The Bill Simmons Thread

ifmanis5

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The Cheugy King.

I did laugh out loud when Dick Ebersol was shitting all over Bill's boy John Skipper for poising the relationship with Berman and the NFL and Bill had to bite his lip. He bit even harder when Bill realized that a big reason for the ESPN/NFL sour relationship was himself.
 

JCizzle

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I think the addition of Solak to million dollar picks is a great move. I like Schrager, but Solak will be a good analytical balance to "I like the Rams because I went to McVay's wedding" type takes. Entertaining enough, but they get stale. Plus I think Solak is really good (the Ringer's best NFL podcaster IMO) and this will be a great platform for him.
 

nattysez

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I think the addition of Solak to million dollar picks is a great move. I like Schrager, but Solak will be a good analytical balance to "I like the Rams because I went to McVay's wedding" type takes. Entertaining enough, but they get stale. Plus I think Solak is really good (the Ringer's best NFL podcaster IMO) and this will be a great platform for him.
Is Million Dollar Picks for this week up? I don't see it in any of the recent Simmons podcasts. I agree that Solak is very strong.
 

nattysez

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Wait...there are people that actually look forward to the Million Dollar Picks podcast?
I find Simmons's podcasts to be a nice mindless listen while running/doing cardio, so I was surprised I'd missed one. I've tried audiobooks, but they require too much focus. I can let my mind drift when listening to Simmons and not feel like I've missed anything vital when I start paying attention again.
 

ElUno20

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Yeah id put myself in that column as well. I like the friday pod. But it's just mindless gambling chatter so I can see why it'd be a turn off for some.
 

JCizzle

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I find Simmons's podcasts to be a nice mindless listen while running/doing cardio, so I was surprised I'd missed one. I've tried audiobooks, but they require too much focus. I can let my mind drift when listening to Simmons and not feel like I've missed anything vital when I start paying attention again.
This is exactly how I listen as well. It makes cardio much more enjoyable.
 

johnmd20

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I think the addition of Solak to million dollar picks is a great move. I like Schrager, but Solak will be a good analytical balance to "I like the Rams because I went to McVay's wedding" type takes. Entertaining enough, but they get stale. Plus I think Solak is really good (the Ringer's best NFL podcaster IMO) and this will be a great platform for him.
Solak is awesome but, ohhhhhh baby, I hate the way he talks, oh brother.
 

JCizzle

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Solak is awesome but, ohhhhhh baby, I hate the way he talks, oh brother.
Hahaha, that's very fair and I immediately read your post in his voice. For some reason it hasn't bothered me yet. Other podcasters mannerisms drive me bananas, so I definitely know what you mean.
 

johnmd20

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Simmons' first bet of the year was to tease the Rams, who he said were getting disrespected versus the overrated Bills.("it's not like they are going to go 17-0 and they aren't, like, the best team in history." Um, ok Bill, I guess that was the argument)

And then he followed that up yesterday by basically saying the Rams' season is over because they are terrible and he should have realized that before he made the tease bet. IT WAS SO OBVIOUS. And then followed that up by saying the Bills aren't that good and their destruction of the Rams was only because the Rams are a terrible team. He then went into other teams that didn't go great after winning the Super Bowl to further his invented thesis.

This is after a total of 1 NFL game being played year to date.

Just a really, really poor effort.
 

Phil Plantier

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Solak is awesome but, ohhhhhh baby, I hate the way he talks, oh brother.
I get this, but, as someone who loved his NFL Draft podcast with Trevor Sikkema, I think this is more the limitations/emphases of The Ringer than anything else. (Also he's a University of Chicago alum, so I have an additional bias).

I know this is not an original take, but Simmons' range between "take-y NFL fan" and "NBA expert" is so big. Moreover, he never admits to this difference. Compare that to Russillo, who frequently mentions that he doesn't watch NFL games the same way he watches college football and will just defer to his guest.

I take Simmons' NBA thoughts seriously. I find his NFL talk entertaining (most of the time: his "Belichick should retire" take was pretty tough to listen to). But he has the same self-confidence about both, and I can see why that would be annoying.
 

JCizzle

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I had the chance to listen to the Tjarks podcast today and thought it was really well done. It seems like he was a great guy and it was nice hearing them share stories and discuss what he loved. Cancer sucks.
 

