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The Bill Simmons Podcast (1 Viewer)

Is there much doubt that Simmons is following the same career path as Rob Neyer, and for the exact same reasons? Two talented guys who overvalued their worth, and undervalued the significance of being affiliated with a brand that is as ubiquitous as Microsoft/Apple/Coca-Cola/Nike....etc.

 
thecatch said:
I seem to remember Lombardi being a good guest a few years ago, but he's bringing nothing to the table now. 
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The problem is that he used to be on once or twice during the season so his thoughts and philosophies were unique and fresh. Now that he's on every week, and on twitter, he's just saying the same things, over and over. 4-point plays, play not to lose before you can win, 20-20 QBs, etc.

 
Anyone remember seeing the capacity for the stadium in London where the Giants and Rams played on Sunday? I distinctly remember it being 82,000.  

Which was also the amount of viewers for last night's Any Given Wednesday. 

 
not surprised. I haven't watched once, and I haven't listened to the BS report since week1. I used to like him a lot.

I guess the homerism just got to me, jealous I guess of the Boston success in recent years. But he never toned it down, or maybe I just got sick of it.

At any rate, maybe ESPN reigning him in over the years was actually a decent thing for him.

oh well.

Will listen to the BS report again at some point but don't know if we will see him on the tube much again.

 
Sammy3469 said:
HBO cancelled Any Given Wednesday...more columns and podcasts!
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As bad as the ratings were, I actually am surprised they outright cancelled it instead of coming back with changes to the format next year. I was listening to Richard Deitsch's podcast yesterday and he was talking with a couple other sports media guys about it. They all said it would be really surprising for HBO to pull the plug so quick and that it was surely going to come back with a lot of tweaks (co-host, day change, etc).

Wonder if Simmons refused. That wouldn't surprise me. 

 
Quicker than I figured. But no surprise at all. 

I really do think the show was DOA when he did a ####ing mock trial on the ball deflating thing. Just clearly displayed he has no idea how to reach out to a wide audience. So dumb. 

20M from Hbo for that. Yikes. 

 
RUSF18 said:
As bad as the ratings were, I actually am surprised they outright cancelled it instead of coming back with changes to the format next year. I was listening to Richard Deitsch's podcast yesterday and he was talking with a couple other sports media guys about it. They all said it would be really surprising for HBO to pull the plug so quick and that it was surely going to come back with a lot of tweaks (co-host, day change, etc).

Wonder if Simmons refused. That wouldn't surprise me. 
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The flaw was always that there are god knows how many podcasts out there that do whatever subject he was doing better.  I want a BBall player perspective, I can get JJ Reddick's every week, etc.  

 
Capella said:
Quicker than I figured. But no surprise at all. 

I really do think the show was DOA when he did a ####ing mock trial on the ball deflating thing. Just clearly displayed he has no idea how to reach out to a wide audience. So dumb. 

20M from Hbo for that. Yikes. 
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The whole venture is just so delusional on Simmons's part.  It's like he thought the world was waiting for him to chime in on everything that happened during his non-compete blackout.  He's never been good on TV.  He wasn't any good when he inserted himself as an interviewer or interview subject in the first batch of 30 For 30s.  But yes, the world needed to know on Any Given Wednesday that Bill Simmons thinks the Patriots are victims.  

Still a great writer, if a bit predictable.  Was once one of the best podcast hosts in the entire format, and could easily get back to the top there.    

 
Just write columns for the Ringer and drive some more traffic there.  Up the podcasts to 3 a week.  Launch a new "30 for 30" under a different name on HBO - no editing, no commercials. This isn't that complicated.

 
Bruce Dickinson said:
The whole venture is just so delusional on Simmons's part.  It's like he thought the world was waiting for him to chime in on everything that happened during his non-compete blackout.  He's never been good on TV.  He wasn't any good when he inserted himself as an interviewer or interview subject in the first batch of 30 For 30s.  But yes, the world needed to know on Any Given Wednesday that Bill Simmons thinks the Patriots are victims.  

Still a great writer, if a bit predictable.  Was once one of the best podcast hosts in the entire format, and could easily get back to the top there.    
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10 years ago, he would have DESTROYED the guy who tried to do this in this kind of way. 

