The Ringer

jmcc5400

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Minor quibble, I think CBML was a huge video store hit. I wonder if there is data on this. I’d like to see if numbers map to memory but I don’t know if Blockbuster data was ever made public.
Yup, good point. Can't believe I've forgotten the hours spent in the video store before we selected Stripes. Again.
 

Kliq

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Like what?
I don't understand the question. Why wouldn't young people listen to podcasts? Young people have headphones in all the time; what do you think they are listening to? Just music? Whatever a young person is interested in, they are probably listening to a podcast about it.
 

Wingack

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I don't understand the question. Why wouldn't young people listen to podcasts? Young people have headphones in all the time; what do you think they are listening to? Just music? Whatever a young person is interested in, they are probably listening to a podcast about it.
I know they can. But are podcasts POPULAR with young people.

I'm 41. I like Ringer podcasts. I like comedy podcasts produced by Earwolf/Headgum, but I feel like those are targeted at my age group, or that they have grown with me from my early thirties into my forties. These types of podcasts are popular and among my friends.

BUT I don't imagine they are popular with say someone who is 19 years old. So if they are interested in pop culture/TV/films what are they listening to? if they are interested in comedy what are they listening to?
 

CaptainLaddie

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Young people listen to Barstool pods, to Call Her Daddy, to Joe Rogan, to Pod Save America, to Chapo Trap House.

They like political podcasts, podcasts about sex, podcasts about therapy, and podcasts about bullshit.
 

luckiestman

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Young people listen to Barstool pods, to Call Her Daddy, to Joe Rogan, to Pod Save America, to Chapo Trap House.

They like political podcasts, podcasts about sex, podcasts about therapy, and podcasts about bullshit.

This The Adam Friedland Show omission will not stand,… man
 

Dave Stapleton

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But I would bet there isn't a person under 30 who has even heard of Cannonball Run.
I really need to rewatch this immediately. Is it streaming anywhere?

John ... you're pretty tough on Bill and I have always wondered whether those who are really tired of his act followed him back in the DGB days. I definitely see his warts and turn him off when I am not feeling it but I just have a lot of respect for him sticking to his dream and his longevity so I think it colors my view of him. He played a huge role in making may awful days more enjoyable when I first started work in a law firm as an overworked associate who needed his daily links. I still smile when I think about a link to an article to "Yanni" in USA Today.

I just wonder how this breaks down on here. I know his history on SOSH also impacts the view of him and I honestly don't think I would be on here if not for him linking in back in the day. Again, just have respect for his success and ability to work from being a bartender and posting from his couch back in 90s to Jimmy Kimmell, ESPN and the Ringer. I also relate closely to his relationship with his dad and the role of the Celtics there. I think this is also why I enjoy Ryen as well. I rememeber his stint back on AM radio in Boston and respect his ability to stick to his dream.

No I am not related to Bill and have never met him but I've wondered this questions time and time again when reading this thread and figured I would ask it aloud. Feel free to ignore it if this is not discussion worthy.
 

Mugsy's Jock

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Minor quibble, I think CBML was a huge video store hit. I wonder if there is data on this. I’d like to see if numbers map to memory but I don’t know if Blockbuster data was ever made public.
I''ll take a little credit (or blame, if you want) too -- Can't Buy Me Love also played pretty goddamn often on three networks I programmed in the 1980s (Cinemax), 1990s (Comedy Central) and 2000s (VH1).
 

Hoya81

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Theyve done a few things lately that have been clearly aimed at attracting a younger audience, mostly picking a few newer movies but also involving producer Craig more, both in terms of asking him to opine on things while he’s producing to recently moving him into one of the main chairs. Craig is also pretty witty and a good podcast personality himself so it might be a way to expand their audience a little.

I would guess his audience mostly looks like me (50-ish white guy).

To me the strangest thing about Simmons is the Star Wars stuff. I’m not a Marvel guy and my kids aren’t either so I get that more. But being a kid or the 70s and 80s and not being at least a little into Star Wars is bizarre.
He's got some unusual blindspots. They've mostly avoided anything that's medium/hard sci-fi, aside from Edge of Tomorrow (which he wasn't on) and The Martian. IIRC, he also never got into the The Simpsons.
Yup, good point. Can't believe I've forgotten the hours spent in the video store before we selected Stripes. Again.
A similar thing happened to my sister and I once. She got super embarrassed at the counter because there was a late fee on our account for Star Wars and we had just got into a fight in the aisle where I insisted on renting it again.

I really need to rewatch this immediately. Is it streaming anywhere?
Oddly enough, it doesn't seem to available for streaming anywhere (JustWatch is a good search directory for streaming stuff) or even for digital sale on Itunes or Prime Video. Must be some kind of rights issue somewhere, because CB II is available.
 
