The Simmons Site

I can't get that link to work, Moddy, but here's another if that one stays down.

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/gameon/post/2011/04/bill-simmons-new-web-site-grantlandcom-launches-in-june/1

Site will be grantland.com.

I'm really excited for this site. It reminds me in some ways of byliner.com, although this will have ESPN's money behind it of course. But I think it will be a place for some really interesting writing and sounds like there will be some freelance opportunities as well.

When you type grantland.com into a search, you get this:

But if you click on it is the Simmons site, although it's still coming soon. I'm guessing a lucky family got a little cash from ESPN to give up the name?

 

I do genuinely admire Simmons' entrepreneurial skills and attitude and willingness to try and create new stuff. I fear that this site will contain many pieces of merit I just find too damn long to read.

 

Does this mean Billy is no longer feeling suffocated and unloved and unappreciated at ESPN and over the whole Boston Herald thing? Or no?

 

It now redirects to ... http://espn.go.com/espn/grantland/

I hope it works. I hope they do fantastic longform journalism. But invoking Rice's name seems a tad presumptuous.

 

Just finished Simmons' Book of Basketball. Very long read - think War and Peace - but extremely enlightening. Lots of laugh out loud lines, footnotes out the wazoo, and scores of genuine insights. The dude knows his pro hoops.

 

Eggers (who was actually there at the outset of ESPN the Magazine, correct?), Klosterman, Gladwell, Weinreb. Heavy hitters. But some different faces too on the original roster.

 

Except for the (literally) hundreds of errors, he TOTALLY knows his stuff.

 

Interesting list of writers. Wonder which ones have read Grantland Rice.

Simmons is the Jay Leno of this industry. He hired a bunch of Conans.

 

One encouraging thing about calling it Grantland is that they seem to be asking to be judged by a high standard. Unlike if they had called it, say, Morning Pizza.

 

Pro tip: If you want to work at Grantland, don't ever make fun of Lynn Hoppes.

http://deadspin.com/#!5796720/an-exclusive-interview-with-tommy-craggs-about-the-bill-simmons-grantland-project