As for the second...actually hold on, let me channel someone you may be familiar with: "Are we sure he's still a great writer?"

 
Evilgrin 72 said:
Just write columns for the Ringer and drive some more traffic there.  Up the podcasts to 3 a week.  Launch a new "30 for 30" under a different name on HBO - no editing, no commercials. This isn't that complicated.
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Exactly. His writing doesn't even need to be that difficult/comprehensive. Go with a Tuesday/Wednesday mailbag and a Friday picks column. He'll get six months of good feedback on it for the sole reason that people will be nostalgic over it. 

 
RUSF18 said:
10 years ago, he would have DESTROYED the guy who tried to do this in this kind of way. 

As for the second...actually hold on, let me channel someone you may be familiar with: "Are we sure he's still a great writer?"
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Not based on any of his recent output.  His writing heyday appears to be well behind him.  As others have said, he needs to get back to podcasts where he was exceptional.

 
Even Simmons' statement reads as delusional. 

One of the many reasons I joined HBO was to see if we could create a show built around smart conversations for sports fans and pop culture junkies. We loved making that show, but unfortunately it never resonated with audiences like we hoped.
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I don't think Bill ever got the memo that nobody has ever turned to him for "smart conversations" on any subject.  When my buddies and I shoot the **** about sports and/or pop culture we aren't having "smart conversations."  It's pretty much the opposite.  That's the entire appeal.  I guarantee an HBO show with him guessing lines with Cousin Sal would have drawn more viewers.  Not because it would be good, but at least it would have been authentically him. 

 
Encyclopedia Brown said:
Is there much doubt that Simmons is following the same career path as Rob Neyer, and for the exact same reasons? Two talented guys who overvalued their worth, and undervalued the significance of being affiliated with a brand that is as ubiquitous as Microsoft/Apple/Coca-Cola/Nike....etc.
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HBO paid him 20 Million.  

IIRC ESPN had him on staff for 2.5M, plus residuals on 30/30 which he will continue to get.

From where I'm sitting seems like he properly valued his brand, and that doesn't take into account the fact that ESPN is going broke.

 
culdeus said:
HBO paid him 20 Million.  

IIRC ESPN had him on staff for 2.5M, plus residuals on 30/30 which he will continue to get.

From where I'm sitting seems like he properly valued his brand, and that doesn't take into account the fact that ESPN is going broke.
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If ESPN ever goes broke, it will be well after every one of their competitors does. 

But to his point, of course he cashed in and good for him in doing so. We all would do the same thing. But this failure, on the back of getting booted from ESPN, is going to kill him for a really long time. Anyone who has read/listened to him over the years knows how thin his skin is and how childish he can be. 20 years from now, even with his pile of cash, I think he regrets not staying a bit more in his zone. 

 
bosoxs45 said:
Katie Nolan is a better host and deserves his previous slot.
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I'm intrigued by what she could do with a real budget and real support from a channel.  Part of the appeal of Garbage Time is it may as well be filmed with an iPhone in someone's garage.  However, it seems like she could deliver some strong remote pieces, Daily Show correspondent style stuff but sports-centered.    

 
RUSF18 said:
Exactly. His writing doesn't even need to be that difficult/comprehensive. Go with a Tuesday/Wednesday mailbag and a Friday picks column. He'll get six months of good feedback on it for the sole reason that people will be nostalgic over it. 
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Yep.  He can still do the Monday Sal podcast and Friday Rollin', throw in a Wednesday one with a guest.  It's not like he was hurting for marquee guests on AGW.  Plus, if all else fails, there's always Rapaport.  Do the two columns a week you mention and get the new 30 for 30 going, it's not like that's any real work for him.

 
Bruce Dickinson said:
The whole venture is just so delusional on Simmons's part.  It's like he thought the world was waiting for him to chime in on everything that happened during his non-compete blackout.  He's never been good on TV.  He wasn't any good when he inserted himself as an interviewer or interview subject in the first batch of 30 For 30s.  But yes, the world needed to know on Any Given Wednesday that Bill Simmons thinks the Patriots are victims.  

Still a great writer, if a bit predictable.  Was once one of the best podcast hosts in the entire format, and could easily get back to the top there.    
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Once someone else foots the bill, its no longer his delusion

 
RUSF18 said:
If ESPN ever goes broke, it will be well after every one of their competitors does. 