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johnmd20

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I really need to rewatch this immediately. Is it streaming anywhere?

John ... you're pretty tough on Bill and I have always wondered whether those who are really tired of his act followed him back in the DGB days. I definitely see his warts and turn him off when I am not feeling it but I just have a lot of respect for him sticking to his dream and his longevity so I think it colors my view of him. He played a huge role in making may awful days more enjoyable when I first started work in a law firm as an overworked associate who needed his daily links. I still smile when I think about a link to an article to "Yanni" in USA Today.

I just wonder how this breaks down on here. I know his history on SOSH also impacts the view of him and I honestly don't think I would be on here if not for him linking in back in the day. Again, just have respect for his success and ability to work from being a bartender and posting from his couch back in 90s to Jimmy Kimmell, ESPN and the Ringer. I also relate closely to his relationship with his dad and the role of the Celtics there. I think this is also why I enjoy Ryen as well. I rememeber his stint back on AM radio in Boston and respect his ability to stick to his dream.

No I am not related to Bill and have never met him but I've wondered this questions time and time again when reading this thread and figured I would ask it aloud. Feel free to ignore it if this is not discussion worthy.
I have been one of the biggest fan boys of Simmons over the years, up until very recently. But his podcast now is bad, it just is, to use a Simmons parlance. Everyone gets old. And Simmons not only got old, but he got very rich. Eventually people fall off and stop being interesting and curious. I also think him stopping all of his writing hurt him as a podcaster.

I have been reading Simmons since the DGB days. I am on this board because of him and I definitely don't care that he left this site or the way he left it. People love to big game hunt. But he got old and cannae hack it anymore.
 

Dave Stapleton

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I have been one of the biggest fan boys of Simmons over the years, up until very recently. But his podcast now is bad, it just is, to use a Simmons parlance. Everyone gets old. And Simmons not only got old, but he got very rich. Eventually people fall off and stop being interesting and curious. I also think him stopping all of his writing hurt him as a podcaster.

I have been reading Simmons since the DGB days. I am on this board because of him and I definitely don't care that he left this site or the way he left it. People love to big game hunt. But he got old and cannae hack it anymore.
Appreciate your response. I think we are both around the same age and likely a similar life cycle of observing his career.

Now who is streaming Cannonball Run? I need my Dom Deluise fix!
 

johnmd20

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Appreciate your response. I think we are both around the same age and likely a similar life cycle of observing his career.

Now who is streaming Cannonball Run? I need my Dom Deluise fix!
I'm turning 50 in September.

And Cannonball Run is not streaming anywhere, unfortunately.
 
I also think him stopping all of his writing hurt him as a podcaster.
This is an interesting theory. On the one hand, I think the reps he's gotten as a podcaster have helped him become better at the nuts and bolts of his craft as a speaker - confidence, delivery, etc. But it's certainly very easy to cast an unsupported, throwaway idea into the ether by voice relative to the process of shaping that same idea into an article. At the same time, though, it's probably very difficult to not find yourself repeating articles you've written in the podcasts you're hosting, which is something that hurts your street cred with your biggest fans who want original content all the time in both mediums.

On balance, I think I disagree with your theory - but only because he was becoming intellectually stagnant even before he stopped writing. If he'd have continued writing, isn't it just as likely that his writing would have just kept getting worse and worse, and that his podcasting wouldn't have gotten any better? (I say that as a Simmons fan, albeit not a Simmons fanboy.)
 

johnmd20

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This is an interesting theory. On the one hand, I think the reps he's gotten as a podcaster have helped him become better at the nuts and bolts of his craft as a speaker - confidence, delivery, etc. But it's certainly very easy to cast an unsupported, throwaway idea into the ether by voice relative to the process of shaping that same idea into an article. At the same time, though, it's probably very difficult to not find yourself repeating articles you've written in the podcasts you're hosting, which is something that hurts your street cred with your biggest fans who want original content all the time in both mediums.

On balance, I think I disagree with your theory - but only because he was becoming intellectually stagnant even before he stopped writing. If he'd have continued writing, isn't it just as likely that his writing would have just kept getting worse and worse, and that his podcasting wouldn't have gotten any better? (I say that as a Simmons fan, albeit not a Simmons fanboy.)
Writing takes a lot of thought, requires an outline, and forces you to think about what you're going to say.

One of the things that has caused Simmons to fall off a cliff is that he's not curious or interesting, he just relies on a bunch of verbal tics that he falls back on because he's not exercising his thought muscles in any way. So it's all, "Is Durant a top 3 all time guy who tore an Achilles after winning two straight championships," or "Is Unforgiving the invention of the anti hero?"
 

