Bill Simmons' new site

[Steak Snabler]

is TheRinger.com:

Bill Simmons unveils new site's name: The Ringer

Will start as an email newsletter in March, then launch as a full site in late spring/early summer.

 

[Donny in his element]

 

[TigerVols]

Is that art legit? Is he really going the Special Olympics route?

 

[Donny in his element]

Is that art legit? Is he really going the Special Olympics route?

Y'know, I see the resemblance.

http://www.thestar.com/content/***/thestar/sports/2015/05/08/bill-simmons-espn-to-part-ways/bill-simmons.jpg

 

[YankeeFan]

 

[jackfinarelli]

If he is really "getting the band back together" from Grantland.com. I will definitely be checking in regularly.

 

[Steak Snabler]

Most of the hires so far are behind the scenes people, but I did see where he hired Bryan Curtis, which is pretty awesome.

 

[CD Boogie]

Be interesting to see how much traffic they do without the benefit of being on the front page of ESPN.com. Even placed there, Grantland didn't get nearly the foot traffic you would have expected. Simmons is definitely entertaining on his podcasts, but TV is not his medium and he never looked comfortable. Admire his decision to shift gears and try new stuff, but unless he's writing a lot for the site -- and it doesn't seem like he will be -- I wonder how we're going to be drawn to the site. I hope they have a daily crossword puzzle.

 

[John]

Simmons has argued that they they were almost never on the front page of ESPN.com, which was part of the problem.

He talks about starting The Ringer in the first 10 minutes of his most recent podcast.

 

[Chef2]

If he is really "getting the band back together" from Grantland.com. I will definitely be checking in regularly.

You've lost your ****ing mind.

 

[jackfinarelli]

Sorry ... but I enjoyed reading much of the sports-related content on Grantland. The "pop-culture stuff" was not nearly as interesting to me, but it was easy to ignore. If Bill Simmons can accrete a critical mass of the "sports-content producers" from Grantland, I will visit the site and enjoy it. Your mileage may vary...

 

[Baron Scicluna]

I wonder where creating this new site falls on the Vengeance Scale?

 

[wicked]

Simmons has argued that they they were almost never on the front page of ESPN.com, which was part of the problem.

Technically, that's incorrect -- there was a dedicated Grantland well on the page.

Now, was Grantland stuff played up highly on the site? No.

 

[LongTimeListener]

Bill Simmons is preparing an all-out assault on ESPN over podcast ban

Bill Simmons: I’m glad you mentioned that. You know why I can’t have Brian Windhorst on? Because ESPN won’t let anyone from ESPN come on my podcast, which is fine, but it’s just laying down the ground rules for what is going to unfold over the next few years. It could have been friendly and it’s not going to be friendly.

Joe House: It’s already unfriendly.

BS: It’s going to be more unfriendly.

JH: I’m excited to see how unfriendly it can get.

BS: Just wait until The Ringer hires a public editor for ESPN, that writes for The Ringer. That’s going to get very unfriendly.

 

[CD Boogie]

His site shares the same name as a movie where Johnny Knoxville goes full retard to play sports. Sorry, but shots fired by The Ringer is the height of unintentional comedy. The only time I hear anything about Simmons nowadays is when he's bitching about ESPN, so maybe he should hire a full-time person to lob grenades at them.

 

[LongTimeListener]

Sounds like he's going to.

 

[BYH 2: Electric Boogaloo]

What a little brat. Dude is 47. Time to act it.

 

[Michael_ Gee]

Bill has been an amazingly smart businessman in his career, and by all accounts is a wonderful boss. But if I were working for Ringer, and it is a terrible name, I would definitely suggest to my wonderful boss that like his fantasy team, nobody gives a **** about his beef with ESPN. It's a real blunder.

 

[Steak Snabler]

In Simmons' defense, Dan Patrick has had the same issue with booking ESPN talent for his radio show. He couldn't have Rich Eisen on when Eisen was still with ESPN. Now that Eisen is on NFL Network, he's a regular guest.

 

[sgreenwell]

Bill has been an amazingly smart businessman in his career, and by all accounts is a wonderful boss. But if I were working for Ringer, and it is a terrible name, I would definitely suggest to my wonderful boss that like his fantasy team, nobody gives a **** about his beef with ESPN. It's a real blunder.

A good part of Deadspin's rise has been their continual ****ting on ESPN. So, I think there's plenty of appetite for that.