Bill Simmons: Good Luck With Your Life.

Silverdude2167

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JimBoSox9 said:
 
Someone please put him in charge of NFL PR.  That's how you control a rumor.
I have a source that told me Bill's son was in timeout at the other table and he is the one that overheard the conversation.
 

chonce1

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Does Simmons think his trade value column is the Hunger Games trilogy? Spreading it out into three parts over, what a month? I think he is lazy, but he might just think his column is as valuable as a crop report on Wall Street.
 

johnmd20

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chonce1 said:
Does Simmons think his trade value column is the Hunger Games trilogy? Spreading it out into three parts over, what a month? I think he is lazy, but he might just think his column is as valuable as a crop report on Wall Street.
 
Clarence Beeks?
 

Kliq

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I just watched his short Podcast with The Chief. Amazing stuff, great for anyone that loves the 80s Celtics.
 

ifmanis5

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Sometimes Bill surprises me with the things he doesn't know. He really didn't know that Rickey Henderson always wore #24 or that ARod wears #13 because he grew up in Miami as a huge Dan Marino fan? Even his buddy Complex Litigations, This Is John knew that stuff.
 

Blacken

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The Parish one is great. Also great - the Bernard King, Tiny Archibald, and Darryl Dawkins ones.
 

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Sometimes Bill surprises me with the things he doesn't know. He really didn't know that Rickey Henderson always wore #24 or that ARod wears #13 because he grew up in Miami as a huge Dan Marino fan? Even his buddy Complex Litigations, This Is John knew that stuff.
 
 
Henderson didn't always wear 24, at the beginning of his first stretch in Oakland he wore 35. He wore 35 in Boston and Seattle and wore 25 in Los Angeles. And there are a couple of other number blips in there too.
 
I agree that he mostly wore 24, but it wasn't always the case. 
 

SLC Sox

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I have found, as a crappy lawyer, that setting modest but professional expectations and then living up to them goes a long way towards keeping people happy.  I know Simmons works hard, but if you write, COMING THE WEEK AFTER THE SUPER BOWL: PART 2! and then fail to deliver, people will get frustrated.  Frustrating your readers is bad.  I want Part II, damnit.
 

ifmanis5

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Pilgrim said:
Arod wears #13 because 3 is retired by the Yankees. He wore #3 in Seattle and Texas.
Right but his preferred number was 13 because he was a huge Marino fan. And Rickey generally wore 24. Both things John knew and Bill didn't.
 

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ifmanis5 said:
Right but his preferred number was 13 because he was a huge Marino fan. And Rickey generally wore 24. Both things John knew and Bill didn't.
I don't think that's common knowledge among big sports fans though.  I know I had no idea on either count.
 

PC Drunken Friar

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ifmanis5 said:
Sometimes Bill surprises me with the things he doesn't know. He really didn't know that Rickey Henderson always wore #24 or that ARod wears #13 because he grew up in Miami as a huge Dan Marino fan? Even his buddy Complex Litigations, This Is John knew that stuff.
Jesus, is this nitpicking or what?  I knew neither of those things and couldn't care less if any sportswriter out there knows or doesn't know this stuff.  Quick, what number did Andre Dawson, Barry Larkin and Roberto Alomar wear?
 

PC Drunken Friar

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ifmanis5 said:
Right but his preferred number was 13 because he was a huge Marino fan. And Rickey generally wore 24. Both things John knew and Bill didn't.
 
According to the Baseball Almanac, Bobby Ayala wore #13 1994-1996 and then switched to #31 in 1997. In 1997, Jeff Fassero wore #13.  If A-Rod really wanted it so bad, I think he would have been able to get it.
 
Mike Lamb wore #13 for a couple seasons while A-Rod was on Texas...again, if he really wanted it, I am sure he could have gotten it.
 

PBDWake

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ifmanis5 said:
Right but his preferred number was 13 because he was a huge Marino fan. And Rickey generally wore 24. Both things John knew and Bill didn't.
 