Remagellan

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Writing takes a lot of thought, requires an outline, and forces you to think about what you're going to say.

One of the things that has caused Simmons to fall off a cliff is that he's not curious or interesting, he just relies on a bunch of verbal tics that he falls back on because he's not exercising his thought muscles in any way. So it's all, "Is Durant a top 3 all time guy who tore an Achilles after winning two straight championships," or "Is Unforgiving the invention of the anti hero?"
I agree with a lot of what you wrote about Simmons (I also go back to the BSG days), and I think this is a really good point. I listened to his Bill Russell tribute, which was essentially him reading the Russell section of his book or some old column (I guess) and was reminded of how good a writer he can be when he puts in the effort. But that desire is gone, and I respect his admission that he no longer has the drive to work hard enough to write a column, even sporadically. And while I think he's improved from his early days as a podcaster, he crested there a couple of years ago, and now it's almost impossible for me to listen to him without knowing exactly what's coming out of his mouth at any point, and whatever that is is rarely anything that interests me.

I chuckled when I saw that he's broken out his interviews, because he's one of the worst interviewers on his site, in large part because he's a terrible listener and is often more interested in his answer to the question he's posed than his subject's.
 

johnmd20

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I agree with a lot of what you wrote about Simmons (I also go back to the BSG days), and I think this is a really good point. I listened to his Bill Russell tribute, which was essentially him reading the Russell section of his book or some old column (I guess) and was reminded of how good a writer he can be when he puts in the effort. But that desire is gone, and I respect his admission that he no longer has the drive to work hard enough to write a column, even sporadically. And while I think he's improved from his early days as a podcaster, he crested there a couple of years ago, and now it's almost impossible for me to listen to him without knowing exactly what's coming out of his mouth at any point, and whatever that is is rarely anything that interests me.

I chuckled when I saw that he's broken out his interviews, because he's one of the worst interviewers on his site, in large part because he's a terrible listener and is often more interested in his answer to the question he's posed than his subject's.
And him releasing all those interviews shows that Simmons used to get really good guests. Now, the last 2 months have been 2 hour deep dives into the 78th best point guard in the Summer League. I like the NBA but it's now the only thing Simmons can talk about and it's too much. At least Rusillo can cover college football and the NFL pretty well, on top of the NBA. Plus Rusillo gets some really interesting guests, as well as the sports people he has on.

Simmons can't even cover the NFL anymore. His entire podcast during the NFL season is either guess the lines(still good because of Sal) or Million Dollar Picks.(a truly awful segment that is also nonsensical and Schraeger has a truly thankless job there to be a yes man) Those podcast kind of produce themselves because the content is already there, they just have to go through it.

But Simmons analyzes the NFL by vibes and whether a team he bet won or lost. If the bet won, the team is spicy and/or frisky. If the bet loses, the team is awful.
 

Marciano490

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And him releasing all those interviews shows that Simmons used to get really good guests. Now, the last 2 months have been 2 hour deep dives into the 78th best point guard in the Summer League. I like the NBA but it's now the only thing Simmons can talk about and it's too much. At least Rusillo can cover college football and the NFL pretty well, on top of the NBA. Plus Rusillo gets some really interesting guests, as well as the sports people he has on.

Simmons can't even cover the NFL anymore. His entire podcast during the NFL season is either guess the lines(still good because of Sal) or Million Dollar Picks.(a truly awful segment that is also nonsensical and Schraeger has a truly thankless job there to be a yes man) Those podcast kind of produce themselves because the content is already there, they just have to go through it.

But Simmons analyzes the NFL by vibes and whether a team he bet won or lost. If the bet won, the team is spicy and/or frisky. If the bet loses, the team is awful.
Not the first time a thin-skinned narcissist who inserts his interests and opinions into everything and throws a tantrum when he’s called out attracted a large following.

It’s funny, because I always thought he was a great writer with a contrived, lame personality, but his personality and voice have gotten him to even greater heights, so I guess folks like that.
 

Ralphwiggum

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Not the first time a thin-skinned narcissist who inserts his interests and opinions into everything and throws a tantrum when he’s called out attracted a large following.

It’s funny, because I always thought he was a great writer with a contrived, lame personality, but his personality and voice have gotten him to even greater heights, so I guess folks like that.
We probably need a separate Rewatchables thread at this point but your posts in this thread seem to be pretty aggressively anti-Simmons for someone who doesn‘t listen to him. I’m open to the fact that I should shut him off as well, I am also a BSG originalist like many others here, and have largely shut him off, but I truly enjoy the Rewatchables. But it seems like your critique is coming from a different place, like it isn’t the content of the podcast itself, but the mere fact that it exists that is problematic. Can you offer more?
 

