Bill Simmons Fired

[Latrinsorm]

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/09/sports/bill-simmons-and-espn-are-parting-ways.html?_r=0

To me his quality has gone downhill for years now. I think I've said this before but he hired himself out of a job: Zach Lowe is a (much) better basketball person, Jacoby/Juliet are (much) better reality television people, Rembert is a (much) better writer overall, and so on down the line for every strength he had. Perhaps this contributed to his becoming a general curmudgeon and whiner, or perhaps it was an inability to handle success, or having to deal with two small children. Who knows, but it was past time for him to go.

Grantland as detailed above is thoroughly populated with good work, but it's not clear if that's enough to keep it open. Back when Grantland still allowed comments his articles got way more than anyone else's, his podcast is consistently top 100 on some website I just found and no other Grantlander is close. I have no idea how website profits work anyway, but I really hope ESPN keeps it going. Unless Simmons raids it for talent, it should be much better without him bringing the whole vibe down.

[Warriorbird]

I don't much like ESPN or him.

[Androidpk]

I don't much like ESPN

Yes

[Ker_Thwap]

He's fine in small doses. I don't get the whole point of Grantland, I like my sports and culture separated.

[Sean]

They're separated on grantland too though between the triangle and the hollywood prospectus

[SHAFT]

Simmons will be fine. He has different takes on things and isn't afraid to step out of line. I like Simmons.

[Kembal]

I would've loved Simmons' take on what happened to the Clippers though.

I don't think ESPN handled it very well, and they certainly hold grudges way too far. (firing him four months before his contract was up basically because he went on the Dan Patrick show and criticized Goodell? really?)

Will he be fine? Probably. Does Grantland survive without him? Maybe. Sportswise, it'll pretty much depend on Lowe and Barnwell.

If I'm Nate Silver, though, I'd be looking at the situation and considering what my backup plans are, just in case.

[Allereli]

http://espn.go.com/espnradio/grantland/player?id=12910696

Jalen and Jacoby talk about Bill. I just started it so I have no other summary to give.

update: they don't say much beyond saluting him

update 2: without Bill Simmons there would never be a place for an in depth breakdown on Jem (http://grantland.com/hollywood-prospectus/truly-outrageous-what-the-new-jem-and-the-holograms-film-gets-wrong-about-modern-pop-stardom/). I hope Bill takes the summer off and writes a book about Beverly Hills, 90210.

[Latrinsorm]

I would've loved Simmons' take on what happened to the Clippers though.He would have spent 90% of the piece hammering Doc, shamelessly backtracked on his "can't criticize Chris Paul for never making the conference finals" statements after the Spurs series, thrown in a cheap (albeit deserved) shot at Presti for turning James Harden into Steven Adams and Alex Abrines, and regurgitated some "will to win" nonsense. In other words, the same things he's been saying for years. When was the last time you read something from Simmons and thought he made an original point, or offered any sort of insight? I can't remember.

[Kembal]

He would have spent 90% of the piece hammering Doc, shamelessly backtracked on his "can't criticize Chris Paul for never making the conference finals" statements after the Spurs series, thrown in a cheap (albeit deserved) shot at Presti for turning James Harden into Steven Adams and Alex Abrines, and regurgitated some "will to win" nonsense. In other words, the same things he's been saying for years. When was the last time you read something from Simmons and thought he made an original point, or offered any sort of insight? I can't remember.

Could be. But there's also a good chance he would've been at that game 6. And that piece, if not insightful, would've just been hilarious to read.