Bill Simmons' new site

Or this is performance art and we can anticipate a walk-on by Joaquin Phoenix. Radio silence from both parties leads me to believe that Bill wasn't joking. He really comes off small with that swipe.

 

Does Dave Lozo post here? He should.

2017 Top 20 NHL Trade Value Player Rankings

 

Richard Deitsch mentioned Simmons-Keri in his column (tacked onto the end of the Q&A with Ponder) and said that as far as he can tell, Simmons was serious. He also got "no-commented" from Keri.

Q&A: Sam Ponder discusses Sunday NFL Countdown gig

 

Simmons didn't respond with even a no comment. So, yup, he was serious and really comes off looking like a dink here.

 

If ESPN wasn't struggling so much, I'd say they were doing quite well with the Ewing Theory, that is, if I was allowed to say it.

 

I understand that you can take both sides -- ie Simmons came up with the idea to rank that particular way and ie people rank shit all the time, you don't get to copyright lists.

The thing that is kinda stupid in this instance is that Keri put in the article that Simmons is the basis for the setup. It's one thing to tout something as your "own" when riffing off another but he credited Simmons, and has in the past when doing the same setup last year.

 

At first I thought this was a work between the two former Grantland colleagues (which in wrestling parlance is a staged fight for the amusement of the audience). I now believe that Keri, at least, believed Simmons was serious. It’s up to you as the reader to determine where you stand regarding what right another writer has to use such a concept. In his introductory piece, Keri credited Simmons for coming up with the concept.

I did hear back from Keri. He said, “I totally appreciate your reporting here. But I have to very politely decline to comment. Thank you again for inquiring, and all the best.”
*
What a derpy response.

 

As has been noted, Keri wrote the same piece for SI last year and Simmons didn't say shit. The Ringer didn't launch until June October, however.

So I think it's less about "stealing Simmons' idea" than it was about potentially stepping on something similar The Ringer's MLB guy (Michael Baumann?) might have had planned.

 

Guy at Forbes says Simmons can and should return to ESPN when his deal with HBO is up in July 2018.

The Case For Prodigal Son Bill Simmons Returning To ESPN In 2018

Notable is that the guy doesn't at all address the chief reason Simmons left in the first place: his criticism of Goodell and the NFL. Pretty sure ESPN's relationship with the Shield is more important than any reunion with Simmons -- and by about a million fold.

 

Not sure what Simmons returning to ESPN would do for ESPN except maybe help their podcast network get more downloads. But he's proven he sucks on camera and 30 for 30 seems to be clicking right along without him. And Grantland wasn't making the parent company a ton of money either.

That said, if Keith Olbermann can come back to ESPN not once but twice, God knows Simmons can.

 

I listen to podcasts in the morning as I slow-walk my cross trainer. I have been trying the Ringer podcasts. I thought the Grantland podcasts were great but the Ringer podcasts are terrible. The Pro Football and the NBA podcasts ramble on and on. For example, the NFL podcast was a one hour tribute to Tony Romo retiring. Romo had a nice career but I believe that to be over the top.