But to his point, of course he cashed in and good for him in doing so. We all would do the same thing. But this failure, on the back of getting booted from ESPN, is going to kill him for a really long time. Anyone who has read/listened to him over the years knows how thin his skin is and how childish he can be. 20 years from now, even with his pile of cash, I think he regrets not staying a bit more in his zone. 
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This is a situation where he'll cry himself to sleep drying his eyes with 100s.  I see the way he played his career as a podcast/writer as perfection, and it's possible nobody will ever leverage his talent set into such a large payday ever again.

 
One of the many reasons I joined HBO was to see if we could create a show built around smart conversations for sports fans and pop culture junkies. We loved making that show, but unfortunately it never resonated with audiences like we hoped.
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Pop culture? His idea of pop culture is limited to Road Rules, 90210 and 1980s movies.

 
culdeus said:
This is a situation where he'll cry himself to sleep drying his eyes with 100s.  I see the way he played his career as a podcast/writer as perfection, and it's possible nobody will ever leverage his talent set into such a large payday ever again.
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I think you seriously, seriously underestimate ego and how thin-skinned some can be. 

 
RUSF18 said:
I think you seriously, seriously underestimate ego and how thin-skinned some can be. 
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I'm not sure I follow.  You think he didn't play his brand/career correctly, I would argue that he perhaps played it in excess of his fair market value. His ego I guess in this way may have helped him push for a payday that otherwise is not available to the vast majority of writers out there.  

I fail to see where the guy failed here.  And if this is perhaps the end of the road, and he now simply shills stuff on podcasts and cashes his 30/30 royalties from this point forward I'm gonna guess he's still in the top 0.1% of sports media persons on the planet as far as cash flow in.

 
culdeus said:
I'm not sure I follow.  You think he didn't play his brand/career correctly, I would argue that he perhaps played it in excess of his fair market value. His ego I guess in this way may have helped him push for a payday that otherwise is not available to the vast majority of writers out there.  

I fail to see where the guy failed here.  And if this is perhaps the end of the road, and he now simply shills stuff on podcasts and cashes his 30/30 royalties from this point forward I'm gonna guess he's still in the top 0.1% of sports media persons on the planet as far as cash flow in.
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I'm not talking about pushing for money. He had offers from virtually everyone. It's pretty likely that he got offered more money by a company that isn't as good to work for, and doesn't stand behind its guys like HBO usually does. Working with HBO was smart.

He failed because he already sucked on TV, couldn't just be self-aware to know he had limitations, so he started a new show where he had the bright idea of spending approximately 75% of his time talking about a subject that the entire world had been tired of for months, and then it literally failed. 

And to your last sentence, I'll go back to my prior post. He's not a "sit back and be content" guy. 

 
RUSF18 said:
I'm not talking about pushing for money. He had offers from virtually everyone. It's pretty likely that he got offered more money by a company that isn't as good to work for, and doesn't stand behind its guys like HBO usually does. Working with HBO was smart.

He failed because he already sucked on TV, couldn't just be self-aware to know he had limitations, so he started a new show where he had the bright idea of spending approximately 75% of his time talking about a subject that the entire world had been tired of for months, and then it literally failed. 
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Hubris.  Common among people with success.  
 

 
RUSF18 said:
I'm not talking about pushing for money. He had offers from virtually everyone. It's pretty likely that he got offered more money by a company that isn't as good to work for, and doesn't stand behind its guys like HBO usually does. Working with HBO was smart.

He failed because he already sucked on TV, couldn't just be self-aware to know he had limitations, so he started a new show where he had the bright idea of spending approximately 75% of his time talking about a subject that the entire world had been tired of for months, and then it literally failed. 

And to your last sentence, I'll go back to my prior post. He's not a "sit back and be content" guy. 
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It's utterly unbelievable that he spent his first episode talking deflategate and then did that horrid mock trial right after. Guy lives in one hell of a bubble. 

 
Despite not feeling great about the NY Giants team this year, I was optimistic about their chances the last couple of games just because Simmons stopped talking about them as a potential Super Bowl team like he had early in the year and instead trashed them and Eli. 

I'm not sure why I didn't go into the political betting thread and put a ton of money down on Trump since he had the big bet on Hillary. 

 
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