Which are things that might stick with a hardcore Yankees fan from when Ricky was a Yankee, and there were probably articles about him changing his number when he came to NY. That stuff can stick out to you about your own player. When Garnett came to Boston, and they had already retired Sharman's 21, I remember reading that he picked 5 either for the number of teams that passed on him (4 draft picks and Minnesota who traded him) or because he was the 5th pick. I wouldn't expect anyone outside of Boston to know that. And I don't expect people outside of Boston to know Nomar's number off the top of their head. Rickey wasn't a Jordan, and wasn't iconic in that way. Someone who remembered him as a member of the team he rooted for for years might stick with that knowledge.
 

Kliq

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Oh my god you guys, who the fuck cares?
 
The Nard podcast is also good. If King ran for congress, I would vote for him.
 

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PC Drunken Friar said:
Jesus, is this nitpicking or what?  I knew neither of those things and couldn't care less if any sportswriter out there knows or doesn't know this stuff.  Quick, what number did Andre Dawson, Barry Larkin and Roberto Alomar wear?
I agree it's definitely picking nits. Oh, off the top of my head 8, 11, 12. I don't expect most people to know that (if I'm right).
 

SidelineCameras

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He's talked about SNL for years. He's an unabashed fanboy, but he's an unabashed fanboy of a million cultural things of varying degrees of quality. Plus his website is devoted to entertainment as much as sports. What's the issue?
 

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jschip1 said:
I have found, as a crappy lawyer, that setting modest but professional expectations and then living up to them goes a long way towards keeping people happy.  I know Simmons works hard, but if you write, COMING THE WEEK AFTER THE SUPER BOWL: PART 2! and then fail to deliver, people will get frustrated.  Frustrating your readers is bad.  I want Part II, damnit.
 
Get in line pal, I want my 2009 NBA Eastern Conference preview. 
 

ifmanis5

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I love how Bill has no idea about ESPN's very strict 'we don't allow our talent on other networks without prior consent' rule. He's only worked there for 15 years and the rule's been in place longer than that. He thinks he can just go on Katie's new show no problemo? Even Katie knew it's not going to happen.
 

ForKeeps

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ifmanis5 said:
I love how Bill has no idea about ESPN's very strict 'we don't allow our talent on other networks without prior consent' rule. He's only worked there for 15 years and the rule's been in place longer than that. He thinks he can just go on Katie's new show no problemo? Even Katie knew it's not going to happen.
 
Of course he knows that. He's trying to appear as cool and nonchalant as he can in front of the funny, smoking hot 27 year old.
 
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I don't immediately assume that Affleck (just to use the current example) is any less of a fan than anyone else just because of fame and fortune.  Some are bandwagoners and some aren't.  Just like us regular folk. I look at it this way:  if I were seated next to Affleck on a plane, we could probably talk Sox and Patriots for quite awhile and never talk about *him*. Isn't that what fandom is about; that commonality that's often in the face of little else in common?
 
He *should* take advantage of his new station in life. I trust that he knows who the "real fans" are among the celebs. I suppose he may not get invited back, but I think it would be kinda cool to know, for example, what brand of catheter Ben Affleck uses during games so he doesn't miss any live action or somesuch; or that Damon has the same stupid superstitions I do in when the need for a rally strikes.
 
If that's who Simmons is, then that's who he should be. He needn't apologize for it or run from it  (which I think is the source for his current staleness).  But it does take skill and care to write about.
I can't speak to Affleck's acumen as a Pats fan but he's definitely not a bandwagon Sox fan. Opening day 2005 he's sitting next to Joe Morgan and Morgan's oldest son. Affleck starts talking baseball w Morgan including details of games and players during Morgan's tenure as manager. At one point in the conversation as Morgan is talking HS sports and his beloved Walpole Rebels he turns to Affleck and says - "So where did you go to school"? Without missing a beat Affleck says "Cambridge Rindge and Latin". They talk some more and it's apparent Morgan has no idea who he is. His son leans in and whispers to his dad in an exasperated tone "Don't you know who that is? It's Ben Affleck". Morgan's response? "Huh? Who?"

Affleck was totally cool about it and they still talked baseball/ sports and said he was a great guy.
 

