Friday Night Fights (Maybe): What Do You Think Of Bill Simmons?

by Christopher Gates on Jun 10, 2011 9:17 PM CDT in Non-Football

For those of you that pay attention to these sorts of things, Bill Simmons of ESPN.com fame launched a new website earlier this week called "Grantland." It's basically Simmons and a bunch of writers that he's a fan of, from the looks of things. . .guys like Chuck Klosterman, who is awesome in every conceivable way, as his first Grantland article shows (and grew up about half an hour away from where I did in Southeast North Dakota), Wright Thompson, Bill Barnwell (formerly of Football Outsiders, who I've interviewed a couple of times for the site), and others.

So, I figure this is as good a time as any to ask you folks on this Friday night. . .what do you think of Bill Simmons?

I, personally, like the guy, although I'm not as huge a fan of his as I once was. I first started reading him before Boston's sports teams started being really successful, during which time I could relate to him a whole lot more than I can now. . .after all, the last time my favorite team in any sport won a championship, I was 15 years old and a four and a half hour drive from Minneapolis. He knew what it was like, as a Boston sports fan, to get stomach punched by his sports teams on a regular basis, much like we Minnesota sports fans do.

Then the Patriots started winning Super Bowls. . .and the Red Sox won a World Series. . .and the Celtics won an NBA title. . .and he changed. I can't quite put my finger on how, but he just became different somehow. Maybe it was just my impression that I couldn't relate to him as well since he was no longer a "down on his luck" sports fan, but I wasn't crazy about his articles and his writing any more like I had been previously. Granted, the guy is still a talented writer and everything, but if I miss something he's written, I don't really flip out about it.

I know that Simmons can be quite polarizing, so I thought I'd present this to you folks out there for a debate. So, have at it!

Poll

What do you think of Bill Simmons?

I like his writing quite a bit. . .one of my favorites.

110 votes

He's pretty good, but not great.

41 votes

I can take him or leave him.

39 votes

I don't think he's anything special.

23 votes

Ugh, can't stand him. Won't read his stuff.

16 votes

229 votes | Poll has closed

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Comments

Oh Bill, Bill, Bill

Bill SImmons intrigues me; as fan I can relate to him, because he writes with that edginess that I like from a fan standpoint but he makes so many outlandish predictions, it’s ridiculous. Here’s a few:

Speaking About Gerald Green getting drafted:

My Dad says, “Trade Pierce! Trade Pierce! Let’s build around the kids!” And ESPN tells us that his nickname is G-Money. Just a satisfying three minutes all around. I get to root for Big Al and G-Money for the next 15 years. What could be better than that?

Apparently the Lakers are trading Kobe this summer – they just took 17-year-old, 290-pound center Andrew Bynum with the 10th pick. I’m speechless. The best high schooler in the draft (Green) and the best perimeter player (Granger) just inexplicably dropped out of the top 10. You figure it out.

Following a trade with Portland, Utah takes Deron (don’t call me De-RON) Williams at No. 3. Perfect pick – with some luck, he’ll be half as good as Chris Paul. Bilas sums up everyone’s concerns by wondering if Deron has the “blowbyability” to get into the lane – I’m going to vote “yes” since he’s 202 pounds and should end up looking like John
Bagley before everything’s said and done.

To my favorite summer signing: Houston grabbing Stro Swift for the mid-level exception. Now he can finally play 35-40 minutes a game and concentrate on the three things he does best — running, jumping and dunking. Perfect team for him. Considering they played Juwan Howard, Clarence Weatherspoon, Scott Padgett, Vin Baker, Ryan Bowen and Julie Bowen at power forward last season, you could make a case that this was the single-biggest upgrade by any contender. In fact, I think I just did.

And My absolute favorite:

"7:37 -The Magic are on the clock with the first pick. If they’re smart, they take Emeka Okafor. If they’re dumb, they take Howard. It’s that simple.
7:39 - They go with Howard. Of course they do. He’s the third high schooler taken overall in the past four years, as well as the first top pick with braces since Pervis Ellison. Not a good sign. “Praise the Lord!” screams Dwight Howard Sr., who didn’t realize that the Lord had Okafor going first in his mock draft."

Like I said, I love his enthusiasm but sometimes the things he says are odd.

Sidenote: Canis Hoopus had a great running bit every week about his crazy quotes.

Ponder to Harvin for 6!

by Percy Harvin My Fav! on Jun 10, 2011 9:55 PM CDT reply actions

Didn't mean for the Okafor to get crossed out. Continue reading it as if it wasnt

Ponder to Harvin for 6!

by Percy Harvin My Fav! on Jun 10, 2011 9:57 PM CDT up reply actions

Just read some of his work

I like his writing style and his new site is set up very well, but as mentioned above, he does make questionable comments often.

A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on - Winston Churchill

by Alittlemore_cowbell on Jun 11, 2011 9:33 AM CDT via mobile reply actions

I feel like he's been half-assing his columns for a while.

Now, it’s like all he really wants to do is his podcasts. Grantland going up will hopefully mean more actual columns from him.

And I enjoy his wacky, often ridiculously wrong predictions. That’s part of what being a sports fan is all about.

But he’s become much crappier than he once was. Some combination of his teams becoming too good, his life becoming too successful, and his having small kids at home (that really eats into your time). Hopefully he’ll bounce back.

by princelyfrank on Jun 11, 2011 7:02 PM CDT reply actions

I love Klosterman

I know this is about Simmons, but I have to say, as someone who grew up in Grand Forks, Klosterman is someone that proves to me that living in North Dakota doesn’t have to limit your exposure or creativity.

by Arif Hasan on Jun 12, 2011 9:18 AM CDT reply actions