Marciano490

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We probably need a separate Rewatchables thread at this point but your posts in this thread seem to be pretty aggressively anti-Simmons for someone who doesn‘t listen to him. I’m open to the fact that I should shut him off as well, I am also a BSG originalist like many others here, and have largely shut him off, but I truly enjoy the Rewatchables. But it seems like your critique is coming from a different place, like it isn’t the content of the podcast itself, but the mere fact that it exists that is problematic. Can you offer more?
Yeah, this is all fair. I was going more for dark sarcasm and lamenting the lowest common denominatorism of it all - opining that people would rather listen to people like themselves who have baseless, uneducated opinions they’re stridently wedded to than listen to people with actual insight.

As for Bill, yeah there’s some pettiness I’m not proud of. I usually root for every decent person’s success and don’t begrudge anyone who makes it to a certain level or beyond. But Bill is one of the people I resent. Like him and Joe Rogan. One or two others I can’t think of.

Part of it is definitely the inability to realize you’ve hit a helluva lucky streak. Bill was a talented writer, but he should be Bob Ryan or maybe CHB; not the face of a 9 figure (is that right, I’m too lazy to count) media empire. And that’s great. Normally I’d root for anyone to luck into the right place and right time. It’s happened to me recently in life and I’m so grateful and it’s fucking awesome.

But, dude thinks he really is that incredible. And it’s sad because he was the Everyman who know thinks he’s the Uberman.

That alone isn’t the reason though, if I’m being honest. I got into Simmons around the time I joined the site; when I left Boston to go to law school. It was really one of my first times away from home and I went from knowing everyone to knowing nobody and not even really knowing how to meet people because I worked at a bar and went to college in my hometown.

So, Simmons and SoSH were my touchstones for being back home and my Boston identity. And so yes there is an ugly dose of personal rancor mixed in with all of this, because there was some absurd sense of betrayal that the dude who was supposed to be acting like a slob with you at the bar in some egalitarian underclass mocking the elites is now set up at the big table doing all the things he cut down others for doing.

Like it’s not a new story. I’m sure we all have some version of it.
 

Vandalman

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Can’t Buy Me Love, dropped on Friday, is the latest episode of The Rewatchables.

Yes, there needs to be a thread just forThe Rewatchables to keep it out of Ringerverse.
 

PedroKsBambino

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Yeah, this is all fair. I was going more for dark sarcasm and lamenting the lowest common denominatorism of it all - opining that people would rather listen to people like themselves who have baseless, uneducated opinions they’re stridently wedded to than listen to people with actual insight.

As for Bill, yeah there’s some pettiness I’m not proud of. I usually root for every decent person’s success and don’t begrudge anyone who makes it to a certain level or beyond. But Bill is one of the people I resent. Like him and Joe Rogan. One or two others I can’t think of.

Part of it is definitely the inability to realize you’ve hit a helluva lucky streak. Bill was a talented writer, but he should be Bob Ryan or maybe CHB; not the face of a 9 figure (is that right, I’m too lazy to count) media empire. And that’s great. Normally I’d root for anyone to luck into the right place and right time. It’s happened to me recently in life and I’m so grateful and it’s fucking awesome.

But, dude thinks he really is that incredible. And it’s sad because he was the Everyman who know thinks he’s the Uberman.

That alone isn’t the reason though, if I’m being honest. I got into Simmons around the time I joined the site; when I left Boston to go to law school. It was really one of my first times away from home and I went from knowing everyone to knowing nobody and not even really knowing how to meet people because I worked at a bar and went to college in my hometown.

So, Simmons and SoSH were my touchstones for being back home and my Boston identity. And so yes there is an ugly dose of personal rancor mixed in with all of this, because there was some absurd sense of betrayal that the dude who was supposed to be acting like a slob with you at the bar in some egalitarian underclass mocking the elites is now set up at the big table doing all the things he cut down others for doing.

Like it’s not a new story. I’m sure we all have some version of it.
The thing to remember, whether you like Simmons, hate him, or used to like him and got tired of him, is that he has become far more a media innovator and talent spotter than performer. He's really good at those two other things even if he is somewhat mailing it in now as a performer. So I give him a lot of credit---and distinguish him from Ryan and CHB---for doing more and different things than just perform. That, as it turns out, is where he has been most impactful and is responsible for most of that money....as a performer he'd make 1 mil a year or something like that, but as a guy who envisioned a new media platform he's worth a lot more than that.
 

