New Bill Simmons Show On HBO

[Husky25]

Mostly agree - Page 2 (even prior to that) was when I most religiously read his stuff - Grantland I didn't hate as much as it just didn't interest me at all... And same for the Ringer. As for his show, I'll tune in for one if I have nothing better to do just to give it a go... But I'm largely over Simmons at this point.

I used to read Simmons and some others on Page 2 religiously (Rob Neyer, Jonah Keri, Jim Caple, Jeff Merron). He would have 3 columns a week and they were great. I even watched those cheesy Eye of the Sports Guy cartoons. Then something happened and it seemed to coincide with the Red Sox winning the World Series in 2004. Simmons was already in Los Angeles by then and falling out of touch with why I originally read him. His content didn't so much decrease, but changed platform and medium. I'm all for one expanding their horizons, but I think Simmons spread himself too thin. Too fast.

ESPN dot com changed and Simmons only did a couple "columns (one was invariably a mailbag)" and one of those columns was un-Simmons-esquely short because it had to fit on the back page of ESPN the Magazine. I started to turn on him when his column became overly NBA-centric and he landed on ESPN's TV coverage thereof. That was right about the time of his Big Book of Basketball, IIRC.

Simmons podcasts were a nice length and I could fit most inside my commute time, so I still downloaded and listened to his podcasts. and I'm happy I did, because it was on his podcast that I learned that the Adam Carolla podcast was starting. Its hard to get back into Simmons now. He been trying to increase his edginess, but I think it is far too forced. Plus the Carolla show (and sometimes the adimeback podcast) takes up most of my commutes. There is not enough time to listen to all the shows I want to.

 

[ZooCougar]

I stopped paying attention to him when Page 2 went away. At some point I get annoyed when writers think they are more important than what they are writing about, as if some long form profile piece is like a Picasso or a Monet. It just seems pretentious.

 

[CTMike]

I stopped paying attention to him when Page 2 went away. At some point I get annoyed when writers think they are more important than what they are writing about, as if some long form profile piece is like a Picasso or a Monet. It just seems pretentious.

Like binding up all your blog posts and selling it as a collectors book? Lol

 

[ZooCougar]

Like binding up all your blog posts and selling it as a collectors book? Lol

Back in the day, before Twitter it seems like what we call "articles" now we called three paragraphs. Now we call articles "longform" as if an 8 page article on some music critic in Hawai'i who likes to surf is so amazing and important.

 

[UC1985]

I really enjoyed Bill Simmons early stuff, page 2 and whatnot.. The mailbags were great, but honestly when the dude started being on TV and I realized he was a major dork I lost interest. Then when he was on the NBA roundtable stuff with literally no experience whatsoever he jumped the shark bigtime. I had read that Doug Collins wanted nothing to do with him on there and begged off of it because Simmons was a fanboy and not an analyst. Then the HBO show, what a loser.. I root against him fervently.

 

[Letsgohuskies11]

I really enjoyed Bill Simmons early stuff, page 2 and whatnot.. The mailbags were great, but honestly when the dude started being on TV and I realized he was a major dork I lost interest. Then when he was on the NBA roundtable stuff with literally no experience whatsoever he jumped the shark bigtime. I had read that Doug Collins wanted nothing to do with him on there and begged off of it because Simmons was a fanboy and not an analyst. Then the HBO show, what a loser.. I root against him fervently.

I've always kinda despised him and cousin sal for poking fun at Uconn, Simmons grew up as a little spoiled rich kid