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DeJesus Built My Hotrod said:
Kobe is a guest on the Grantland Basketball Hour with Jalen and Bill and he is fantastic.
 
Yeah, I really enjoyed Kobe on this. The best two moments were his immediate claim that he would do *nothing* different in the Dwight Howard situation and his analysis of all the mistakes the Pacers made in the closing moments of Game 6. 
 

Blacken

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Seriously, this is fantastic. Kobe is a smart dude, but I didn't realize he was quite so eloquent.
 

Kliq

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I get why people dislike Kobe and it makes perfect sense (especially the Colorado incident and such). However, every time I hear or see him in an open forum, he always comes off as a really likeable guy to me. There are lot of reasons to dislike Kobe, but he also has some admirable traits. He strikes me as someone who could pick something (whether it be sports, politics, business, law, etc.) and kick ass at it no matter what it is.
 

Leather

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Ya, I mean, Bill Cosby seems like a chill dude, too, you know, if you ignore all that other stuff.
 

Alcohol&Overcalls

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Kliq said:
I get why people dislike Kobe and it makes perfect sense (especially the Colorado incident and such). However, every time I hear or see him in an open forum, he always comes off as a really likeable guy to me. There are lot of reasons to dislike Kobe, but he also has some admirable traits. He strikes me as someone who could pick something (whether it be sports, politics, business, law, etc.) and kick ass at it no matter what it is.
 
"and such" is a little weird.
 
It's almost like sociopaths have traits.
 

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Alcohol&Overcalls said:
 
"and such" is a little weird.
 
It's almost like sociopaths have traits.
 
I think "and such" is an elegant way to gloss over his anal rape of a teenager, especially coupled with calling it "the Colorado incident" like it was the time he forgot his wallet and couldn't pay for dinner at a Denver steakhouse.
 

DeJesus Built My Hotrod

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Marciano490 said:
 
I think "and such" is an elegant way to gloss over his anal rape of a teenager, especially coupled with calling it "the Colorado incident" like it was the time he forgot his wallet and couldn't pay for dinner at a Denver steakhouse.
 
Has there ever been definitive proof that he, in fact, raped the girl?  If there is, then to hell with him but my understanding of the case is that she was a bit unbalanced and either had second thoughts after the fact or made the allegations for attention.  
 
If it was consensual, I have no problem with the guy - he was 25 and she was 19.  
 

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DeJesus Built My Hotrod said:
 
Has there ever been definitive proof that he, in fact, raped the girl?  If there is, then to hell with him but my understanding of the case is that she was a bit unbalanced and either had second thoughts after the fact.  
 
There wasn't definitive proof because his lawyer kept saying her name in open court which led to her getting harassed.  It's been awhile since I familiarized myself with the facts, but I think a lot of the "unbalanced" stuff was more Kobe's team and supporters mischaracterizing behavior that's pretty common among rape victims with a nice helping of slut shaming sprinkled in. 
 

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Marciano490 said:
 
There wasn't definitive proof because his lawyer kept saying her name in open court which led to her getting harassed.  It's been awhile since I familiarized myself with the facts, but I think a lot of the "unbalanced" stuff was more Kobe's team and supporters mischaracterizing behavior that's pretty common among rape victims with a nice helping of slut shaming sprinkled in. 
 
I just read this on Wikipedia and it suggests she did, in fact, have emotional issues.  I am not saying its true  and its clear that Bryant had a huge advantage in terms of resources available to him for his defense so I am always wary there.  That said, the guy was,a the time, the best basketball player on the planet and by all accounts a pretty bright guy.  I know those circumstances don't preclude someone from being a rapist but it seems to be incredibly stupid and short-sighted for him to force himself on a woman.  And unlike Bill Cosby or other alleged rapists, there aren't scores of allegations that suggest a pattern for Bryant.  
 

