Does this put all future Bill Simmons criticism in a certain context?

[The Good Doctor]

In today's column, there is the following passage:

Here's a typical e-mail, courtesy of Roger in San Diego: "Have you ever heard Philip Rivers use the F-word? Have you ever met anybody who ever heard Philip Rivers use the F-word? Didn't think so. Your statement that Philip Rivers would be pacing the sidelines yelping out F-bombs is unfair, and quite frankly, nothing less than irresponsible journalism. It's almost as though you feel you have carte blanche to just make things up and put them in print."

Irresponsible journalism? Who said I was a journalist?

What do you think?

 

[buckweaver]

Not sure why anyone would believe he was a journalist anyway.

 

[Johnny Dangerously]

In today's column, there is the following passage:

Here's a typical e-mail, courtesy of Roger in San Diego: "Have you ever heard Philip Rivers use the F-word? Have you ever met anybody who ever heard Philip Rivers use the F-word? Didn't think so. Your statement that Philip Rivers would be pacing the sidelines yelping out F-bombs is unfair, and quite frankly, nothing less than irresponsible journalism. It's almost as though you feel you have carte blanche to just make things up and put them in print."

Irresponsible journalism? Who said I was a journalist?

What do you think?

Well, who did?

 

[SF_Express]

We've been talking about this for a while on these threads. These labels don't really mean that much. He's not a journalist; he does what he does, for better or worse.

 

[The Good Doctor]

Not sure why anyone would believe he was a journalist anyway.

That's the thing. Sometimes, he acts like he is and expects to be treated/respected as one. (In my opinion.)

 

[slappy4428]

Not sure why anyone would believe he was a journalist anyway.

That's the thing. Sometimes, he acts like he is and expects to be treated/respected as one. (In my opinion.)

Probably right...

 

[Beaker]

I think he knows he's not a journalist in any typical sense, but the problem is that (as evidenced by the email) the average reader takes him as one.

 

[Joe Williams]

Not sure why anyone would believe he was a journalist anyway.

That's the thing. Sometimes, he acts like he is and expects to be treated/respected as one. (In my opinion.)

Remind me: Just how are we journalists respected, again?

 

[fishwrapper]

This doesn't mean anything...
But, columnists have -- forever -- had a schtick. Then been able to turn it off for a serious or compelling piece. Not to say Simmons is effective in doing either, but just a point.

 

[Some Guy]

Not sure why anyone would believe he was a journalist anyway.

That's the thing. Sometimes, he acts like he is and expects to be treated/respected as one. (In my opinion.)

When?

He's pretty much reveled in his "non-journalist" status since the day he started writing on the Interwebs.

 

[The Good Doctor]

Not sure why anyone would believe he was a journalist anyway.

That's the thing. Sometimes, he acts like he is and expects to be treated/respected as one. (In my opinion.)

When?

He's pretty much reveled in his "non-journalist" status since the day he started writing on the Interwebs.

I'm not going to scour through the seven years of Simmons archives on ESPN.com, but it has happened. I promise I'm not making it up.

Either way, it doesn't seem like too many people are interested in this topic, so whatever.

 

[93Devil]

Doc, it is a good point.

If Simmons does not consider himself a journalist, what would he call himself?

Does he ever ask a person a question? Yes. He has interviewed David Stern. He asked him questions for information that would be in a story.

So is a fair-weather journalist? He's not a journalist when he is wrong?

 

[Some Guy]

Doc, it is a good point.

If Simmons does not consider himself a journalist, what would he call himself?

Does he ever ask a person a question? Yes. He has interviewed David Stern. He asked him questions for information that would be in a story.

So is a fair-weather journalist? He's not a journalist when he is wrong?

I think "the fact that he has interviewed someone before" is a pretty loose qualification for calling someone a "journalist."

Simmons has always made a big deal about his non-journalist, outsider status. Some of you might be confusing "wanting to be treated like a journalist" with "wanting to be treated like a big shot."

I can think of examples of Simmons pulling the latter. Never the former.

 

[93Devil]

Doc, it is a good point.

If Simmons does not consider himself a journalist, what would he call himself?

Does he ever ask a person a question? Yes. He has interviewed David Stern. He asked him questions for information that would be in a story.

So is a fair-weather journalist? He's not a journalist when he is wrong?

I think "the fact that he has interviewed someone before" is a pretty loose qualification for calling someone a "journalist."

Simmons has always made a big deal about his non-journalist, outsider status. Some of you might be confusing "wanting to be treated like a journalist" with "wanting to be treated like a big shot."

I can think of examples of Simmons pulling the latter. Never the former.

Didn't he have a running radio or download thing where he interviewed guests?

I know it is loose, but if he is not a journalist, what do you call him? A personality?

 

[Johnny Dangerously]

After considering what many people say is the future of whatever it is we do (and even where it seems to be at some places now), I suspect we should start getting comfortable with having difficulty defining what to call ourselves. "Employed" might have to be sufficient in many cases.

 

[SockPuppet]

He considers himself a wri-tah, a stylist.

I consider him a ****tard blowhard.

 

[buckweaver]

There are many reasons to interview someone, and they don't all involve journalism.

There are many reasons to write, and they don't all involve journalism, either.

Applying journalism standards or ethics to non-journalists is not fair to journalists or non-journalists. But we do it all the time.

 

[Sneed]

How exactly did Bill Simmons get the job with ESPN in the first place?

 

[Double Down]

I get tired of correcting the Simmons fan bois here, and frankly, the state of the industry has made me less willing to get indignant about this kind of **** lately, but let me point out that the whole "Simmons has never tried to claim he's a journalist" meme is complete bull****, and it pisses me off whenever it gets trotted out.

Bill claims he's a journalist whenever it suits him. Off the top of my head, I can recall when he threw a little snit when he wasn't properly "credited" with "breaking" the story about Gary Payton getting traded to the Celtics a few years ago.

 

[bostonbred]

I wouldn't consider Simmons a journalist. I don't know him personally, but I highly doubt he does either or he's delusional.

I find him to be a pretty entertaining read. A little smug and very repetitive with the constant pop culture references. His jokes fall flat on occasion. But he has his large audience, although I understand he's not traditional so he'd get dumped on a site such as this one.

I will say his interviews with guys like David Stern are 10x better than any "journalist" ever does. He doesn't ask the same stale, obvious questions that most reporters would.