Bill Simmons, trending.

I'm curious if Whitlock really does drive clicks.

If he did, I suspect he'd still be at Fox.

 

Some people live for their grievances. Simmons has been extraordinarily successful, because he's had and implemented some big ideas. But the thing is, despite wealth and fame, he's still unhappy he didn't get to be Bob Ryan. Or even me. Why he isn't a million light years past caring about Boston is beyond me.

 

BECAHZ IT'S THE FACKIN' HUB OF THE UNIVEHSE

 

The thing is ... you're right. Royko had Chicago. L.A. had Murray. Maybe Billy saw himself as the Boston Royko/Murray.

 

In the universe in which we occupy, I never thought I would agree with such a ludicrous statement.
And as much as people hated the son of a bitch, you're right.

 

It might be because he was never really a part of it. He knows, deep down, he was never really a part of it.

 

I think I said this here many years ago. But the worst possible thing happened to Simmons: He became civilized.

 

Bill Simmons is a douchebag and this latest stuff with him and the Ringer really exposes his shortcomings.

That said, the whole "failed newspaper writer" meme that some of you love to bring up is so utterly bizarre and so singularly tied to this place.

 

Looking at Simmons' twitter feed. It's mostly links to stuff written by the few minorities he's hired or an announcement of brining on Bakari Sellers or links to some of his podcasts with minority hosts.

Bill Simmons did what nearly every white guy does when presented with that sort of authority -- surrounded himself with guys that look and think like him. But he is what he has always been.

 

I don't think it's loving to note he was a failed newspaper writer as it is marveling, as Michael Gee said, that it still sticks in his craw. He has quite possibly made more money by himself than every single poster who has ever posted here combined. He has reinvented the wheel at least twice. He is on the very short list of the most transcendent figures in sportswriting over the last, what, half-century? More? And yet he's still a miserable prick completely lacking in self-awareness. I doubt very much there'd be so many mentions of his failed newspaper career if he was more outwardly appreciative of his success and less of a prick.

 

I guess I don't dislike Simmons as much as some of you on here, though I probably liked him way more when he just admitted what he was and did his thing instead of trying to be Grantland Rice.

His biggest mistake here, IMO, is doing a podcast on racial matters and brining on Ryen Rusillo as his guest. That's pretty ignorant. Hasn't Simmons interviewed Obama before? He couldn't think of just one black leader, the ones we need to be hearing from, to talk about this?