Great site definetly in the daily rotation.
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TobiasFunke
Footballguy
TobiasFunke
Footballguy
Credit where credit is due: this Charles Pierce article on Tebow is also outstanding. Like the Penn State piece above, this one soem of the better sportswriting I've seen this year.
scoobygang
Footballguy
I don't find Grantland's think pieces any better or worse than Slate's or Salons (and about as inconsistent as both). Considering that 90% of Grantland consists of items that aren't larger think pieces, such as the weekly and daily features, I think it's best to evaluate the site based on those.
I like several of the daily or more regular contributors. I think Chris Ryan's coverage of the EPL is excellent, and a significant step up from many of the columnists on ESPN.com. It's not as tactical as zonal marking, but it's as good a "popular" EPL column as I can think of. I think Barnwell does the Tuesday Morning QB thing far better than TMQ ever did. I kind of like Jonah Keri, but I'm not nearly a big enough baseball fan to evaluate him.
The big draws, however, in Simmons and Klosterman, strike me as among the worst writers on the site. Klosterman has far fewer bad writing habits that Simmons, but his articles are always the same kind of clever take on nothing. I don't believe that Klosterman sincerely believes that KISS is a great rock and roll band or that some Led Zeppelin concert footage tells us anything about anything, but I know he'll pretend that he does. His article on Tebow (Paraphrased as "Isn't it interesting that people are interested in Tim Tebow!") was pretty inane. Even for the web. It was kind of Rick Reilly territory.
I like several of the daily or more regular contributors. I think Chris Ryan's coverage of the EPL is excellent, and a significant step up from many of the columnists on ESPN.com. It's not as tactical as zonal marking, but it's as good a "popular" EPL column as I can think of. I think Barnwell does the Tuesday Morning QB thing far better than TMQ ever did. I kind of like Jonah Keri, but I'm not nearly a big enough baseball fan to evaluate him.
The big draws, however, in Simmons and Klosterman, strike me as among the worst writers on the site. Klosterman has far fewer bad writing habits that Simmons, but his articles are always the same kind of clever take on nothing. I don't believe that Klosterman sincerely believes that KISS is a great rock and roll band or that some Led Zeppelin concert footage tells us anything about anything, but I know he'll pretend that he does. His article on Tebow (Paraphrased as "Isn't it interesting that people are interested in Tim Tebow!") was pretty inane. Even for the web. It was kind of Rick Reilly territory.
Good Posting Judge
Footballguy
Maybe he isn't doing well.I like Jonah Keri too. Baseball-wise, they're strong on that front.Mark Titus, some guy who was a walk-on for Ohio St. basketball, is horrible. And the Boardwalk Empire recaps from "Molly Lambert" were merely a blow-by-blow of what happened with snark added. Worthless.'The_Man said:
The two-part podcasts with Louis C.K. were really good. Just lots of interesting info on the different career paths of comics. Cool part was Louis describing the reaction of all the comics when they saw Chris Rock's "Bring the Pain" set for the first time at Caronline's. Said it was like looking at the bench of the losing team at the W.S. Comics just in disbelief and feeling they had wasted a good five years compared to the jump Rock had just made.
Louis was really inspired by Rock because Rock had really put the time in and honed is act/persona. Wasn't like he just burst onto the scene that good.
The backstory and the coming together of Dane Cook on Louie FX show was all terrific too.
Must listen.
Louis was really inspired by Rock because Rock had really put the time in and honed is act/persona. Wasn't like he just burst onto the scene that good.
The backstory and the coming together of Dane Cook on Louie FX show was all terrific too.
Must listen.
RevDawg
Footballguy
biggamer3
Footballguy
yep, and no one gives Simmons credit but he really can get to some deep stuff at times like he did in the CK interview.Also I thought his podcast with the CEO of Ticketmaster was really insightful and entertaining
Don Quixote
Footballguy
The Molly Lambert mention reminds me that I was reading her grading the top songs of the year today, and she made the comment that "Rolling in the Deep" will be played at weddings forever... really? who plays that song at a wedding?
TobiasFunke
Footballguy
I think he's been a much better interviewer than writer for a few years now.
Kev4029
Footballguy
I expected the podcast to be funny, it wasn't. And IMO, the interview made Louis CK sound like an arrogant d-bag, especially the talk about Dane Cook.
Yeah the Ticketmaster interview was surprisingly good. A lot about the future of live events and how venues can price tickets going forward and what it means to the customers. I like the notion of smaller NBA venues but with ever-increasing populations don't see an owner going for that on an arena that's going to last 20-30 years.
