I don’t listen to podcasts or watch Grantland video content so I almost never saw him the last few years except for an occasional mailbag. I like that he was trying to shake up ESPN’s NBA show before they kicked him off. It’s horrible and a total joke compared to TNT.
I loved his stories about the sports memories he shared with his dad.
I actually really like listening to Simmon’s podcast. I think he is quite funny and is actually willing to give opinions that do not feel simply like boring company line platitudes. I also like that the podcast feels more like a natural conversation than many others.
Vanity Fair has an article about the breakup. Haven’t read it all. I was surprised to see that Simmons has been getting $5M a year since 2010 at ESPN. That seems super crazy.
How about that for a shocking finale—not only to Simmons’s employment with ESPN but also to his relationship with [John] Skipper, the man Simmons once considered the best guardian of his interests at the network, if not in the world? When Skipper was head of content for ESPN under then-president George Bodenheimer, he and Simmons forged a bond that was critical in Simmons’s decision to remain at ESPN the last time negotiations were hammered out in 2010. That contract, worth around $5 million per year, made Simmons the highest paid piece of talent in the network’s history up to that moment.
Again, $5M per year for writing columns and doing podcasts and whatever else amazes me.
Well, he did appear as a TV personality on ESPN as well for that paycheck. It is a lot for a guy who is basically a sports fan first and an analyst second. But I do enjoy reading his columns and his podcasts. I may not agree with him, but at least he has a personality, and he isn’t one of those Skip Bayless types whose only goal is to aggravate with hot takes.
I think he’s clearly a leading light in the sports reporting industry, but I was still shocked that he’s worth $5M a year. You can buy a lot of sports writing for $5M.
It makes me wonder what Rick Riley used to make, or Peter King makes at SI. I enjoy Peter King on football as much as I enjoy Simmons on football.
Well, supposedly ESPN had a lot of money lying around to spend on personalities they like, no matter the cost. They always outbid rivals.
Per the vanity fair article, espn never really made an offer or seemed interested in even trying to extend the relationship.
Rick Reilly used to make $3M a year from ESPN, for writing a (at-best) maudlin 700-word column every week and also for being a talking head. Relatively speaking, Simmons provided a lot more value, assuming he actually was Grantland editor-in-chief and not just a figurehead. In any case, he certainly hired the right people. I’m not worried about Simmons landing on his feet, but I hope that Andy Greenwald, Zach Lowe, Wesley Morris, Bill Barnwell et al stay together and that ESPN continues to fund/promote Grantland.
Not only was he a talking head on the NBA show and editor-in-chief for Grantland essentially, he also was an exec producer on 30-for-30, which did ESPN really well. It’s a mix of stuff that ESPN still definitely benefits from and frankly the impact is unmistakeable, even for that much (that was the high end of the rumor mill’s figures, usually it was something like $3-5).
On some level though I think ESPN is taking a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately approach, where Simmons is basically kind of taking a step back and letting everything run itself, while he indulges in his NBA fantasies and continued stories about going to Vegas.
— Alan
Yeah, I tend to skim those parts of his articles/podcasts. I don’t give a shit what you and your bro friends did in Vegas, this isn’t entourage. Give me NBA analysis with a touch of humorous observation.
Bill Simmons lands at HBO: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/23/sports/bill-simmons-to-join-hbo.html
The popular sports and culture writer Bill Simmons is heading to HBO.
HBO announced Wednesday that it would be the exclusive television home for Mr. Simmons and that he would get a talk show that will debut in 2016. His contract with HBO starts in October.
Additionally, Mr. Simmons will have a production deal with HBO and will do video podcasts, similar to what he did at ESPN. At the sports network, he helped create ESPN’s “30 for 30” series of sports documentaries.
This seems like a great move for both parties. HBO is a beast.
The word is that 4 top Grantland staffers turned in their resignations today and are bolting to Simmons’ HBO venture.
Just tell me where I can read Zach Lowe and Bill Barnwell.
Barnwell and Sean McIlndoe. Jonah Keri’s pretty alright too.
Looks like it wasn’t a huge loss. A movie guy, a couple podcasters, and whatever miscellaneous stuff Mallory Rubin was up to.
Maybe the editing will suffer, but not a big deal so far.
The bigger concern is that ESPN just shuts the whole thing down. It’s never been a high-traffic site.
Keri is fantastic. Barnwell is okay, but I made the mistake of listening to him on a podcast once and oh my god never do that.
Simmons himself I haven’t read/followed in years.
To no one’s surprise, ESPN drops Grantland.
Effective immediately we are suspending the publication of Grantland. After careful consideration, we have decided to direct our time and energy going forward to projects that we believe will have a broader and more significant impact across our enterprise.
Grantland distinguished itself with quality writing, smart ideas, original thinking and fun. We are grateful to those who made it so. Bill Simmons was passionately committed to the site and proved to be an outstanding editor with a real eye for talent. Thanks to all the other writers, editors and staff who worked very hard to create content with an identifiable sensibility and consistent intelligence and quality. We also extend our thanks to Chris Connelly who stepped in to help us maintain the site these past five months as he returns to his prior role.
Despite this change, the legacy of smart long-form sports story-telling and innovative short form video content will continue, finding a home on many of our other ESPN platforms.
Discuss here: Goodbye Grantland - Everything else - Quarter To Three Forums
Bill Simmons’ new joint “The Ringer” is live.
Looks pretty much like Grantland Mark II, though with maybe a touch more pop cult stuff. I’ll bookmark it.