8slim

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I listened to the two most recent 60 Songs this weekend. Thoughts on each…

The episode about Sunny Day Real Estate was the first one I didn’t finish. Admittedly I had never heard of the band, nor the song, and I have never been into Emo in any of its incarnations. I was hoping maybe the sheer force that is Rob would propel me through the episode, but I bailed 40 minutes in.

As for the episode about Janet Jackson’s Together Again, it was excellent. However, Rob clearly quite purposeful refrained from mentioning Michael. I mean he literally didn’t say his name a single time, nor did his guest.

I think I get why that was. I assume that this was a case where he didn’t want to diminish a female artist by presenting her as an appendage to a male figure. I respect that. But in this specific case it felt a bit forced. Janet and Michael are inextricably linked. They were wildly popular at the same time, and I’d contend that Janet was, remarkably, a far more relevant pop culture figure for 5-6 years in the late 90s/early 2000s. Coyly calling her a “member of musical family” seemed a bit silly to me.
 

HoyaSoxa

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View: https://twitter.com/BillSimmons/status/1555936249927544834

So excited to finally be able to talk about Boston sports on a Ringer podcast. Will be a totally new experience for me. Welcome aboard @itsbrianbarrett !
Brian Barrett, who has done excellent work at WEEI, is leaving to host a Boston sports podcast for The Ringer.
What do people think of Barrett? I have only heard him a few times on Sox postgame (don't listen to WEEI for the most part), and I was really impressed with his preparation and use of stats, but have also heard him come across as fairly condescending/mean. He will have some really strong potential guests from the Ringer (Russilllo, KOC, Princiotti and of course Simmons are all tied in to the Boston sports scene), so I will likely be adding this one to my queue.
 

Leather

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Nitpick re: The Rewatchables. They use "Sliding Doors Moment" a lot when discussing what films actors choose, which allow other actors to take/not get a role. And that's not (to my understanding) what that term means. A Sliding Doors Moment is a decision or circumstance that, at the time it is made, seems relatively inconsequential or benign, but in hindsight takes on huge significance for the person making that decision. It stems from the 1998 Gwyneth Paltrow movie where she barely misses a train (the "sliding doors") and things cascade from there. The decision to take/not take a multi-million dollar offer to play a part in a Hollywood movie can, by definition, never be a "Sliding Doors Moment." That someone else gets a big part because you took X role is just "the consequences."
 

johnmd20

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Nitpick re: The Rewatchables. They use "Sliding Doors Moment" a lot when discussing what films actors choose, which allow other actors to take/not get a role. And that's not (to my understanding) what that term means. A Sliding Doors Moment is a decision or circumstance that, at the time it is made, seems relatively inconsequential or benign, but in hindsight takes on huge significance for the person making that decision. It stems from the 1998 Gwyneth Paltrow movie where she barely misses a train (the "sliding doors") and things cascade from there. The decision to take/not take a multi-million dollar offer to play a part in a Hollywood movie can, by definition, never be a "Sliding Doors Moment." That someone else gets a big part because you took X role is just "the consequences."
Is this the Apex Mountain of nitpicks? :)
 

Bozo Texino

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The 60 Songs That Explain the 90s episode about the Prodigy's "Firestarter" is fantastic - epsecially Rob's dive into "1990s junk drawer alternative rock movie soundtracks." YES. THIS IS MY SHIT.

I've seriously considered writing a proposal for a 33 1/3 book on the 1994 soundtrack to The Crow.
 

JCizzle

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I'm not sure if anyone else listens to the Ringer NFL, but some of their podcasters are just...off to me. I enjoy Sheil Kapadia's writing, but he sounds like a Warren Sharp clone in the worst possible way in his limited podcasts so far. He talks like a weird robot that I'd never want to grab a beer with. Another guy I like far more in writing form than audio form. Ben Solak remains one of the few must-listens I have in their NFL space, which is weird considering how much I enjoy their NBA content.

On the flip side, I found myself really enjoying Russillo solo describe his trip to Iceland. There are certain personalities that I can listen talk about anything, and he's way up on the list. Really enjoyable hour+ that I didn't expect going into it.
 

luckiestman

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I'm not sure if anyone else listens to the Ringer NFL, but some of their podcasters are just...off to me. I enjoy Sheil Kapadia's writing, but he sounds like a Warren Sharp clone in the worst possible way in his limited podcasts so far. He talks like a weird robot that I'd never want to grab a beer with. Another guy I like far more in writing form than audio form. Ben Solak remains one of the few must-listens I have in their NFL space, which is weird considering how much I enjoy their NBA content.