Apple Juice
Footballguy
I enjoy your posts and respect your insights as much as anybody on here. I agree with most of what I see you write. This isn't the first time I've seen somebody taken down Klosterman. Many others also dismiss him so it makes me question myself because I really enjoy reading him. His stuff isn't profound or groundbreaking, and yeah I guess some of it is inane, but the way he ponders topics and pokes around at them almost always amuses me at the very least. A lot of time it hits the right note causing me to recall an instance where I pondered something in a similar manner. He doesn't so much come up with jarring answers as he does examine thoughts or ideas in a simple, relatable way. I guess I just consider him a sort of normal dude whose main talent is putting words to things normal dudes can't quite put words to.'scoobygang said:
biggamer3
Footballguy
He is a Dbag though and is proud of it. If you watched his latest special he goes on and on about how he is better then regular people right now and how much he wants to murder a child in his kids class. That is part of his shtick, that he is a miserable person without a filter.The Cook stuff was funny IMO and cool to hear how he came on the show. I love how he threatened Cook if he didnt play himself he would get someone to play as Dane Cook
If the interview made Louis CK sound like a d-bag, especially with the details of the Dane Cook feud, I'd consider that a must listen to as well. Louis came off as very particular and honest. Arrogant? I didn't get that but see how one could. As far as Dane Cook, got the impression that he and Louis just agree to disagree. But you could tell that's as far as it goes and Louis does not care for him. Got the impression the scene for the FX show is basically how it really is and how it was left off.
scoobygang
Footballguy
People should like what they like. There's not a FFA poster I respect and like better than scorchy, and he's a Klosterman fan. I don't dispute his main point of argument. Klosterman is entertaining. Simmons, for all his awful habits, can also be entertaining (I like him better as a podcast host). But I do think Klosterman is, more often than not, full of it. And what's more, I think Klosterman is smart enough to know it, but doesn't really care. That shouldn't stop anyone from enjoying him, but it does annoy me. It all feel to schticky to me. Which probably shouldn't bug a guy who's spent a decade on the internet running the same gay joke into the ground, but there you go.
Good Posting Judge
Footballguy
It's hard to recall another interview done by anyone where a subject was treated with such kid gloves (although a couple of Amanpour's efforts on "This Week" come close). If the only thing you knew about Ticketmaster was from listening to that interview, you'd think they were Google. Ticketmaster, as a company, is a fetid pile of ####### garbage.
Didn't the guy in the interview concede that reputation and try to explain or refute where it was deserving? Listened to it a while ago. Gist I got is Ticketmaster has a lot of work to do.
biggamer3
Footballguy
yeah, thats why i found it insightful. The CEO was aware of the bad situation they were in and acknowledged they had many places they could improve int.
ODoyleRules
Footballguy
Yep. He's not the smartest sports analyst, nor is he the funniest comedian type, but I find his podcast to be the most consistently entertaining and covers topics I'm interested in.
Moe.
Footballguy
Really enjoying this article from Jonah Lehrer on concussions and football. Football as we know it is in serious trouble and I truly believe it is going to be phased out of the American sports landscape unless it undergoes some major changes. I'd like to see them eliminate pads altogether. Anyone know if rugby players suffer concussions at a similar rate?
roadkill1292
Footballguy
GroveDiesel
Footballguy
I'm not a music nerd at all. In fact, I don't even have a clue who the singer this article is talking about is. I read the article because I thought it might be entertaining or give me some interesting info behind a controversial artist.
Instead, i felt like I was roofied the entire time I was reading it. Is the author just talking in a lot of insiderish music nerd terms, or just high as all get out? Can a music
help me out here?
http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/7523277/a-look-lana-del-rey-new-album-born-die
Instead, i felt like I was roofied the entire time I was reading it. Is the author just talking in a lot of insiderish music nerd terms, or just high as all get out? Can a music
help me out here?http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/7523277/a-look-lana-del-rey-new-album-born-die
Good Posting Judge
Footballguy
The article about the greatest boxing match ever (a white guy and a black guy beating each other's brains in in some field in England) was really interesting.
I'm by no means a music nerd... I'm definitely a music enthusiast, though. I found the article to be pretty interesting in the parts where he's not trying to show everyone how smart he is and how well he writes.The background is that Lizzy Grant renamed herself and redefined her image as Lana Del Ray because Lizzy Grant wasn't selling records. When Del Ray came out with that "Video Games" video (which by the way is gorgeous) it turned a lot of people's heads. She was an indie queen coming up by her onesies "untouched" by the industry. Slowly the news started to trickle that she hadn't always been Lana Del Ray. That she was indeed another woman. But not only another woman... a (rich!) woman that had been defined and crafted by her management team to (gasp!) sell records!I'm not a music nerd at all. In fact, I don't even have a clue who the singer this article is talking about is. I read the article because I thought it might be entertaining or give me some interesting info behind a controversial artist.
Instead, i felt like I was roofied the entire time I was reading it. Is the author just talking in a lot of insiderish music nerd terms, or just high as all get out? Can a music
http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/7523277/a-look-lana-del-rey-new-album-born-die
That brings me to my favorite part of the article: men can redefine themselves to become cult hits whereas when a woman redefines herself she's a "fake #####".
