Bill Simmons leaving ESPN

[The Six]

Jalen and Jacoby cannot leave as they just got the ESPN LA drive time radio gig, thus their podcast just turned radio.

ESPN LA drive time? That's Max and Marcellus.

[DG_ThenNowForever]

People like Jacoby? I can't stand him. I think Jalen and Bill were great together, and I'm sad they won't be reunited. I think Jacoby getting Jalen to sing "give the people what they want" 15 times a show isn't very entertaining.

The Wesley Morris episode of the Bill Simmons podcast was very good. There was a bit of ESPN bashing (which he's got to tone down on), but lots of really great movie talk. Bill is really good at saying his piece, but giving his guests enough time and space to talk.

(Zach Lowe could learn from this by the way; a lot of his interview style is "I'm going to ask you a question but then answer it before you do and then ask for your response to my answer.")

And rounding out the Grantland media report, Barnwell and Mays spoke about Deadspin's charge that they've been bought of by DraftKings. They said at length that they picked a DFS site to supplement their fantasy picks, and that no one at ESPN cares enough about their show to tell them what to do. It was an interesting perspective from two guys that are clearly running out the clock.

[dfwabel]

Jalen and Jacoby cannot leave as they just got the ESPN LA drive time radio gig, thus their podcast just turned radio.

ESPN LA drive time? That's Max and Marcellus.

While in phone, I stand corrected

[KittSmith_95]

Damn... I wanted Bill and Jalen again.

Simmons, Jon Bois..... Scott Ferrall.... those are my guys.

[dfwabel]

People like Jacoby? I can't stand him. I think Jalen and Bill were great together, and I'm sad they won't be reunited. I think Jacoby getting Jalen to sing "give the people what they want" 15 times a show isn't very entertaining.

The Wesley Morris episode of the Bill Simmons podcast was very good. There was a bit of ESPN bashing (which he's got to tone down on), but lots of really great movie talk. Bill is really good at saying his piece, but giving his guests enough time and space to talk.

(Zach Lowe could learn from this by the way; a lot of his interview style is "I'm going to ask you a question but then answer it before you do and then ask for your response to my answer.")

And rounding out the Grantland media report, Barnwell and Mays spoke about Deadspin's charge that they've been bought of by DraftKings. They said at length that they picked a DFS site to supplement their fantasy picks, and that no one at ESPN cares enough about their show to tell them what to do. It was an interesting perspective from two guys that are clearly running out the clock.

Per SI's Richard Deitsch:

On Friday writer James Andrew Miller tweeted that four members of Grantland’s staff have departed and will go to work for Bill Simmons. He did not name names. Based on my reporting, those staffers are Sean Fennessey, Juliet Litman, Mallory Rubin and Chris Ryan. I do not know the specific jobs they will have with Simmons. An ESPN spokesperson declined comment on any staff defections

.Before she went to Grantland, Mallory Rubin used to work at SI in New York, so I think she probably confirmed her leaving to Deitsch herself.

[dfwabel]

People like Jacoby? I can't stand him. I think Jalen and Bill were great together, and I'm sad they won't be reunited. I think Jacoby getting Jalen to sing "give the people what they want" 15 times a show isn't very entertaining.

The Wesley Morris episode of the Bill Simmons podcast was very good. There was a bit of ESPN bashing (which he's got to tone down on), but lots of really great movie talk. Bill is really good at saying his piece, but giving his guests enough time and space to talk.

(Zach Lowe could learn from this by the way; a lot of his interview style is "I'm going to ask you a question but then answer it before you do and then ask for your response to my answer.")

And rounding out the Grantland media report, Barnwell and Mays spoke about Deadspin's charge that they've been bought of by DraftKings. They said at length that they picked a DFS site to supplement their fantasy picks, and that no one at ESPN cares enough about their show to tell them what to do. It was an interesting perspective from two guys that are clearly running out the clock.

SI's Richard Deitsch named the four.

On Friday writer James Andrew Miller tweeted that four members of Grantland’s staff have departed and will go to work for Bill Simmons. He did not name names. Based on my reporting, those staffers are Sean Fennessey, Juliet Litman, Mallory Rubin and Chris Ryan. I do not know the specific jobs they will have with Simmons. An ESPN spokesperson declined comment on any staff defections.