On the flip side, I found myself really enjoying Russillo solo describe his trip to Iceland. There are certain personalities that I can listen talk about anything, and he's way up on the list. Really enjoyable hour+ that I didn't expect going into it.
They must know because they keep trying to change it up. I listen to Around the NFL and Lombardi. Sharp for some reason I really hate as a podcaster. He seems like a nice guy and sometimes he’ll drop good info but I am not entertained. Not even House (who I like) can carry Sharp.

Old pal johnmd hates Schrager and Simmons but I don’t mind them.
 
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JCizzle

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They must know because they keep trying to change it up. I listen to Around the NFL and Lombardi. Sharp for some reason I really hate as a podcaster. He seems like a nice guy and sometimes he’ll drop good info but I am. It entertained. Not even House (who I like) can carry Sharp.

Old pal johnmd hates Schrager and Simmons but I don’t mind them.
Yeah, Schrager and Simmons (and Simmons and Sal) are good pairings to me, but I get the sense that Simmons wants out of the business in a couple years. It's really hurting them that they can't find a KOC/Vernon pairing on the NFL side.
 

Mugsy's Jock

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I'm not sure if anyone else listens to the Ringer NFL, but some of their podcasters are just...off to me. I enjoy Sheil Kapadia's writing, but he sounds like a Warren Sharp clone in the worst possible way in his limited podcasts so far. He talks like a weird robot that I'd never want to grab a beer with. Another guy I like far more in writing form than audio form. Ben Solak remains one of the few must-listens I have in their NFL space, which is weird considering how much I enjoy their NBA content.

On the flip side, I found myself really enjoying Russillo solo describe his trip to Iceland. There are certain personalities that I can listen talk about anything, and he's way up on the list. Really enjoyable hour+ that I didn't expect going into it
Echo both these takes 100%. Kapadia is an excellent writer, but as yet a terrible podcaster. You can tell he's always thinking ahead to what he's going to say next, while at the same time focusing (too much) on expressing what he's about to say in an amusing way. Like Sharp and Ryan Shazier, to name two, when I see his name as a host, I'm passing.

Kevin Clark is knowledgable and worth listening to if a touch too self-impressed for my taste. Princiotti and Solak, on the other hand, have fantastic on-pod personalities, I find Heifetz incredibly relatable and genuinely funny. I'm glad he's been on the NFL pod more often.

And that Russillo travel podcast was great. I really hope that becomes a regular feature.
 

johnmd20

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They must know because they keep trying to change it up. I listen to Around the NFL and Lombardi. Sharp for some reason I really hate as a podcaster. He seems like a nice guy and sometimes he’ll drop good info but I am not entertained. Not even House (who I like) can carry Sharp.

Old pal johnmd hates Schrager and Simmons but I don’t mind them.
I like Schrager. I just think million dollar picks is stupid and a terrible segment. That's not Peter's fault. He is also excellent on Good Morning Football. But Simmons talking about gambling is just a drag, on top of how silly the whole MDP conceit is. BS has no self awareness and his constant opinions formed after the fact are lame. Just be earnest, gambling is hard and sometimes you make a terrible call. You can't wait for a result and then be like, "Well, obviously THAT was going to happen, i don't know how I missed it." You missed it, Bill, because you cannot see the future and sports gambling can be very random.

Speaking of talents, the Ringer hiring Joanna Robinson was just a perfect hire. She is really awesome no matter what she's talking about. And her spot on the Big Picture this week was an absolute joy but it also made me really sad because she pairs so much better with Sean than "too cool for school, your opinion sucks but mine is perfect and whatever" Amanda Dobbins, who is all negative energy. If only Joanna could be on the Big Pic all the time, that podcast is great despite Dobbins but if it was Sean and Jo, it would be a must listen every episode. Big fan of Joanna, her work on the Ringerverse and on the Westworld podcast is impressive, she's smart as a whip but also real and cool.

Finally, Russillo's Iceland travelogue was one of the most enjoyable podcasts ever. Holy cow Russillo is a unique dude. I don't think there is anyone better at podcasting alone, one mic, and just going off on whatever it is he's talking about. But the Iceland episode is a MUST LISTEN. If you haven't, do it. It really is something.
 

johnmd20

mad dog
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61,996
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Echo both these takes 100%. Kapadia is an excellent writer, but as yet a terrible podcaster. You can tell he's always thinking ahead to what he's going to say next, while at the same time focusing (too much) on expressing what he's about to say in an amusing way. Like Sharp and Ryan Shazier, to name two, when I see his name as a host, I'm passing.

Kevin Clark is knowledgable and worth listening to if a touch too self-impressed for my taste. Princiotti and Solak, on the other hand, have fantastic on-pod personalities, I find Heifetz incredibly relatable and genuinely funny. I'm glad he's been on the NFL pod more often.