At the end the author isn't quite sure if Grant/Del Ray is selling out. (He likens her to more of a Brian Eno persona. Where being pretentious is actually a good thing.) It sounds like he thinks she's getting a bad rap for trying to make it in an industry that requires a bit of selling out to make a living.But geez, he sure did use a lot of words to make only a handful of salient points.
roadkill1292
Footballguy
Ed Wood
Footballguy
Who is this gal? Lana, Taylor or Michelle? 
http://www.grantland.com/blog/hollywood-prospectus/post/_/id/42556/lana-taylor-and-michelle
They really need cutlines for those of us nerds who don't know everything that's going on out there...
http://www.grantland.com/blog/hollywood-prospectus/post/_/id/42556/lana-taylor-and-michelle
They really need cutlines for those of us nerds who don't know everything that's going on out there...
Ed Wood
Footballguy
Oh, never mind. I see her name is Lionel Bonaventure.Carry on.Who is this gal? Lana, Taylor or Michelle?
Joe Summer
Footballguy
Rick James
Footballguy
Wow, that's an impressive score for Simmons.
Don Quixote
Footballguy
Simmons wears ties for no one.
Abraham
Footballguy
Half a million.
I'd bet that's way low. I'd be surprised if his ESPN deal alone was less than 1 million.
Premier
Footballguy
Oh please. He's pulling 2 mil a year easily.
ESPN notoriously cheap. Could see Kornheiser and Wilbon pulling 2mill/year. Simmons? 750-1mill. Hard to imagine he makes more then that with no radio or tv visibility.
"I've got league pass on my IPAD."
"I've got another five years here."
"My crossover is solid."
"If I throw a grounder that's going to be a problem."
"Give that guy a lot of props for that one." On Bush's pitch after 9/11
"You got to tell Blake to take that 12-15ft footer. If he gets that down he'll be unstoppable like K. Malone. He could be the best power forward ever."
Omar his favorite Wire character. Awesome. Thought he was going to play it safe and go with Lester.
Come on people. That was
on every topic.
"I've got another five years here."
"My crossover is solid."
"If I throw a grounder that's going to be a problem."
"Give that guy a lot of props for that one." On Bush's pitch after 9/11
"You got to tell Blake to take that 12-15ft footer. If he gets that down he'll be unstoppable like K. Malone. He could be the best power forward ever."
Omar his favorite Wire character. Awesome. Thought he was going to play it safe and go with Lester.
Come on people. That was
on every topic.Short Corner
Footballguy
He knows how to talk the talk. Malone as the best PF ever is laughable. Not buying the crossover either."I've got league pass on my IPAD.""I've got another five years here.""My crossover is solid.""If I throw a grounder that's going to be a problem.""Give that guy a lot of props for that one." On Bush's pitch after 9/11"You got to tell Blake to take that 12-15ft footer. If he gets that down he'll be unstoppable like K. Malone. He could be the best power forward ever."Omar his favorite Wire character. Awesome. Thought he was going to play it safe and go with Lester.
Premier
Footballguy
There was an article that came out last summer that alluded to him making this kind of dough. He apparently had big offers from other major media when his last contract was up. He seems like he started Grantland because he wanted some form of autonomy. The article also addressed how much money he makes for espn. He basically transformed their website. He's getting paid. And as an aside, I read Hannah Storm makes 750k. Bill is easily worth 2-3 times that.
roadkill1292
Footballguy
The Prez sounded like a pretty confident guy in that interview, which surprised me a little. Big score for Simmons, how do you top that?"I've got league pass on my IPAD."
"I've got another five years here."
"My crossover is solid."
"If I throw a grounder that's going to be a problem."
"Give that guy a lot of props for that one." On Bush's pitch after 9/11
"You got to tell Blake to take that 12-15ft footer. If he gets that down he'll be unstoppable like K. Malone. He could be the best power forward ever."
Omar his favorite Wire character. Awesome. Thought he was going to play it safe and go with Lester.
Come on people. That was
belljr
Footballguy
Rick Reilly signed a 5 year 17million dollar deal to go to ESPN and Simmons signed a new deal in 2010Not counting his book - Simmons has to be a couple million I would think.Not sure how the 30 for 30 stuff gets paid out or just part of his overall compensation
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biggamer3
Footballguy
Only two ways I can think of: Jail interview about everything with OJ or a tell all interview with Tiger Woods about the whole scandalThe Prez sounded like a pretty confident guy in that interview, which surprised me a little. Big score for Simmons, how do you top that?"I've got league pass on my IPAD."
"I've got another five years here."
"My crossover is solid."
"If I throw a grounder that's going to be a problem."
"Give that guy a lot of props for that one." On Bush's pitch after 9/11
"You got to tell Blake to take that 12-15ft footer. If he gets that down he'll be unstoppable like K. Malone. He could be the best power forward ever."
Omar his favorite Wire character. Awesome. Thought he was going to play it safe and go with Lester.
Come on people. That was
