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Niwrad posted:I don't know how anyone could think Grantland would get better. Look at the kind of people ESPN hires for their main site. I'd be surprised if the site is even up in 5 years. Probably best to just absorb the good sports writers like Lowe and dump the rest. Simmons has a huge following and I'm guessing drew most of the traffic to Grantland and it's authors. I doubt he generates a lot of funding. The average off-season SEC recruiting news probably generates more traffic than the vast majority of grantland's stuff, and grantland's traffic is a blip when compared to ESPN. The reason a place like ESPN creates something like Grantland is for the respectability and the cultural influence, not the profits. As such, a venture like that will always be better supported if funded by a cash cow looking to gain respect.
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May 9, 2015 00:00
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I don't think ESPN is that big of a bargaining chip. Simmons will have multiple outlets going after him, and the biggest leverage he has is the fact that he could go off on his own. I do think personality had a lot to do with this, but I doubt ESPN was trying to screw him. In fact, announcing this now is going to give Simmons more time to line up something outside of the sports-websites if he wants.
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May 9, 2015 00:00
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Alain Post posted:Simmons was down to like one article a month on Grantland. I liked him but he hasn't been the main draw to that site in years. Really, I like everyone on that site except the stupid NFL stats guy who is never correct. He does tons of podcasts though.
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May 9, 2015 00:01
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I can't imagine an nfl partner hiring him.
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May 9, 2015 00:02
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euphronius posted:I can't imagine an nfl partner hiring him. Then Turner is perfect, he could spend all day on NBA TV
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May 9, 2015 00:03
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Blast Fantasto posted:There's no way that any of the good Grantland writers would be used in a meaningful context on the ESPN mothership. Can you imagine Zach Lowe writing an in-depth, several thousand word piece about the Wizards that ends with a like/dislike list that makes fun of mascots? Guys like Zach Lowe are going to find a home that lets them do the same or close to the same thing they're already doing. Like others have pointed out, he was basically already doing that at SI, and ESPN's Insider writers put out longish articles a lot. It's going to be harder to find new homes for stuff like The Sea of Crises.
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May 9, 2015 00:04
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euphronius posted:He does tons of podcasts though. Yep which are huge. I don't see him building another website, he already accomplished that. I think he will join a media network and do a ton of interview/podcasts.
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May 9, 2015 00:04
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Haha can you imagine Simmons on the NFL with no governor.
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May 9, 2015 00:07
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euphronius posted:Haha can you imagine Simmons on the NFL with no governor. Yeah I'm hoping he ends up somewhere where he can crap on Goodell as viciously as possible.
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May 9, 2015 00:12
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If I wanted Simmons I would right now offer Simmons a team to do a takedown of the NFL, Woodward and Bernstein style. I bet he'd take the paycut to do that.
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May 9, 2015 00:19
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Lockback posted:I don't think ESPN is that big of a bargaining chip. Simmons will have multiple outlets going after him, and the biggest leverage he has is the fact that he could go off on his own. I do think personality had a lot to do with this, but I doubt ESPN was trying to screw him. In fact, announcing this now is going to give Simmons more time to line up something outside of the sports-websites if he wants. I don't know how you see this and think ESPN wasn't trying to screw him. They publicly announced they weren't going his contract 4 months ahead of time for no reason. Compare that to silently parting ways with Gregg Easterbrook: http://deadspin.com/haughty-dipshit-gregg-easterbrook-gone-from-espn-1701211035
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May 9, 2015 00:19
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Having everyone believe you are in negotiations with a company that offers the most access, clout, connections and money is a big bargaining ship when trying to solicit offers from other companies. ESPN could've just sat tight and let Simmons look for a new employer—a new employer who would probably give him a great deal knowing they were competing against a place like ESPN.
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May 9, 2015 00:22
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Even if Grantland shut down, Zach Lowe could get a regular ESPN.com gig in like 10 seconds, likely doing more or less exactly the same thing he does now. Same for Jonah and most of the other straightforward sports people who were established before they came in.
MourningView fucked around with this message at 00:27 on May 9, 2015 |
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May 9, 2015 00:24
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Skipper firing Simmons is just step one of their planned Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce style heist/secession from ESPN.