And that Russillo travel podcast was great. I really hope that becomes a regular feature.
Clark and Princiotti are a great pairing and their Monday morning pods in season are a lot of fun. Solak is also excellent, he's deeply knowledgable about the NFL. Heifetz is also a riot, love him on the Fantasy Pod with the insanely hilarious Craig Horlbeck and the perfect 3rd mic Danny Kelly. The Ringer Fantasy Football pod is extremely funny. If you have any interest in FF, it's a great one to listen to.

The one guy I cannot stand is Stephen Ruiz. What a poser and a dark soul. If he's on a pod, it's a HARD pass. I can at least listen to Kapadia, but right now, yes, he's not engaging in any way. But he's not a fucking complete douche like Ruiz.
 

Remagellan

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
I like Schrager. I just think million dollar picks is stupid and a terrible segment. That's not Peter's fault. He is also excellent on Good Morning Football. But Simmons talking about gambling is just a drag, on top of how silly the whole MDP conceit is. BS has no self awareness and his constant opinions formed after the fact are lame. Just be earnest, gambling is hard and sometimes you make a terrible call. You can't wait for a result and then be like, "Well, obviously THAT was going to happen, i don't know how I missed it." You missed it, Bill, because you cannot see the future and sports gambling can be very random.

Speaking of talents, the Ringer hiring Joanna Robinson was just a perfect hire. She is really awesome no matter what she's talking about. And her spot on the Big Picture this week was an absolute joy but it also made me really sad because she pairs so much better with Sean than "too cool for school, your opinion sucks but mine is perfect and whatever" Amanda Dobbins, who is all negative energy. If only Joanna could be on the Big Pic all the time, that podcast is great despite Dobbins but if it was Sean and Jo, it would be a must listen every episode. Big fan of Joanna, her work on the Ringerverse and on the Westworld podcast is impressive, she's smart as a whip but also real and cool.

Finally, Russillo's Iceland travelogue was one of the most enjoyable podcasts ever. Holy cow Russillo is a unique dude. I don't think there is anyone better at podcasting alone, one mic, and just going off on whatever it is he's talking about. But the Iceland episode is a MUST LISTEN. If you haven't, do it. It really is something.
Absolutely agree about Joanna. I never thought there could be a more perfect person to pair with Mal than Jason Concepcion, but Joanna may be an even more perfect fit with Mal, because she's about as great a podcaster as Jason, and possesses nearly as much of an encyclopedic knowledge of pop culture as he does, without the tendency to get as squealy as Jason and Mal could get at times. She's fun, but she keeps the discussion on track and that makes her and Mal's House of R pod a much easier listen than the ones Mal used to do with Jason could be at times.
 

johnmd20

mad dog
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Dec 30, 2003
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Absolutely agree about Joanna. I never thought there could be a more perfect person to pair with Mal than Jason Concepcion, but Joanna may be an even more perfect fit with Mal, because she's about as great a podcaster as Jason, and possesses nearly as much of an encyclopedic knowledge of pop culture as he does, without the tendency to get as squealy as Jason and Mal could get at times. She's fun, but she keeps the discussion on track and that makes her and Mal's House of R pod a much easier listen than the ones Mal used to do with Jason could be at times.
By the end of Binge Mode, it was intolerable because it was basically 97% annoying cackling and 3% amazing analysis. The early episodes of Binge Mode were 14% cackling. But as it went along, it was very difficult to listen to.

Jason C is very impressed with himself.
 

8slim

has trust issues
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Nov 6, 2001
24,829
Unreal America
I don’t have the Simmons disdain that some folks do, but I got an alert this afternoon that his new pod is about KD’s summer and I actually groaned.

My goodness, enough.
 

Auger34

used to be tbb
SoSH Member
Apr 23, 2010
9,271
They must know because they keep trying to change it up. I listen to Around the NFL and Lombardi. Sharp for some reason I really hate as a podcaster. He seems like a nice guy and sometimes he’ll drop good info but I am not entertained. Not even House (who I like) can carry Sharp.

Old pal johnmd hates Schrager and Simmons but I don’t mind them.
I mean it depends on what you’re looking for.

You have to really, really, REALLY enjoy Simmons to listen to any of his NFL stuff. He has almost no knowledge of the game anymore and with certain people (unfortunately Schrager is one of them) he can kind of snow them under and force them to talk about his inane ideas and takes. I still listen to Guess the Lines because I love Cousin Sal but other than that there’s literally 0 reason to listen to Simmons talk about anything to do with the NFL.

