If he makes money it'll be from a business development role, I'm just not sure who out there can back his ideas. And it would take time for a website like Grantland to gain the kind of steam that warrants $3+ mil. As an on-air personality he's not that popular or well known. I'm not even sure he's considered "likeable".
ESPN censorship obviously screwed over Simmons. If I'm him, I start my own Grantland (I wonder if it's too late for him to buy Grantland from ESPN?). What's the point going to another network that will also censor you from speaking your mind? FOX for example also has plenty of interest in promoting the NFL. It's really too bad we won't get B.S. Reports with him and Zach Lowe for now. Hopefully Simmons figures something out soon.
Really I think a job/site with VICE and maybe a weekly show on HBO would be the best case scenario for him. Otherwise, I don't know if he'll have tons of success. He needs big money to back his ventures.
Eh, we now have a 7 page thread on a Houston basketball BBS about Bill freakin Simmons. I think he'll be fine and continue to have a medium of which will be very popular. For a guy who's hardly ever on TV, he's got one of the biggest mainstream media followings in all outlets. The main problem I have is that ESPN continues to decline in quality... they don't have another internet personality that comes close to what Simmons does, and they likely won't attempt to "replace" him with a lesser version. This side of the medium will simply just "go away" (much like MTV no longer cares to play music videos), and the public is worse off for it. A move like this will never "kill" the network... but it will continue to evolve into something that is a far cry of what made it the "best" to begin with. But they'll always be powerful simply due to the amount of live sports they cover in every single major league. ESPN continues to evolved into a network of zero-personality talking heads... its no longer hard-hitting since they're in bed with so many sports leagues. Outside the Lines and Olbermann have to be reeled in or simply relegated to middle-of-the-day obscurity to toe the company line. Hell, now time magazine is weighing in... and their "readers" are about as mainstream as it gets. http://time.com/3852202/bill-simmons-leaving-espn/
Honestly I wouldn't know Simmons if it wasn't for this site. I don't follow those shows. The only memorable ESPN personality was Stuart Scott because I grew up with him.
It appears that Simmons is drunk and posting youtube vids of the Pats Super Bowl win https://twitter.com/BillSimmons
I think Ace does pretty well doing it. Ive wanted a few of the ballsier sports personalities to go the podcast route. I would love to hear Simmons, lebatard and a few others uncensored. It would be great.
Don't think I saw this article posted here, but a decent read with some behind-the-scenes stuff: http://www.vanityfair.com/news/2015/05/inside-shocking-abrupt-divorce-bill-simmons-and-espn
Absolute worst time of the year for this to happen <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">EXCLUSIVE: Bill Simmons has appeared on <a href="https://twitter.com/espn">@ESPN</a> platforms for the last time <a href="http://t.co/SM02RFjmxK">http://t.co/SM02RFjmxK</a> <a href="http://t.co/7kl8ups3d6">pic.twitter.com/7kl8ups3d6</a></p>— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) <a href="https://twitter.com/SInow/status/599261652043878400">May 15, 2015</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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Kind of interesting his final appearance on ESPN/Grantland was an interview of Daryl Morey. Gonna be weird to not hear from him in Grantland anymore, ESPECIALLY since we're in the middle of the NBA playoffs.
Why would ESPN fire him in the middle of the NBA playoffs? At least wait until the season is over. The timing is very strange.
sucks that we won't get anymore Simmons podcast during these playoffs. I wonder how long Simmons will keep radio silent? Maybe until his contract is officially done in September? That would mean no more NBA playoffs coverage, Draft, Free Agency etc.