Shelterdog

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It's probably not worth discussing but it's shocking to me that a fifty year yold centimillionaire thinks wrasslin is worth a moment's thought

signed, an almost fifty year old gainfully employed person who admittedly spends a lot of time thinking about orcs and mutants
 

Leather

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Speaking of mutants...

Listened to Simmons' appearance on The Big Picture to talk about Stallone's HOF movies.

I have to say, it's really breezily enjoyable to listen to him shoot the shit about Sylvester Stallone.
 

Kliq

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It's probably not worth discussing but it's shocking to me that a fifty year yold centimillionaire thinks wrasslin is worth a moment's thought

signed, an almost fifty year old gainfully employed person who admittedly spends a lot of time thinking about orcs and mutants
Whoa, whoa, whoa, let me be clear here, there is plenty of validity to wrestling conversation. My issue here is Helwani, former client of now-WWE CEO Nick Khan, being brought in as a supposedly non-partisan expert on wrestling and just vomiting all over himself with his analysis. That isn't even getting into the massive ethical question of The Ringer having an exclusive deal with WWE.
 

Mystic Merlin

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Whoa, whoa, whoa, let me be clear here, there is plenty of validity to wrestling conversation. My issue here is Helwani, former client of now-WWE CEO Nick Khan, being brought in as a supposedly non-partisan expert on wrestling and just vomiting all over himself with his analysis. That isn't even getting into the massive ethical question of The Ringer having an exclusive deal with WWE.
Do they disclose their relationship with WWE?

I recall they would regularly disclose The Ringer’s HBO relationship in GOT content for a period of time, so it’s extra questionable if they aren’t doing so here.
 

Kliq

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Do they disclose their relationship with WWE?

I recall they would regularly disclose The Ringer’s HBO relationship in GOT content for a period of time, so it’s extra questionable if they aren’t doing so here.
Yes they do, here is a recent "exclusive" scoop they got with the disclaimer up top:

https://www.theringer.com/wwe/2022/9/19/23360426/wwe-survivor-series-2022-triple-h-wargames-announcement

And here is the announcement of their business partnership:
https://newsroom.spotify.com/2021-08-18/the-ringer-and-wwe-enter-the-ring-in-new-partnership-to-produce-exclusive-spotify-original-content/#:~:text=The Ringer, a Spotify Studio,acquired by Spotify in 2020.
 

Shelterdog

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Whoa, whoa, whoa, let me be clear here, there is plenty of validity to wrestling conversation. My issue here is Helwani, former client of now-WWE CEO Nick Khan, being brought in as a supposedly non-partisan expert on wrestling and just vomiting all over himself with his analysis. That isn't even getting into the massive ethical question of The Ringer having an exclusive deal with WWE.
So my point (again probably not worth discussing) is I just don't get how you can be fifty and still be a pro wrestling fan. Which is admittedly an absurd view because I'm 47 and love godzilla, the fantastic four, and have strong preferences for elvish culture over dwarvish culture.
 

Kliq

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So my point (again probably not worth discussing) is I just don't get how you can be fifty and still be a pro wrestling fan. Which is admittedly an absurd view because I'm 47 and love godzilla, the fantastic four, and have strong preferences for elvish culture over dwarvish culture.
A majority of pro wrestling fans are over 50, at least with WWE.
 

Shelterdog

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A majority of pro wrestling fans are over 50, at least with WWE.
Yeah we're having a disconnect because i'm not saying anything more profound than wrestling is just for kids, and honestly when I think about it my position is a really stupid position to take (if it brings someone joy, fine, and it's not like i follow wrestling enough to know if the current plots are more textured and deep) and a hypocritical one for me to take because I get infuriated when someone (like Simmons for example) says comic book movies or star wars or dinosaurs or video games or whatever are just for kids.
 
