gets read immediately.

I can do with less of the Skip Bayless / Stephen A. / Tony Kornheiser / Mike Wilbon stuff at ESPN, but that seems to be their bread and butter.  More bluster, less substance.
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Re: Bill Simmons Leaving ESPN
« Reply #106 on: October 01, 2015, 04:59:16 PM »

Offline D.o.s.

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I meant financially.

Incidentally, Jon Gruden is the highest paid on-air ESPN head.
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Re: Bill Simmons Leaving ESPN
« Reply #107 on: October 01, 2015, 05:04:12 PM »

Online Donoghus

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I meant financially.

Incidentally, Jon Gruden is the highest paid on-air ESPN head.

I think the whole "cutting the cord" movement has pushed them in that direction, also.  Not just the idea that the "talking head as personality model" doesn't work.  If ESPN wasn't having some financial issues attributable to cord cutting, I still think you'd most of the personalities there (Cowherd, Olberman, maybe still Simmons)


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Re: Bill Simmons Leaving ESPN
« Reply #108 on: October 01, 2015, 05:12:59 PM »

Offline LooseCannon

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what a tool

Care to elaborate?
very toolish to spend your first two shows taking childish and immature shots at not only your former employer but your former coworkers.  Also not the smartest thing in the world for a tv personality to do, making it even more toolish.

I think his target audience wants him to go after ESPN and mainstream sports media as much as Jon Stewart went after Fox News on The Daily Show.  It'd be a betrayal if he didn't take shots at ESPN, but he does need to be either informative or entertaining when he does it.
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Re: Bill Simmons Leaving ESPN
« Reply #109 on: October 01, 2015, 05:20:08 PM »

Offline Eddie20

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what a tool

Care to elaborate?
very toolish to spend your first two shows taking childish and immature shots at not only your former employer but your former coworkers.  Also not the smartest thing in the world for a tv personality to do, making it even more toolish.

I would rather him be honest in his feelings, like Cowherd has been, instead of hide them.

Re: Bill Simmons Leaving ESPN
« Reply #110 on: October 01, 2015, 05:25:16 PM »

Offline D.o.s.

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I meant financially.

Incidentally, Jon Gruden is the highest paid on-air ESPN head.

I think the whole "cutting the cord" movement has pushed them in that direction, also.  Not just the idea that the "talking head as personality model" doesn't work.  If ESPN wasn't having some financial issues attributable to cord cutting, I still think you'd most of the personalities there (Cowherd, Olberman, maybe still Simmons)

Sort of. For example, it's not a big secret that Grantland wasn't justifying it's cost (no slight on the writers + editors there, just a fact), and that it was largely being kept afloat because of Simmons's face/association. You see the same thing in a lot of other websites -- Sports on Earth just went through a big purge last year, and Vice Sports is a mess despite having a huge budgetary allowance to make it work -- but I think ESPN genuinely thought that things like Witlock's "Black Grantland" and Grantland proper would monetize the celebrity of their EIC's much more than they did.
At least a goldfish with a Lincoln Log on its back goin' across your floor to your sock drawer has a miraculous connotation to it.

Re: Bill Simmons Leaving ESPN
« Reply #111 on: October 01, 2015, 05:40:23 PM »

Online Donoghus

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what a tool

Care to elaborate?
very toolish to spend your first two shows taking childish and immature shots at not only your former employer but your former coworkers.  Also not the smartest thing in the world for a tv personality to do, making it even more toolish.

I think his target audience wants him to go after ESPN and mainstream sports media as much as Jon Stewart went after Fox News on The Daily Show.  It'd be a betrayal if he didn't take shots at ESPN, but he does need to be either informative or entertaining when he does it.

Simmons was doing this stuff in his Digital City Boston days in the late 90s.  He was always taking shots at talking heads.  I thought it was great.  Its not a new schtick for Simmons.  He just wasn't allowed to do it much (and certainly against fellow ESPNers) while at ESPN.

I'm glad he's doing it again. 


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Re: Bill Simmons Leaving ESPN
« Reply #112 on: October 01, 2015, 05:51:59 PM »

Offline D.o.s.

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what a tool

Care to elaborate?
very toolish to spend your first two shows taking childish and immature shots at not only your former employer but your former coworkers.  Also not the smartest thing in the world for a tv personality to do, making it even more toolish.

I think his target audience wants him to go after ESPN and mainstream sports media as much as Jon Stewart went after Fox News on The Daily Show.  It'd be a betrayal if he didn't take shots at ESPN, but he does need to be either informative or entertaining when he does it.

Simmons was doing this stuff in his Digital City Boston days in the late 90s.  He was always taking shots at talking heads.  I thought it was great.  Its not a new schtick for Simmons.  He just wasn't allowed to do it much (and certainly against fellow ESPNers) while at ESPN.

I'm glad he's doing it again.

There are several zeros at the end of his paycheck that make it a lot more of an act now, though. When your niche is 'everyday sports fan' and you're a millionaire, it's a little harder to swallow cognitively.

Not to begrudge him any success or downplay any of his accomplishments, of course.
At least a goldfish with a Lincoln Log on its back goin' across your floor to your sock drawer has a miraculous connotation to it.

