Worthwhile Will Leitch essay on Bill Simmons

Ben, I'm going to do exactly that with my Christmas Day centerpiece. What a tremendous idea!

Thank you.

 

I've thought about this more and think too many are giving Simmons / publisher a pass.

They went for the quick buck instead of the definitiive history of the NBA that stands the test of time.

"Entertaining but not accurate" just does not seem to be the right standard for a non fiction book.

For a reader there is a basic bond of trust with the writer that what is written is accurate. This book knowingly breaks that bond of trust.

Why would a writer accept 70% accuracy.

 

Or a Beatles album.

 

Paul is dead Paul is dead,

Just don't ever steam the white album cover. the naked picture of John and Yoko will turn your stomach.

 

I applaud him for the website. Everybody makes mistakes and it's admirable for him to own up to them. However, that's too many mistakes and typos, even for 700 pages. He clearly relied on his memory too often. I was looking forward to reading the book. Now, not so much. What else is wrong or based on his imperfect memory? Disappointing, both for him and his editors.

 

Yoko can turn stomachs in any venue.

 

Not to mention that when he is writing about the 70's it is from the memory of a toddler.

 

Boom, read the book and then comment.

When he talks about the '70s, and that's the part of the book I'm smack-dab in the middle of, he's using hard numbers and breaking them down quite nicely, and adding great quotes from those who played during that time, etc. He isn't relying on his memory for this part of the book.

If he was, I'd say, "Boom, you're right." But you're not right. Read the book.

 

The books starts with Simmons describing the historic Celtics / Suns triple overtime game from 1976 when he was age 6. Have you read the passage on Maravich in the book?
His observations on the 70's are just not accurate.

 

Haven't gotten to the Maravich part. Give me a 2-sentence synopsis of what your issue is, and I'll try to match it up against what I read when I get there and report back to you.

As for the triple-OT game, what exactly do you have an issue with? He isn't breaking down every single basket from the game. He admits he fell asleep for part of the game and woke up in double-overtime and talks about the triple-overtime. Has he augmented his memory of it by watching it again? Probably. But he was there with his dad. I think there are pivotal pieces of a moment that stick with you even 35 years after the moment.

But again, his breakdown of ABA/NBA during the '70s is really good.

 

Funny thing: My SS here also sent me Loose Balls. But it's going to be several weeks before I crack that one. (But Simmons has cited Pluto's book a few times through 145 pages.) I read the first few pages of Loose Balls this morning. Looks like it'll be a fun read.

As for Simmons' book ... just finished some pages in which he talks about the coke problem after the merger, all of the fistfights (Tomjanovich incident spelled out and how a Halberstam piece a few years later rehabilitated Washington's image) as well as how much of a tiresome asshole Kareem was. For someone who grew up with the Lakers, starting circa the '79-'80 team, I had never really known any of that about Kareem.