What's the dream job now?

I would argue that the Boston stuff and 80s references are Simmons indulging himself.

 

I think Bill Simmons is beloved by his readers enough that he gets them into the same things he's into. Some of what started as self-indulgence now is why readers come back.

It's not for me. I read other writers on Grantland but otherwise stay clear of The Bill Simmons Experiment. But he has as loyal and large a following as any sports writer ever.

 

Mila Kunis' personal masseuse.

I used to want to be a beat writer for a pro or major college team, but been there, done that and I'm over it.

I used to want to be a sports editor, but been there, done that and it's more of a headache than I want to go back to.

I used to want to be a sports director at a small to medium market TV station, but with all my recent work in print I fear that ship has sailed.

I used to want to be a Hollywood screenwriter, but I have a friend who lives in LA and knows plenty of people in the business and it sounds like the industry is even better at crushing your soul than newspapers.

Honestly the preps beat at a medium to large newspaper sounds nice right about now.
As does Spike Chiquet's bar.

 

So fucking what? What's your point?

I know a lot of people who are better at things that I am. It doesn't mean I forfeit the right to not like their work.
Or the person, if it turns out they are an asshole.

And we have been around this you-can't-criticize-someone-unless-you-have-been-there bush before. And that argument don't cut it.

I'm not a fan of Simmons' work. I don't read ESPN. Period. It's not jealousy. It's choice. If I want pop culture references I can go to Facebook.

 

I'm pretty well living it, working the one-man department at a weekly. Sure, there are a few times a year where I put in 50+ hours a week and my salary position doesn't allow me overtime, but during the summer when school is out, there are plenty of 30-hour weeks to make up for it. I get to do a little bit of everything (write, design, take photos, edit), and it's all done in a good community that truly appreciates my work.

I always thought I wanted to be some big shot on a pro or college beat when I first got interested in this craft, but that game just seems to get dirtier every day. I want no part of that.

My ultimate writing dream job, though, would be a fiction writer of suspense/thriller stories (the type that get made into movies -- i.e. Bourne).

 

You don't have to like his work. No one is saying that, although I understand why you can't seem to grasp the subtleties here. But it's laughable to imply he's some talentless hack. There are certainly things you can criticize him about, but this idea he's a total hack who just got lucky, which comes up often, is a little stupid. He obviously connects with people. Why is that? Because a majority of people are "stupid?" Because that's what "There is no accounting for taste" implies. Is the 30 for 30 stuff stupid? Nope. It's great. Is Grantland stupid? Nope. Even if you don't like much of it, it has published a ton of smart, interesting stuff.

As a most popular sports writer working, Simmons deserves scrutiny. But shit, let's live in the real world when we do it. This isn't Mitch Albom. It's someone who worked really hard, took some risks, and is now using the influence he's built up for good, not simply to line his pockets.

But go ahead and try to make this into another "You're trying to put me down!" argument.

 

This. Or screenwriter whose first two projects got bought and produced and who is about to sign his third deal.

 

1. Trophy wife.
2. Professional volleyball line judge.
3. A 9-5 job that allows me to pay my bills and then some.
4. Preps.
5. Writing on the side while I do 3 or 4.

Look, with the economy the way it is right now, I'm happy to have a secure job with great benefits even if it doesn't pay as much. I'll just keep looking while I'm stuck in retail wasteland and writing on the side.

 

Well, if you want to bankroll me for the bar, I'll let you run karaoke nights! Deal?

 

For me, major college/major league play-by-play guy.

Although my resume is pretty ridiculously varied, given my age and that most of my broadcast and print experience is small-market, working for myself, I doubt it's going to happen. Having a family kinda prevents the moving around that's needed to "climb the ladder."

 

As a younger guy, I should be saying, "Online, super-duper-Web-thing-that-will-stay-ahead-of-the-curve." That said, I'm an idealist and not really all that smart.

I still believe in print, and in magazines especially, despite all evidence to the contrary. The medium might not be as profitable as before, but you don't become a journalist to make money in the first place. You do it to tell stories.

I hope to (eventually) be a senior writer at Sports Illustrated. I got my first subscription when I was 10 and haven't stopped reading since. Gary Smith was, and is, my idol.