Simmons defends McGwire, rips Ann Killion

"those people" is a loaded comment, and I am 100 percent confident that you meant that post as a criticism of Killion.

 

What the hell does Mitch Albom have to do with ANYTHING in this conversation.

All I'm saying is that, while you may not like Simmon's style, people do. Now if you think all the people that read Simmons are morons that's fine. I wasn't saying that because he has a large audience that makes him great or anything. I was just sayign it's undeniable that he is in fact, widely read.

 

That's all well and good, and I agree that he's widely read (and for a reason). But if nothing else, that makes him as open to criticism as the most hard-boiled newspaper columnist there is. The fact that he has space does NOT mean that using it without any regard for actual brevity (or getting to the point) is excusable. The excuse that he's a "regular guy" writing with a different point of view is wholly without merit.

 

The regular guy is a stretch, I'll admit, but that his p.o.v. is different is without merit? How is that the case? He's the same as newspaper columnists that follow teams, go to press conferences, travel, interview players and coaches? His point of view, being mostly a fan, sitting at his house watching games and getting information second-hand is not different from newspaper columnists?

I don't really get how him using so much space is a knock. People don't want to read a 45 line column from him. A big part of his style is that he rambles and goes on tangents, often for effect or to further some joke. You definitely might think he writes too long but that's not really a negative IMO if you like reading him.

 

It's fine that you like him, but that doesn't take away my right to say that he sucks as a writer. Or at least he has since he got lazy and started writing 17,000-word "columns" about how each NBA team corresponds to a Karate Kid quote.

 

Boobie, I think the issue that some have with Simmons is that he wants to be able to write a column like this one, take a shot at another columnist, make jag off jokes within the column, and write about MTV next week.

That's a lot of latitude for a mature, adult reader to give. It's hard to position yourself as the party-hard, wry dickhead column after column, then suddenly turn into a thinker with an attack on another columnist - who at the very least is being sincere - with that same know-it-all, asshole perspective.

 

Simmons is neither talented nor stylistic. He's a walking, high-pitched Mad Lib.

 

I dunno, Alma. The column seems fairly consistent with the rest of the Simmons oeuvre. He still traffics in his brand of slacker nihilism. The difference here is that, as regards this particular issue, his perspective from the cushions of his sofa may actually be the better, more sensible one, at least so long as the rest of the profession is busying itself with this orgy of moralizing.

And you don't have to be a thinker to pick up on Killion's cheap sanctimony.

 

Release.

The.

Hounds.

 

I was going to post something and then I just said, screw it. This is what I meant anyway.
That TV debut's going to deprive him forever of using the "Unintentional Comedy" trope on anyone else.

 

LJB, you said that Killion was one of those people who gets emotional at missing her kids' games. The way you put it certainly made it sound as though you intended it as a criticism, not just a declarative statement. You must have thought it was noteworthy for some reason, otherwise why would you bother to post it? You're right, I don't know if you have kids or not. My point was that I think any decent parent, (as well as most people without kids), wouldn't find it unusual at all for someone to get emotional sometimes about missing their kids' games.

 

I don't understand the morality play on this thread and I have better things to bicker about on this board. Everyone who has ever logged time in this business has made huge sacrifices. If you don't like it, then get out. There are others, some unemployed, who would love to take your place.