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May 9, 2015 01:10
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Crion posted:I'm not sure I can put into words how quickly Deadspin would say "yes" to Bill Simmons defenestrating John Skipper and company on their page. If I were a betting man I'd put money down on them having already reached out to Simmons through every channel available for just that purpose. Oh yeah, absolutely. I don't think Deadspin picking on him is even coming from a place of personal animosity most of the time; I'd bet a lot of their writers either are or have been fans of his on some level. Before he went Hollywood he probably would have fit in pretty well there. As thin skinned as he seems to be though, I'm sure he loving hates them.
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May 9, 2015 01:21
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Sinteres posted:Oh yeah, absolutely. I don't think Deadspin picking on him is even coming from a place of personal animosity most of the time; I'd bet a lot of their writers either are or have been fans of his on some level. Before he went Hollywood he probably would have fit in pretty well there. As thin skinned as he seems to be though, I'm sure he loving hates them. Does Deadspin hate Simmons or vice-versa? I know they've always reported a bunch on him but never knew the feeling was mutual. Simmons was one of the people who wrote a send-off when Leitch left like 10 years ago.
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May 9, 2015 01:26
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Yes now the rains weep o'er his blog, And not a soul to hear
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May 9, 2015 01:33
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Geno posted:Does Deadspin hate Simmons or vice-versa? I know they've always reported a bunch on him but never knew the feeling was mutual. Simmons was one of the people who wrote a send-off when Leitch left like 10 years ago. That was a very different Deadspin though. I don't know if he's said anything about them specifically but he has super thin skin and has repeatedly publically called out blogs who take lots of potshots at writers (even though he does it all the time). And there was that whole fiasco when they tried to hire Craggs at the start of Grantland and Craggs and Daulerio decided to turn it into a big joke, although I don't think Simmons was actually involved in that meeting. MourningView fucked around with this message at 01:43 on May 9, 2015 |
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May 9, 2015 01:38
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And like I said, THAT Deadspin was a different Deadspin than the one hanging around now, which is more or less the Greg Howard/Albert Burneko/Tim Burke/etc show. There's so much turnover that a lot of these beefs stay between people, not organizations, just for logistical reasons.
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May 9, 2015 02:09
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Well I mean Craggs is still sort of involved albeit so high up the chain where it probably doesn't matter for them specifically. But yeah that's true. They still rip him pretty regularly though so I could see there being bad blood. On the other hand if he's feeling vindictive and can/wants to napalm ESPN that would be one of the most logical venues to do it.
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May 9, 2015 02:52
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Crion posted:And like I said, THAT Deadspin was a different Deadspin than the one hanging around now, which is more or less the Greg Howard/Albert Burneko/Tim Burke/etc show. There's so much turnover that a lot of these beefs stay between people, not organizations, just for logistical reasons.
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May 9, 2015 03:16
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Ahahahahahaha Jesus Christ http://deadspin.com/bill-simmons-cribbing-an-old-wwe-catchphrase-was-the-la-1703247060
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May 9, 2015 04:56
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Somewhere Bill Simmons is girding his loins, preparing for FU mode.
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May 9, 2015 06:03
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I am way too amused by the fact that they felt the need to point out there was a late 90s WWE card game, with a card named testicular fortitude.
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May 9, 2015 06:05
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MourningView posted:Even if Grantland shut down, Zach Lowe could get a regular ESPN.com gig in like 10 seconds, likely doing more or less exactly the same thing he does now. Same for Jonah and most of the other straightforward sports people who were established before they came in. Sure but it'll still suck not having a place for Brian Phillips, Louisa Thomas, and Charles Pierce to go nuts writing about whatever they want. Not to mention the pop culture people like Morris and Lambert. Grantland going away would (is going to) suck even if everyone ends up somewhere.
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May 9, 2015 06:13
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Bob Ojeda posted:Sure but it'll still suck not having a place for Brian Phillips, Louisa Thomas, and Charles Pierce to go nuts writing about whatever they want. Not to mention the pop culture people like Morris and Lambert. People like Brian Phillips and Charles Pierce are probably capable of writing whatever they want for whomever they want. The great thing about Grantland was having them all in one place.
