What's neat about this whole thing is that nobody involved isn't profoundly lame. It's the NCIS spinoff of hashtag activism.
Why yes, I will repurpose that joke on Twitter. Only seems right.
1: Bravo.
To the OP: First, we must elect new sports fans.
I only watch college football, for ethical reasons.
Is this even bad for ESPN? It just gins up more controversy while giving them cover with the NFL.
After the uprising of the 24th of September
The Secretary of the Hashtag Union
Had tweets distributed in the Mediasphere
Stating that Bristol
Had forfeited the confidence of Grantlandia
And could win it back only
By redoubled efforts. Would it not be easier
In that case for Twitter
To dissolve Bill Simmons
And just post faintly racist Celtics jokes
While licking Brady's balls?
Only way I support a Bill Simmons protest is if he sets himself on fire like that Vietnamese monk.
Simmons really has to walk at this point. You can't say "I dare you" and then take it.
I looked up the president of ESPN, who is a long-time corporate player, but a guy with a masters in English from Columbia. I'm sure his friends think he's a very nice person.
For some reason, I have doubts about ESPN's ability to separate the business side from the journalism side. Maybe because it's all business side.
Simmons isn't leaving ESPN. He wants to work NBA television which means ESPN or TNT, and TNT doesn't make any sense.
11: Also, Simmons is a punk-ass bitch.
He wants to work NBA television
I think he really really really wants to work NBA television, which is why I'll be impressed if he walks away.
I was just reading Drew Magary yesterday and it hit me how much he is indebted to Simmons.
I don't hate Simmons. He is often readable and interesting. He does dwell on the Boston sports and karate kid stuff too much.
If I were Simmons I would come back. A fixed period of suspension means that he doesn't even have to apologize. He can just say he can't talk about Godell anymore because of how much money the NFL brings in to ESPN.
Has ESPN made any comment about why this suspension is justified? If so, I haven't seen it. Maybe what Simmons said is potentially slanderous? Maybe they don't like cuss words? It seems to me, you'd want to avoid the appearance of impropriety by, you know, explaining why the action is proper.
I think they said he violated their journalistic standards, so, no.
Anyone who hates on Simmons is jealous, period. He's an extremely talented writer and also kind of a pioneer. That said, my opinion of him will go down if he lets ESPN make him stop being mean to poor Goodell.
I'm not sure I can defend this, but it strikes me as sort of lousy that Simmons' smiling face is still prominently featured on espn's home page, right under the "Bill Simmons Presents Grantland" headline that's always there. I assume they would have to take that down if they actually fire him. Still, it feels odd to see it there while he's in forced exile.
Anyone who hates on Simmons is jealous, period
Oh, come on. He has an entertaining shtick that wore thin at least five years ago, not to mention that he's said enough over the years to convince a lot of people (including me) that he's at least a little racist.