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Sports Guy

Discussion in 'Archive: The Arena' started by BaronFel88, Oct 29, 2009.

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  1. BaronFel88

    BaronFel88 Jedi Knight star 7

    Registered:
    Jan 25, 2004
  2. DarthTunick

    DarthTunick SFTC VII + Deadpool BOFF star 10 VIP - Game Host

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    Nov 26, 2000
    I absolutely enjoy reading his material/listening to The B.S. Report (save for most of the Chuck Klosterman appearances). His Now I can Die in Peace was an awesome read, and I eagerly anticipate buying/reading The Book of Basketball.

    2008-2009 L.A. Lakers: World Champions!
     
  3. JediCouncilMember

    JediCouncilMember Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    Jul 15, 2003
    Bill! Jack O! Partners in crime. The Subway fresh take hotline.

     
  4. JediCouncilMember

    JediCouncilMember Jedi Padawan star 4

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    Jul 15, 2003
    Poor Joe Mead. :(

    Looks like the Bills just hired Chan Gailey.

    I can't wait for his take on one of the next podcasts, unless Bill decides not to bring it up for fear of setting Joe off on a rampage.
     
  5. DarthTunick

    DarthTunick SFTC VII + Deadpool BOFF star 10 VIP - Game Host

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    Nov 26, 2000
    It's not the worst hire for Mead..................imagine if the Bills had got Charlie Weis.

    2008-2009 L.A. Lakers: World Champions! :cool:
     
  6. DarthTunick

    DarthTunick SFTC VII + Deadpool BOFF star 10 VIP - Game Host

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    Nov 26, 2000
    From Keith Olbermann's baseball blog (which I read), under the entry Not So Big Mac After All:


    I'd also like to welcome new reader Bill Simmons, who has been kind enough to tweet about my note here last week already ceding him the dumbest sportswriting award of 2010 for his laugh-out-loud funny argument that the comeback of Tiger Woods (caught having repeated trouble with his putts) will be more difficult than that of Muhammad Ali (persecuted by the federal government for the color of his skin, his stance against the war, and his religious conversion, and effectively banned from his sport for two years).

    Mr. Simmons tweets:

    I'm furious that my Tiger column distracted America from a detailed and only mildly creepy case for Johnny Orsino's Hall of Fame candidacy.

    3:12 PM Mar 5th via UberTwitter]



    This is pretty standard stuff for Mr. Simmons. Make a fool of yourself comparing Tiger Woods (loss of advertisers) to Muhammad Ali (loss of income, threatened loss of freedom), so change the topic - to an admittedly trivial column about a trivial moment from a marginal catcher named John Orsino.

    Mr. Simmons resumes:

    KO, please know the feeling is mutual. You're my worst case scenario for my career in 12 yrs: a pious, unlikable blowhard who lives alone.

    3:13 PM Mar 5th via UberTwitter



    This assumes that Mr. Simmons' career now is where mine was twelve years ago (anchoring SportsCenter, then my own MSNBC political show, anchoring NBC Weekend Nightly News, writing a best-selling sports book, etc). In fact, this assumes that this is Mr. Simmons' career, which is remarkable. Also, anybody who could write as many words without saying anything of consequence really should throw around the word "blowhard" as frequently as he would a street sewer cover.

    Also, I don't think "pious" necessarily means what he thinks it does.

    Having made his point 50% of his words ago, Mr. Simmons still continues. As usual:


    I feel bad about saying Olbermann lives alone. I forgot about his cats.

    3:30 PM Mar 5th via UberTwitter



    Mr. Simmons apparently uses, for factual research, old parody sketches from "Saturday Night Live." I'm not surprised. That was Ben Affleck. Thanks for playing.

    I am surprised, however, to be able to shed some light on something that has been a prominent topic of late around the internet: the prospect that Mr. Simmons is leaving ESPN. Admittedly I am something of an authority on this process. Nonetheless, I was stunned to receive several emails from some of Mr. Simmons' bosses there, thanking me for pointing out the absurdity of, and the embarrassment to ESPN provided by, the Woods/Ali comparison.