Re: Bill Simmons Leaving ESPN
« Reply #113 on: October 01, 2015, 06:03:48 PM »

Online Donoghus

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what a tool

Care to elaborate?
very toolish to spend your first two shows taking childish and immature shots at not only your former employer but your former coworkers.  Also not the smartest thing in the world for a tv personality to do, making it even more toolish.

I think his target audience wants him to go after ESPN and mainstream sports media as much as Jon Stewart went after Fox News on The Daily Show.  It'd be a betrayal if he didn't take shots at ESPN, but he does need to be either informative or entertaining when he does it.

Simmons was doing this stuff in his Digital City Boston days in the late 90s.  He was always taking shots at talking heads.  I thought it was great.  Its not a new schtick for Simmons.  He just wasn't allowed to do it much (and certainly against fellow ESPNers) while at ESPN.

I'm glad he's doing it again.

There are several zeros at the end of his paycheck that make it a lot more of an act now, though. When your niche is 'everyday sports fan' and you're a millionaire, it's a little harder to swallow cognitively.

Not to begrudge him any success or downplay any of his accomplishments, of course.

True.  Just that trashing media is nothing new to Simmons.  Without the chains of the Mouse latched onto him anymore, hopefully we'll see more of it.   I thought it was one of the better things to read back in the DCB days.


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Re: Bill Simmons Leaving ESPN
« Reply #114 on: October 01, 2015, 06:39:15 PM »

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I doubt Simmons will bring much nudity to sports, possibly to the chagrin of some members here. So you shouldn't have to worry.

I'm pumped. ESPN carries on as a machine that dumps personalities once they establish too large of a voice and don't simply tow the company mantra. Meanwhile, Bill bypasses Sports Hell AKA Fox and goes somewhere that will let him work unfiltered.

Hilarious.  TP for the laugh.

Re: Bill Simmons Leaving ESPN
« Reply #115 on: October 01, 2015, 07:33:34 PM »

Offline LarBrd33

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Good to have Simmons back

Re: Bill Simmons Leaving ESPN
« Reply #116 on: October 01, 2015, 09:31:34 PM »

Offline Boris Badenov

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what a tool

Care to elaborate?
very toolish to spend your first two shows taking childish and immature shots at not only your former employer but your former coworkers.  Also not the smartest thing in the world for a tv personality to do, making it even more toolish.

I think his target audience wants him to go after ESPN and mainstream sports media as much as Jon Stewart went after Fox News on The Daily Show.  It'd be a betrayal if he didn't take shots at ESPN, but he does need to be either informative or entertaining when he does it.

Simmons was doing this stuff in his Digital City Boston days in the late 90s.  He was always taking shots at talking heads.  I thought it was great.  Its not a new schtick for Simmons.  He just wasn't allowed to do it much (and certainly against fellow ESPNers) while at ESPN.

I'm glad he's doing it again.

There are several zeros at the end of his paycheck that make it a lot more of an act now, though. When your niche is 'everyday sports fan' and you're a millionaire, it's a little harder to swallow cognitively.

Not to begrudge him any success or downplay any of his accomplishments, of course.

True.  Just that trashing media is nothing new to Simmons.  Without the chains of the Mouse latched onto him anymore, hopefully we'll see more of it.   I thought it was one of the better things to read back in the DCB days.

I always preferred Simmons as the well-informed but incredibly homer-ish Boston guy who happened to share almost every single sports and cultural experience with me (I grew up in Boston and am exactly the same age), to Simmons the guy who whines about the media.

Of course the whole Pats thing means those two are fairly inter-connected now, but I'd like to see more of the former and less of the latter from him.

Re: Bill Simmons Leaving ESPN
« Reply #117 on: October 10, 2015, 02:54:26 PM »

Offline LarBrd33

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http://www.complex.com/sports/2015/10/grantland-staffers-resign-bill-simmons

Quote
ESPN's recent high turnover rate continues with the resignation of four Grantland staffers. What's more? They're "highly regarded" and are leaving to join Bill Simmons, according to James Andrew Miller. The names of those staffers haven't been revealed.

Interesting.   I'm still a big fan of Simmons and loved Grantland.  Hopefully he builds something even better.

Re: Bill Simmons Leaving ESPN
« Reply #118 on: October 10, 2015, 03:09:43 PM »

Offline gift

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http://www.complex.com/sports/2015/10/grantland-staffers-resign-bill-simmons

Quote
ESPN's recent high turnover rate continues with the resignation of four Grantland staffers. What's more? They're "highly regarded" and are leaving to join Bill Simmons, according to James Andrew Miller. The names of those staffers haven't been revealed.

Interesting.   I'm still a big fan of Simmons and loved Grantland.  Hopefully he builds something even better.

I was kind of hoping this would happen.

Re: Bill Simmons Leaving ESPN
« Reply #119 on: October 10, 2015, 03:43:15 PM »

Offline Denis998

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I've actually not heard any of his basketball related podcasts. I have listened to the recent one he put out not too long ago; I couldn't bear to keep listening to it past the constant football betting talk and all. Some one please tell me that his basketball related stuff is in a different format.