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May 9, 2015 06:18
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Bill Simmons should go join WWE.
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May 9, 2015 06:26
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I love that Bill Simmons decided to die on the hill of Patriots fandom, like you'd expect.
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May 9, 2015 06:56
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Bob Ojeda posted:Sure but it'll still suck not having a place for Brian Phillips, Louisa Thomas, and Charles Pierce to go nuts writing about whatever they want. Not to mention the pop culture people like Morris and Lambert. I imagine most of those people would be fine, especially Charlie Pierce and Pulitzer Prize Winner Wesley Morris.
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May 9, 2015 07:32
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The real question is, why didn't Clairvoyant Bill see this coming?
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May 9, 2015 08:40
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Codependent Poster posted:Bill Simmons should go join WWE. I feel like this is in play, though a longshot behind the other ventures. I think he ends up with Turner.
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May 9, 2015 08:41
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Geno posted:Does Deadspin hate Simmons or vice-versa? I know they've always reported a bunch on him but never knew the feeling was mutual. Simmons was one of the people who wrote a send-off when Leitch left like 10 years ago. Old Deadspin seemed to like to rib him and it never felt personal. Today's Deadspin just comes across incredibly jealous. Reminds me of Gawker's jealousy toward Buzzfeed and Vice for doing everything they want to do better than them. Not sure why he kept going after the NFL. It's their most important partnership and he had to know after the suspension that they were going to side with Goodell.
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May 9, 2015 09:15
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MourningView posted:Even if Grantland shut down, Zach Lowe could get a regular ESPN.com gig in like 10 seconds, likely doing more or less exactly the same thing he does now. Same for Jonah and most of the other straightforward sports people who were established before they came in. He would be their best writer but he'd be buried on the site because he's not a personality like Stephen A Smith. I just don't see him doing the kinds of thing he is doing now (TV, podcasts) with Simmons and Grantland out of the picture.
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May 9, 2015 09:20
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Niwrad posted:Old Deadspin seemed to like to rib him and it never felt personal. Today's Deadspin just comes across incredibly jealous. Reminds me of Gawker's jealousy toward Buzzfeed and Vice for doing everything they want to do better than them. Honestly, the absolute thing I want most from this saga is an e-mail leak showing Roger Goodell e-mailing John Skipper demanding Bill Simmons be fired. It would be so great
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May 9, 2015 14:00
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Niwrad posted:He would be their best writer but he'd be buried on the site because he's not a personality like Stephen A Smith. I just don't see him doing the kinds of thing he is doing now (TV, podcasts) with Simmons and Grantland out of the picture.
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May 9, 2015 14:25
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One step closer to Darren Rovell's Brandland(c) redefining journalism as we know it. Gird your loins.
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May 9, 2015 18:54
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Niwrad posted:He would be their best writer but he'd be buried on the site because he's not a personality like Stephen A Smith. I just don't see him doing the kinds of thing he is doing now (TV, podcasts) with Simmons and Grantland out of the picture. They have put way more awkward and less good looking people than him on TV. And I'm sure they'd let him keep his podcast, it just doesn't get the number of listens that the BS on gets. I don't get the sense that he particularly enjoys doing that stuff anyway though There are lots of grantland folks to be worried about, but Lowe was doing well before Grantland and would continue to do so without it. Not everyone on the site was some unknown that they rescued from obscurity MourningView fucked around with this message at 19:40 on May 9, 2015 |
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May 9, 2015 19:34
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Not to mention even their most obscure writers now have a much more impressive resume. Internet longform writing is a big world.
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May 9, 2015 19:50
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CVagts posted:I feel like this is in play, though a longshot behind the other ventures. I think he ends up with Turner. Turnin his back on the wwe and takin the money from billionaire ted is a tremendous heel move
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May 9, 2015 21:36
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CVagts posted:I feel like this is in play, though a longshot behind the other ventures. I think he ends up with Turner. So would his new site/content be tied to Bleacher Report? 
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May 9, 2015 21:54
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