Marciano490

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DeJesus Built My Hotrod said:
 
I just read this on Wikipedia and it suggests she did, in fact, have emotional issues.  I am not saying its true  and its clear that Bryant had a huge advantage in terms of resources available to him for his defense so I am always wary there.  That said, the guy was,a the time, the best basketball player on the planet and by all accounts a pretty bright guy.  I know those circumstances don't preclude someone from being a rapist but it seems to be incredibly stupid and short-sighted for him to force himself on a woman.  And unlike Bill Cosby or other alleged rapists, there aren't scores of allegations that suggest a pattern for Bryant.  
 
Her blood was on his shirt, I remember that being pretty damning.  I think there was also something about him going for anal and her not being into that, but I could be misremembering.  At any rate, at best he's a married dude sodomizing a teenaged girl in a hotel room. 
 

Kliq

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Marciano490 said:
 
Her blood was on his shirt, I remember that being pretty damning.  I think there was also something about him going for anal and her not being into that, but I could be misremembering.  At any rate, at best he's a married dude sodomizing a teenaged girl in a hotel room. 
 
A rumor is that Kobe went for "The Trinity" which apparently is something that most NBA-groupies are familiar with, and she didn't go for it. Just a rumor, I know nothing beyond that.
 

The Social Chair

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Marciano490 said:
 
Her blood was on his shirt, I remember that being pretty damning.  I think there was also something about him going for anal and her not being into that, but I could be misremembering.  At any rate, at best he's a married dude sodomizing a teenaged girl in a hotel room. 
 
I knew the girl and she was a sophomore in college when it happened (and Kobe was 26 at the time I believe).
 

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The Social Chair said:
 
I knew the girl and she was a sophomore in college when it happened (and Kobe was 26 at the time I believe).
 
Do you have an opinion here?  Was she just completely tarred by Kobe's attorneys or is there some truth to her having emotional issues? 
 
Regarding him being married and the age difference, I am not that bothered by it.  I suspect there are plenty of 25 or 26 year olds on this site who would hook-up or date 19 year olds.  And as for him being married, well, I suspect the number of married NBA players who don't screw around is a fairly low number, especially now that Doug Christie is no longer in the league.
 

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Marciano490 said:
 
Her blood was on his shirt, I remember that being pretty damning.  I think there was also something about him going for anal and her not being into that, but I could be misremembering.  At any rate, at best he's a married dude sodomizing a teenaged girl in a hotel room. 
 
There was also a settlement of her civil suit and a lot of "reporting" claiming it was a multi million dollar settlement.  Who knows if that's true.
 
And of course there was Kobe's statement made at some point as part of a settlement with her
 
I also want to make it clear that I do not question the motives of this young woman. No money has been paid to this woman. She has agreed that this statement will not be used against me in the civil case. Although I truly believe this encounter between us was consensual, I recognize now that she did not and does not view this incident the same way I did. After months of reviewing discovery, listening to her attorney, and even her testimony in person, I now understand how she feels that she did not consent to this encounter.
 
(As an aside the "no money has been paid to this woman" is a kind of language I've seen in press releases a number of times where the individual does in fact get compensated, but the money goes to a trust or corporation and not to the individual). 
 

The Social Chair

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DeJesus Built My Hotrod said:
 
Do you have an opinion here?  Was she just completely tarred by Kobe's attorneys or is there some truth to her having emotional issues? 
 
Regarding him being married and the age difference, I am not that bothered by it.  I suspect there are plenty of 25 or 26 year olds on this site who would hook-up or date 19 year olds.  And as for him being married, well, I suspect the number of married NBA players who don't screw around is a fairly low number, especially now that Doug Christie is no longer in the league.
I have no opinion because I don't know the facts of the case. I'll keep it vague because she has been through enough but yes she was known for emotional problems. Having said that... a women's sexual history should NEVER be a factor in a rape trial. 
 

DeJesus Built My Hotrod

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The Social Chair said:
I have no opinion because I don't know the facts of the case. I'll keep it vague because she has been through enough but yes she was known for emotional problems. Having said that... a women's sexual history should NEVER be a factor in a rape trial. 
Thanks and I agree with you. I was more getting at her emotional state which is also a delicate topic when discussing an alleged rape - you can easily fall into a victim blaming trap. However it does leave some doubt that Bryant actually raped her.