Deadspin has a portion of his memo to the Grantland staff:
Quote:
Wanted to tell you that it looks like I am done being involved with Grantland. Can’t say much here for obvious reasons, at least for now—I know you understand. In the short-term—don’t let this (bleep) affect you. Just keep doing what you’re doing. It’s a job. We tried to make it feel like it was more than a job these last four years, but right now, it’s still a job and Grantland is still being consumed and judged by the general public (with unusually high standards, too). So keep the quality of your work as high as it’s always been. Work situations are rarely going to be perfect and you can’t allow it to affect what you’re doing. The best way to “respond” right now is to keep putting out a great site. If you didn’t know, April was our best month—we passed 10 million uniques without chasing traffic and without any leading-the-site promotion whatsoever from ESPN.com (just one Mets piece for like 90 minutes, that’s it). We built an audience because of quality and quality only. You guys should feel good about that.
Simmons won't appear on ESPN or Grantland any longer.
Quote:
There will be no farewell columns, podcasts or television appearances for Bill Simmons on ESPN.
SI has learned that ESPN and Simmons have worked out an agreement that officially ends his tenure as a front-facing employee for ESPN. Simmons sent an email to Grantland staffers this week informing them that he would no longer be working for the site he founded in 2011. Simmons will also no longer do podcasts or appear on television for ESPN.
An ESPN spokesperson declined comment Friday afternoon when contacted by SI. The Simmons camp has declined all interview requests since last week, including one from SI on Friday.
There's probably both a non-compete and non-disclosure clause in his contract, so he can't break radio-silence if he wants to get paid for the duration of his contract. It sounds like his official duties at ESPN are over and he can't comment on it or resurface anywhere else until the contract expires (and maybe longer, depending on the terms of the contract).
HBO signs ex-ESPN personality Bill Simmons to exclusive deal
FILE - In this May 6, 2014 file photo, Bill Simmons arrives at the world pr...
NEW YORK (AP) — HBO says it has struck a multi-year, multi-platform deal with the multi-faceted Bill Simmons.
Under the deal, which begins in October, HBO will be Simmons' exclusive television home, the network said Wednesday.
Among other projects, Simmons will host a weekly talk show premiering next year. It will feature stories and guests from across the sports and cultural landscapes.
He will also have a production deal to produce content for the network and its digital platforms, delivering video podcasts and features. In addition, he will consult with HBO Sports.
A top personality at ESPN until they parted ways in May, Simmons has served as a sports columnist, TV host and analyst, and best-selling author. He was also the founding editor of the Grantland.com website.
^^^Agree, AP. Bill's schtick is to be the outsider who can shoot from the hip and say anything about anyone. It was only a matter of time before his schtick caused more headaches than they were worth for his employer. I've been following him since his Boston Sports Guy days and mostly appreciate his schtick -- EXCEPT when it's directed at the Lakers.
Ad dollars is all about click bait now. Look at the portals at the bottom of the ESPN website. They all lead to fluff websites with lists, etc. That's where the money is. Msm is starting to wise up to what bloggers already were doing as far back as 15 years ago.
Fluff!? Fluff!!
People need to know who the 30 hottest athlete wives are!
Link?
_________________ “It took many years of vomiting up all the filth I’d been taught about myself, and half-believed, before I was able to walk on the earth as though I had a right to be here.”
― James Baldwin, Collected Essays
He was making $5 million per. He may have overplayed his hand, time will tell.
That just never gets old!
_________________ “It took many years of vomiting up all the filth I’d been taught about myself, and half-believed, before I was able to walk on the earth as though I had a right to be here.”
― James Baldwin, Collected Essays
^^^Agree, AP. Bill's schtick is to be the outsider who can shoot from the hip and say anything about anyone. It was only a matter of time before his schtick caused more headaches than they were worth for his employer. I've been following him since his Boston Sports Guy days and mostly appreciate his schtick -- EXCEPT when it's directed at the Lakers.
Ad dollars is all about click bait now. Look at the portals at the bottom of the ESPN website. They all lead to fluff websites with lists, etc. That's where the money is. Msm is starting to wise up to what bloggers already were doing as far back as 15 years ago.
Fluff!? Fluff!!
People need to know who the 30 hottest athlete wives are!
_________________ “It took many years of vomiting up all the filth I’d been taught about myself, and half-believed, before I was able to walk on the earth as though I had a right to be here.”
― James Baldwin, Collected Essays
Wow. I was starting to like that bastard, especially his podcasts.
The only good thing about that insufferable tool is that he thinks "The Wire" is GOAT TV show. _________________ “It took many years of vomiting up all the filth I’d been taught about myself, and half-believed, before I was able to walk on the earth as though I had a right to be here.”
― James Baldwin, Collected Essays
ESPN president John Skipper obliterates Bill Simmons
ESPN boss John Skipper finally fired back at former employee Bill Simmons.
Bill Simmons has bashed ESPN on numerous occasions since the network decided to not renew his contract, and his former boss is finally firing back.
Over the weekend, ESPN president John Skipper was asked about a theory Simmons has proposed regarding why the World Wide Leader decided to part ways with him. Simmons told Jim Rutenberg of the New York Times that he wonders if Disney CEO Robert Iger (Disney is ESPN’s parent company) wanted him gone after Simmons made controversial remarks about Roger Goodell and the NFL. Shortly after Simmons was ousted, Iger’s name was linked to a proposed Los Angeles stadium that would have been shared by the Oakland Raiders and San Diego Chargers.
Skipper has heard enough.
“Bill would rather spin conspiracy theories and be perceived as a martyr than take responsibility for his own actions,” he told Rutenberg. “Let me be unequivocal and clear and take responsibility for my actions: I alone made the decision, and it had nothing to do with his comments about the commissioner. I severed our relationship with Bill because of his repeated lack of respect for this company and, more importantly, the people who work here.”
When Skipper first announced that ESPN would not be renewing Simmons’ contract, he was far more kind. Apparently he has heard enough, which isn’t surprising in the wake of the latest comments Simmons made about his former coworkers, though he later apologized.
Bottom line? The divorce between ESPN and Simmons was not an amicable one.
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