Simmons vs. Rivers

[PaperClip529]

At what point does ESPN say "Enough is enough" with this Bill Simmons vs. Doc Rivers feud? It was cute on Thursday night but the ongoing spat can't be a good look for anybody involved, even ESPN's golden boy.

 

[LongTimeListener]

At what point? At the point people stop taking about it and starting message board threads and tuning in to see who says what next.

 

[wicked]

Doc is the one who keeps mentioning it. Doc seems to protest just a touch too much on this one. He brought it up on at least one, if not two, radio interviews in Boston this afternoon.

He needs to lay low for a while and stop jumping out in front of every mic trying to explain himself.

 

[Ace]

Maybe it's great timing for Doc to bash Simmons now if he really hates the guy.

Simmons does not come across well on TV, and he is being seen by many people who have never heard of him.

So Doc is bashing him when he is particularly vulnerable. Not that it will amount to a hill of beans.

 

[bumpy mcgee]

If Doc Rivers coaches any other team, his leaving doesn't even get mentioned by Simmons.

 

[JC]

If Doc Rivers coaches any other team, his leaving doesn't even get mentioned by Simmons.

Simmons is responding to Doc, not the other way around.

 

[bumpy mcgee]

If Doc Rivers coaches any other team, his leaving doesn't even get mentioned by Simmons.

Simmons is responding to Doc, not the other way around.

I'm talking the initial dust-up that led to Doc saying what he said.

 

[JC]

David khan, Elgin Baylor and a host of others would like a word.

 

[bumpy mcgee]

If you want to include GMs, I'm right there with you.

 

[Alma]

At what point? At the point people stop taking about it and starting message board threads and tuning in to see who says what next.

That answer is a little flippant. Simmons is suddenly calling Rivers by his birth name on Twitter and cursing. I'd say it's getting about time.

Simmons is acting, in this moment, at a standard somewhere below professional. Not that I'm that surprised. He's never had hedge and pull punches because he's never been a real beat writer.

 

[Boom_70]

At what point? At the point people stop taking about it and starting message board threads and tuning in to see who says what next.

That answer is a little flippant. Simmons is suddenly calling Rivers by his birth name on Twitter and cursing. I'd say it's getting about time.

Simmons is acting, in this moment, at a standard somewhere below professional. Not that I'm that surprised. He's never had hedge and pull punches because he's never been a real beat writer.

Simmons was unmasked on NBA pregame show. He is trying to gain back to credibility. He's a lightweight
fratboy that can't run with the big dogs.

 

[GidalKaiser]

Not that I'm that surprised. He's never had hedge and pull punches because he's never been a real beat writer.

Here we go again with the "you're not a beat writer, you shouldn't talk about it." Interesting to me is how people tend to excoriate Simmons for starting as/being a fanboi but most of the older journalists, wherever they are, are given a pass or their word is passed off as knowledge when spouting out opinions or comments. If Bob Ryan or Dan Shaughnessy wrote Doc quit, they'd be praised for telling the truth. Why is that?

 

[Boom_70]

Not that I'm that surprised. He's never had hedge and pull punches because he's never been a real beat writer.

Here we go again with the "you're not a beat writer, you shouldn't talk about it." Interesting to me is how people tend to excoriate Simmons for starting as/being a fanboi but most of the older journalists, wherever they are, are given a pass or their word is passed off as knowledge when spouting out opinions or comments. If Bob Ryan or Dan Shaughnessy wrote Doc quit, they'd be praised for telling the truth. Why is that?

Ryan and Shaughnessy have credibility. Simmons has none. Did you follow the NBA studio show. Jalen Rose and
Magic barely acknowledged Simmons existence.

 

[SockPuppet]

If Bill Simmons' favorite team was the Atlanta Hawks or the Indiana Pacers, would ESPN give him this platform. Boston is closest to Bristol and the Evil Empire sucks up to all things Boston, IMO.
I thought NBA's draft coverage was AWFUL. Also thought it was humorous that Jeff Goodman, recent hire of ESPN, was Tweeting picks and trades far ahead of what was on TV.

 

[Alma]

Not that I'm that surprised. He's never had hedge and pull punches because he's never been a real beat writer.

Here we go again with the "you're not a beat writer, you shouldn't talk about it." Interesting to me is how people tend to excoriate Simmons for starting as/being a fanboi but most of the older journalists, wherever they are, are given a pass or their word is passed off as knowledge when spouting out opinions or comments. If Bob Ryan or Dan Shaughnessy wrote Doc quit, they'd be praised for telling the truth. Why is that?

I didn't say Simmons was wrong or even that Doc was professional. He wasn't. But neither, for example, was Urban Meyer when he said to Jeremy Fowler that "you're a bad guy" to his face. But what you learn fast as a beat writer is how to take slings and arrows from pompous coaches with a little humor or and a lot of fortitude.

That's just a kind of survival instinct Simmons didn't need to have. He's not had to work with sources over years and put up with BS.

 

[Michael_ Gee]

A feud with a coach never hurt any columnist's or commentator's status. Going around picking them is wrong, but if it happens, roll with it. FWIW, I think Simmons is dead wrong about Doc. The Celtics of that era were dead. Everybody involved recognized it and moved on, Ainge most definitely included. I think that makes mature, more mature than Bill's reaction for sure.

 

[Baron Scicluna]

Simmons should just use the crane technique on Doc.

 

[Double J]

Simmons should just use the crane technique on Doc.

 

[JimmyHoward33]

Doc may still be holding it against Simmons that Bill called for his head back in 05-06.

 

[slappy4428]

Not that I'm that surprised. He's never had hedge and pull punches because he's never been a real beat writer.

Here we go again with the "you're not a beat writer, you shouldn't talk about it." Interesting to me is how people tend to excoriate Simmons for starting as/being a fanboi but most of the older journalists, wherever they are, are given a pass or their word is passed off as knowledge when spouting out opinions or comments. If Bob Ryan or Dan Shaughnessy wrote Doc quit, they'd be praised for telling the truth. Why is that?

Ryan and Shaughnessy have credibility. Simmons has none. Did you follow the NBA studio show. Jalen Rose and
Magic barely acknowledged Simmons existence.

He always looks like he's going to cry...