    About five years ago, I guess, somebody said Tony Kornheiser was the most uncontrollable, unmanageable talent in the history of ESPN. I was, of course, crushed (although I believe I got honorable mention). When ESPN bosses are writing me for helping them about somebody they claim has now lapped Tony and myself, I am left to conclude only that if Mr. Simmons does leave ESPN, it may not be entirely of his own choosing.

    And we now encourage Mr. Simmons to again falme the comments section under various identities, to his heart's content. This is a managed site, and they can take 'em down. But enjoy yourself.





    I don't think Olberman is going to be on the BS Report anytime soon.:p

    2008-2009 L.A. Lakers: World Champions!:cool:

     
  7. JMJacenSolo

    JMJacenSolo Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    May 21, 2006
    Keith Olbermann is the most insufferable man on television, with the possible exception of Dick Vitale.

    And Simmons' new mailbag was disappointing.

     
  8. tom

    tom Chosen One star 8

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    Mar 14, 2004
    i love dick vitale, and the recent mailbag was pretty standard simmons fair.

    agreed on olbermann though. not quite as insufferable for me as the pundits on the other side of the spectrum, but it's close.
     
  9. New_York_Jedi

    New_York_Jedi Force Ghost star 6

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    Mar 16, 2002
    Simmons bores me expect when he talks about basketball, and even that has been weak recently.
     
  10. DarthTunick

    DarthTunick SFTC VII + Deadpool BOFF star 10 VIP - Game Host

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    Nov 26, 2000
    I like both Simmons and Olbermann, though Olbermann is a bit pious & Simmons doesn't do enough baseball in his work (except for his Jack O BS Reports during the season).

    2008-2009 L.A. Lakers: World Champions!:cool:
     
  11. Rogue...Jedi

    Rogue...Jedi Administrator Emeritus star 7 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Jan 12, 2000
    I'd be pretty disappointed in both of them for that exchange. If I cared, that is.
     
  12. BaronFel88

    BaronFel88 Jedi Knight star 7

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    Jan 25, 2004
    Simmons is at his best covering football and basketball -what a coincidence, the best sports to gamble on [face_shhh]- and loses a bit when taking on baseball. Hell, his Vegas columns are all classics.
     
  13. New_York_Jedi

    New_York_Jedi Force Ghost star 6

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    Mar 16, 2002
    They are all the same. Haha, made it to Vegas real fast on the road, went to the palms, *joke about maloofs*, eat food, smoke Marlboro lights and drink vodka and redbull, lost a lot of money, sleep, woke up, jokes about mean dealer, made money back at hard rock. Vegas Baby, Vegas. Fin.


    He was better before Boston started winning everything.
     
  14. BaronFel88

    BaronFel88 Jedi Knight star 7

    Registered:
    Jan 25, 2004
    There is absolutely no argument on both of your points. But I just get a kick out of all his blackjack stories. Including "COUNT AGAIN!" from way back when to his most recent adventure with the Playboy chips.

    And it was a lot more fun reading him lament about the Patriots and Celtics when they just plain sucked instead of long, drawn out eulogies for the ends of their respective runs.

    EDIT: for a guy who made rules about behavior after winning titles, he does come off as whiny at times.

    And I appreciate the fact Simmons acknowledges he runs out of steam in a footnote in The Book of Basketball. But considering how much he loves basketball, I don't hold it against him.
     
  15. DarthTunick

    DarthTunick SFTC VII + Deadpool BOFF star 10 VIP - Game Host

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    Nov 26, 2000
    The only thing that Simmons does that annoys the living hell out of me is when he talks about/writes about reality TV..................I always skip an e-mail his mailbag columns if it pertains to this subject/not listen to a BS Report of that nature.

    2008-2009 L.A. Lakers: World Champions!:cool:
     
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