I really like Solak, Heifetz and Princiotti. I think I am in the minority but I find Kevin Clark incredibly grating. He’s INCREDIBLY impressed with himself and acts like he’s some sort of football genius but pretty much all of his analysis is retreads from other (smarter) people. I also get the sense that he legitimately thinks he could do a better job than almost every NFL GM and there’s literally nothing he’s ever wrote or said that should give him that sense of confidence
 

Auger34

used to be tbb
SoSH Member
Apr 23, 2010
9,271
I don’t have the Simmons disdain that some folks do, but I got an alert this afternoon that his new pod is about KD’s summer and I actually groaned.

My goodness, enough.
I haven’t listened to it but I had to laugh at the title of “A new way to look at KD”. I would be absolutely stunned if the pod is not just Simmons kissing Durants ass and blaming literally everyone else but him
 

Kliq

Member
SoSH Member
Mar 31, 2013
22,667
I don’t have the Simmons disdain that some folks do, but I got an alert this afternoon that his new pod is about KD’s summer and I actually groaned.

My goodness, enough.
It's well known that I'm a bigger Simmons fan than most, and I was really looking forward to his return pod, but I honestly have no interest in more analysis on the NBA (when really nothing has happened over the month Simmons was in Scandinavia) and I'm exhausted by the coverage of it, and I love the NBA.
 

8slim

has trust issues
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Nov 6, 2001
24,829
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It's well known that I'm a bigger Simmons fan than most, and I was really looking forward to his return pod, but I honestly have no interest in more analysis on the NBA (when really nothing has happened over the month Simmons was in Scandinavia) and I'm exhausted by the coverage of it, and I love the NBA.
"Exhausted" is the perfect word. There are times I'm interested in NBA chatter, but I find myself being totally exhausted by the never-ending, player movement gossip machine. I think this is a major reason why Bill doesn't talk about MLB anymore, because there isn't the same kind of player-fueled team-switching drama that the NBA seems to be built upon these days. It just gets tedious.
 

Kliq

Member
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Mar 31, 2013
22,667
"Exhausted" is the perfect word. There are times I'm interested in NBA chatter, but I find myself being totally exhausted by the never-ending, player movement gossip machine. I think this is a major reason why Bill doesn't talk about MLB anymore, because there isn't the same kind of player-fueled team-switching drama that the NBA seems to be built upon these days. It just gets tedious.
I think it's somewhat of a self-fulfilling prophecy. Simmons loves the NBA as his #1, and by way of that, has attracted a big audience who are interested in his NBA content. I'm sure other non-NFL/NBA content he produces doesn't do as well, and so he has curtailed pretty much all MLB talk or discussion on any other sports.

Judging by his limited Twitter activity, it seems like Bill is still pretty regularly following the Red Sox and watching baseball. I just don't think it's valuable at all for him to discuss it on his pod because his listenership are NBA/NFL fans.
 

8slim

has trust issues
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Nov 6, 2001
24,829
Unreal America
I think it's somewhat of a self-fulfilling prophecy. Simmons loves the NBA as his #1, and by way of that, has attracted a big audience who are interested in his NBA content. I'm sure other non-NFL/NBA content he produces doesn't do as well, and so he has curtailed pretty much all MLB talk or discussion on any other sports.

Judging by his limited Twitter activity, it seems like Bill is still pretty regularly following the Red Sox and watching baseball. I just don't think it's valuable at all for him to discuss it on his pod because his listenership are NBA/NFL fans.
That makes sense. I do wish there was a podcaster as entertaining as Simmons who's an MLB-first person. When I'm not groaning about his August Durant pods, Bill's passion for the NBA makes for a fun listen, even if I'm not in the same stratosphere as an avid NBA fan as he. I've yet to find an equivalent on the baseball side.
 

Mugsy's Jock

Eli apologist
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I haven’t listened to it but I had to laugh at the title of “A new way to look at KD”. I would be absolutely stunned if the pod is not just Simmons kissing Durants ass and blaming literally everyone else but him
Having just listened to the pod, let me now say I am interested in hearing your stock picks.

(Not that you made the boldest prediction, but it was letter-perfect accurate)
 

Leather

given himself a skunk spot
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Jul 18, 2005
28,451
There really does seem to be a niche for an entertaining MLB podcast. Poscast is ok but it's almost TOO chummy.
 

Kliq

Member
SoSH Member
Mar 31, 2013
22,667
There really does seem to be a niche for an entertaining MLB podcast. Poscast is ok but it's almost TOO chummy.
I've enjoyed Talkin' Baseball, which is through Jomboy media. It's kind of light but it's a fun twice-a-week show with some entertaining bits.