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jezza1918

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Anyone listen to his open today about Celts/Ime? He recorded it before Shams came out with the "non-consensual" news last night, but even so I thought his take was pretty spot on - ultimately blaming no one by Ime for unacceptable behavior. And also threw some shade at Celts for the way it came out that resulted in a bunch of potential doxxing of female employees. Admittedly this listen was on a 6am pre coffee dog walk but I was pleasantly surprised that some kind of cancel culture angle never seemed to creep in.
 

riboflav

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Anyone listen to his open today about Celts/Ime? He recorded it before Shams came out with the "non-consensual" news last night, but even so I thought his take was pretty spot on - ultimately blaming no one by Ime for unacceptable behavior. And also threw some shade at Celts for the way it came out that resulted in a bunch of potential doxxing of female employees. Admittedly this listen was on a 6am pre coffee dog walk but I was pleasantly surprised that some kind of cancel culture angle never seemed to creep in.
I mean the doxxing is still going on even after today's PC. As Brad said they can't control Twitter. Additionally, it's hard for any large organization that has to hire an outside law firm to conduct an investigation to control leaks to the media. And they can't say who the female was especially if she was a victim. So yeah leaks gonna happen and Twitter gonna "investigate."
 

jezza1918

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I mean the doxxing is still going on even after today's PC. As Brad said they can't control Twitter. Additionally, it's hard for any large organization that has to hire an outside law firm to conduct an investigation to control leaks to the media. And they can't say who the female was especially if she was a victim. So yeah leaks gonna happen and Twitter gonna "investigate."
Totally...to be clear with regards to the doxxing stuff he was far more condemning of the twitterverse/society as a whole than he was of the celtics. I think his phrasing was along lines of "celtics could have handled it better." Which, to your point, Im not sure they couldve really. I have to imagine he does some follow up on it next week with more of the story flushed out.
 

JCizzle

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My favorite Simmons-ism from pick the lines this week was starting the football segments by correctly acknowledging it’s too early to use DVOA…but then using it throughout the podcast. I was legit laughing by the fifth reference to it.
 

luckiestman

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My favorite Simmons-ism from pick the lines this week was starting the football segments by correctly acknowledging it’s too early to use DVOA…but then using it throughout the podcast. I was legit laughing by the fifth reference to it.
I also love this stuff
 

Kliq

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IDK why because it's really just them rehashing a lot of the same talking points, but Simmons and Windhorst were really outstanding on the latest podcast. I really like their chemistry and Windhorst brings so much knowledge and perspective to the podcasts he is on. A long time ago I loved to make fun of him, but he's GREAT as a podcast guest who is really well connected with the NBA and works super well with a host like Bill.
 

ElUno20

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IDK why because it's really just them rehashing a lot of the same talking points, but Simmons and Windhorst were really outstanding on the latest podcast. I really like their chemistry and Windhorst brings so much knowledge and perspective to the podcasts he is on. A long time ago I loved to make fun of him, but he's GREAT as a podcast guest who is really well connected with the NBA and works super well with a host like Bill.
I felt completely the opposite. I could go another 10 years before hearing windhorst speak. He adds zero to anything he's on. It's just all continually patted himself on the back because he started covering lebron in high school and now knows that lebron "loves LA". Great what insight. Brutal and then he was followed by Bill's daughter...
 

nattysez

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IDK why because it's really just them rehashing a lot of the same talking points, but Simmons and Windhorst were really outstanding on the latest podcast. I really like their chemistry and Windhorst brings so much knowledge and perspective to the podcasts he is on. A long time ago I loved to make fun of him, but he's GREAT as a podcast guest who is really well connected with the NBA and works super well with a host like Bill.
I enjoyed this, too.

The Guess the Lines podcast this week was very good. Simmons kind of stumbled upon a very funny bit about Roger Maris Jr.'s boss right at the tail end that had me laughing out loud in the car. And his complaining about the guy who texted him before the London game to make a lineup change also had me chuckling.
 

luckiestman

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I enjoyed this, too.

The Guess the Lines podcast this week was very good. Simmons kind of stumbled upon a very funny bit about Roger Maris Jr.'s boss right at the tail end that had me laughing out loud in the car. And his complaining about the guy who texted him before the London game to make a lineup change also had me chuckling.
It will never happen but I wish Bill and Sal did a daily show
 

gammoseditor

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I loved when Bill asked Sal how much he should bet on million dollar picks and Sal just jumps in with “I don’t know what you do with your stupid money.” On an old podcast he joked why not billion dollar picks.
 

Kliq

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I'm very easy to please, but I'd listen to Lowe and Simmons every day if they recorded that frequently. It's my favorite NBA combo by far.
 

Mystic Merlin

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He’s not much of an analyst or reporter - what he is good at is getting close to tons of people in the NFL orbit and trading on that. Apparently people must like him as a TV personality, too, given his long tenure on ‘Good Morning Football.’