Sure, and for him the danger is that through overexposure, people might stop believing his 'I'm just a fan' act. But even if that happens, he's done a much better job than Rome of using his popularity to pursue other ventures with success. Even if The Sports Guy personality loses its shine, he'll still be an influential figure in the world of sports media (if he wants to be).
He couldn't use that power and influence to get Doc fired, something he so badly wanted. Just like nobody in front offices cares what Mel Kiper says, even though he's a huge presence on ESPN, nobody who matters cares about what Simmons says. They're just journalists.
Oh I agree, Bill's schtick is a lot more likable, marketable, and more of a regular guy fan thing than Rome who is basically in the making fun of people game. Simmons is way more savvy and just more talented than Rome but even he has a shelf life unless he evolves his style and method.
I will say that Simmons has a fair amount of enemies amongst ESPN personalities(and on other sports networks). Whether it's justified dislike or not, I'm not sure. I do agree with most of the original post. Simmons is also a pretty chill dude to talk to. No air's or arrogance imo.
This seems personal to you. The thread wasn't even originally about Doc, just about Simmons' power in sports media. Austin? Jeremiah? Or did someone write bad about you in the high school paper back in the day? Either way, it's clear that Simmons has more power over you than Doc, judging by your responses in these threads. I doubt you get this fired up over any decisions or statements Doc makes.
Doubt that Simmons was trying to control the Celtic's coaching hiring and firings. He was just stating his opinions as a Celtic fan. He is a commentator. Giving his opinions in a way that people find smart and interesting is what he does professionally. I don't recall him even pretending that he does the level of research and scouting that front office people do. In fact he admitted on TV last night that all he knew about some of the prospects came from YouTube.
basically that is true but I think BSimmons is a somebody among nobodies, Doc is the celebrity next to him.
The power of hyperbole is more like it. Simmons is an entertaining sportswriter and personality, and obviously extremely successful at it. But I don't think a lot of people would have their understanding of the game influenced much by his insights. Or at least I hope not. I can't see him being hired to work on any meaningful level by any NBA team either. Not that it matters, since his job seems to be more about the entertaining side of things.
I love grantland. They hire the smartest NBA bloggers. Simmons has been very accepting of new technology and media even if he understands none of it. That has allowed him to stay ahead of other media members.
Simmons is a self-made man. You gotta respect that. A lot of the ESPN personalities hate on the guy (and you can see the disgust on Wilbon's face sometimes on ESPN countdown) simply b/c he can say whatever he wants for the most part. Others can't. But he is powerful. He gets away with a lot of things for such a strict media outlet like ESPN. He brings in so much for ESPN that they have to tolerate him. I mean, I'm sure Countdown's viewership has gone up with Simmons on board. It's ridiculously bad without him. Hearing Magic talking non-sense and Rose yapping garbage are just ridiculous. I do wish Simmons go to TNT someday though. Him and Barkley would be awesome.
Not directly through his writing, but indirectly I would argue he has had a huge impact on people's understanding of the game (e.g. hiring Zack Lowe).
Wow, this is literally in the first paragraph of the OP's post. "No, this thread is not about the fight. It’s all about Bill Simmons the media figure. I believe this topic deserves a seperate thread." As a media figure, he definitely has a lot more influence than any other writer and most commentators. The guy can definitely be a homer and an idiot but he's almost always entertaining.
Grantland doesn't live up to the hype, and while Simmons is a great sports bull #### er, he spreads himself too thin. It's a pity that he can't be an old school three columns a week writer, because that's his core strength, but there's not enough money in that, so he has to build a "brand".
I would say Zach Lowe is by far and away the best writer on the NBA right now. How would you say Grantland doesn't live up to the hype. I think it's a fantastic site. Of course Simmons doesn't write much anymore which sucks but the rest is great.
The thing is I don't think Simmons' work is a schtick or an act. It's likely just who he is, whether you like it or not.
Simmons definitely has more influence than Doc. Simmons is like Howard Stern and Rush Limbaugh of the sports world. It doesn't matter what he says, people are going to follow him. That is why Doc reacted the way he did. Doc would have never have had the same reaction if Broussard, Skip, or even Lowe said the same thing. It's because Doc knows people believe in what Simmons says.