Before Grantland, Mallory Rubin used to cover college football for SI, so I'll take it that she contacted Deitsch herself.

[DG_ThenNowForever]

I saw that. So boring. Obviously it's important to have good stewardship, but talent is more fun to talk about.

[Dexter Morgan]

All editors, hiring top down. Wouldn't be surprised to see the likes of Barnwell, Greenwald, Rembert follow later.

Sad to see two of my favorite podcasts Hollywood Prospectus and Food News end. Though 2 of the 4 people from Watch the Thrones (Ryan and Rubin) are joining Simmons.

[Kramerica Industries]

So, umm...

[DG_ThenNowForever]

The only surprise is they didn't pull the plug sooner.

Sad to see a resource like Grantland go, but it has been limping along over the past few months anyway and probably cost way more than it was worth post-Simmons.

I hope Mays, Barnwell and Lowe get some benefit out of this. They're not ESPN talking head kind of guys, but maybe there's a Sports Reporter-esque property they could be successful with. Or they could just let their contracts run out and reunite with Simmons.

[dfwabel]

The only surprise is they didn't pull the plug sooner.

Sad to see a resource like Grantland go, but it has been limping along over the past few months anyway and probably cost way more than it was worth post-Simmons.

I hope Mays, Barnwell and Lowe get some benefit out of this. They're not ESPN talking head kind of guys, but maybe there's a Sports Reporter-esque property they could be successful with. Or they could just let their contracts run out and reunite with Simmons.

In terms of audio, Lowe can easily move over to the NBA Lockdown podcast and host for Sedano. Jonah Keri has options too.

Holly Anderson seems to be lashing out. NSFW

[dfwabel]

He has hired an Exec Producer for his HBO show who is formerly with NFL Network and FOX Sports before that (Best D@mn).

http://deadline.com/2015/11/eric-weinberger-president-of-bill-simmons-media-group-nfl-network-1201635697/

[2001mark]

I listened to the recent pod with Klostermann... they seemed to agree to disagree on the point that Grantland might've become too big for its vision.

Bill pointed out they merely wanted to expose its fine work to as many potential readers as possible... while Chuck seemed to think the site should've stuck to its mandate of concentrating only on the work & not trying to appease the masses.

I agree with both- I for one fwd' a slew of Grantland links & pieces via social media, however I never shoved it into ppls faces either. I actually stopped shoving things online years & years ago... stop telling ppl to see things, stop asking if they have yet, etc. Just post & walk.

[DG_ThenNowForever]

Here's the new Simmons project: http://theringer.com/

 

It's a really ugly website; the internet has long since moved on from white on black text. I hope they fix it when they launch for real.

 

Simmons' non-Pats, non-Celtics sports coverage tends to be pretty good. His "entertainment" coverage -- wherein he tries to be a Turtle-esque media mogul -- is pretty embarrassing. He had a TV-focused podcast this week where he asked Alan Sepinwall from hitflix about his favorite TV shows. Sepinwall's answer: current "it" show Broad City. Simmons had no idea what it was. He did, however, have lots to say about Girls (which everyone knows Broad City has long since eclipsed).

[dfwabel]

Bill is still very bitter.

 

[DG_ThenNowForever]

He has a point about the trade value column. I was surprised to see they ran that.

[Sport]

I listen to his podcast. If he has a chance to rip ESPN he isn't afraid to take it, which by now almost seems weird. He's probably in a better situation at this point with HBO and his own independent website. 

 

He really doesn't like Mike & Mike, which I love because I don't like Mike & Mike either. 

[JayMac]

Mike & Mike are horrible. Greenberg is such a tool.

[Gothamite]

Yeah, between the two of them they're pretty much the epitome of what's wrong with sports "journo-tainment".  

 

I might have to start listening to his podcast. Which one was that?

[CS85]

Mike & Mike are a good idea that has left the realm of dignity and ventured waywardly into the realm of drunken promotional vomit.  I think they're both genuine sports fans and broadcasters at heart, but even since the show became a TV show first and radio program second, they kind of lost their way.