Confirmed: Bill Simmons did not get into G'town

[CO_Hoya]

Quote from his mom:

"I like Georgetown because they're a Jesuit school but they rejected you so I can't pick them to make the Final Four. I still can't believe they rejected you."


Link

[kchoya]

You just beat me to it. He also had a reference to JT2 in the previous "more cowbell."

My favorite sports moment of 2006: Trot Nixon leading Syracuse to the Big East championship.

My second-favorite moment: John Thompson's TNT interview with a rehabbing Penny Hardaway last Thursday, which included the question, "Do you think you're a hypochondriac?" and Thompson coldly saying, "I think your career is over" as Penny hemmed and hawed in disbelief. I think Thompson reached "I'm Keith Hernandez" status about 20 years ago. Can we have him interview Sebastian Telfair's girlfriend next?

sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/blog/index?entryDate=20060313&name=simmons

[CO_Hoya]

Yeah, the funny thing is that he'd have been in my class ('92) - not sure, though.

[theEDGEfactor]

that could be one of the most useless prediction threads by espn ever created

[SFHoya99]

theedgefactor said:

that could be one of the most useless prediction threads by espn ever created

Bill Simmons is the only useful thing on ESPN these days. Honestly, I never go there except for Simmons.

Sure, he's purely entertainment. But at least he's funny.

What do you go to ESPN for?

Dick Vitale's dukecentric articles?

Andy Katz' amazing insight into what Jim Calhoun tells him to write?

No, wait, I know -- Joe Lunardi's incredibly arrogant knowledge that twenty people duplicate elsehwhere!

Or maybe it's baseball. Sure, Peter Gammons died years ago and was replaced by a robot, but his bullet points are still barely relevant?

Or maybe Jayson Stark's wacky stats? Wow! Who knew that Doug Glanville was not funny AND and Everquest dork!

It's crappy writing by bland writers with no insight.

At least Simmons is entertaining.

[McBricks]

Bitter SF? Tough day at the office?

[SFHoya99]

mcbricks said:

Bitter SF? Tough day at the office?

Ton of work to do but bored silly.

[FistOffense]

Perhaps his mother does not understand the amount of competition a self important, preppy northeasterner might face. Simmons is great about 40% of the time, but, as he would say, he has lost his fastball since he left for the Kimmel show. His recent Pierce article was great , but he is really only is capable of providing insight about the NBA and the Red Sox. Everything else is just repetitive pop culture references from reality tv and 80s movies. He definitely has nothing to offer in terms of college hoops except occasional swipes at BC.

[guru]

sfhoya99 said:

theedgefactor said:

that could be one of the most useless prediction threads by espn ever created

Bill Simmons is the only useful thing on ESPN these days. Honestly, I never go there except for Simmons.

Sure, he's purely entertainment. But at least he's funny.

What do you go to ESPN for?

Dick Vitale's dukecentric articles?

Andy Katz' amazing insight into what Jim Calhoun tells him to write?

No, wait, I know -- Joe Lunardi's incredibly arrogant knowledge that twenty people duplicate elsehwhere!

Or maybe it's baseball. Sure, Peter Gammons died years ago and was replaced by a robot, but his bullet points are still barely relevant?

Or maybe Jayson Stark's wacky stats? Wow! Who knew that Doug Glanville was not funny AND and Everquest dork!

It's crappy writing by bland writers with no insight.

At least Simmons is entertaining.

The only reason to visit espn.com is for fantasy sports. As for Simmons, he gets a good line off every month or so, but I long ago stopped trying to slog through his 100,000 word columns and moronic pop culture references.

[Just Cos]

I agree with SF. Most of ESPN's articles are just awful Simmons is one of the few bright spots.

[SFHoya99]

I tend to dodge Simmons' pop culture stuff at times, but I like articles like today, which was pretty funny, and I like his NBA stuff quite a bit. The who-trade-for-who article is alwasy great.

Plus, anyone who reported the Doug Christie and wife stories stays a-plus with me.

[theEDGEfactor]

didnt say that it wasnt funny at all, but i did say it was useless and really has barely any truth behind it...settle down tho boys

[SFHoya99]

theedgefactor said:

didnt say that it wasnt funny at all, but i did say it was useless and really has barely any truth behind it...settle down tho boys

My point was that it is a rare article on ESPN that is useful or has any truth behind it.

Major mass media is so far behind what is being churned out on message boards and boutique sites amongst hard core fans that it rarely has any value, aside from some inside access.

[Jack]

I will let Boz pass his usual judgment on Simmons. We all know Boz is just jealous that Simmons is funnier than he is.

I once wrote Bill an email back before he went to ESPN and had his own site and actually answered his fans. My email included my professional title at the time (Georgetown admissions officer) in my signature. He actually said something to the effect of "It would have been useful to know you about 15 years ago."

That said, one of his major flaws as a writer/sports fan is his preference of NBA to college hoops. I guess it all might have been different had the admissions committee been more sympathetic to a sarcastic kid from Greenwich and allowed him to enjoy the Mourning era at GU rather than calling for George Blaney to be fired at Holy Cross.

[nychoya3]

Simmons may be the best sportswriter going, IMO. His daily output is just ridiculous, and he at least takes positions now and then that surprise you and aren't just the conventional wisdom. Most of the guys on ESPN and everywhere else bore me to death, but I stick with Simmons, Georgetown admitee or not.

He did a couple columns last week talking to Malcom Gladwell about sports that are a lot of fun. I don't always agree with him, but he's sharp and he isn't stuck in the 1960's like most of the 95 year olds who write major columns in the US.

[Deleted]

Oh good lord, Simmons is the most overrated writer in the history of writing. Well, at least sports writing.

When he's serious and actually puts his mind to covering a topic thoughtfully, I enjoy his work.

But far too often it all comes back to the Celtics, or his slobbering over Tom Brady's jock... basically, his schtick. And when he reverts to that drivel, every single freakin' article he writes sounds the exact same.

I'm glad he didn't get into G'Town. He's the last guy I'd want to call an ally in the media.

[Jack]

buffalohoya said:

Oh good lord, Simmons is the most overrated writer in the history of writing. Well, at least sports writing.

When he's serious and actually puts his mind to covering a topic thoughtfully, I enjoy his work.

But far too often it all comes back to the Celtics, or his slobbering over Tom Brady's jock... basically, his schtick. And when he reverts to that drivel, every single freakin' article he writes sounds the exact same.

I'm glad he didn't get into G'Town. He's the last guy I'd want to call an ally in the media.

Hey Buff, aren't you a big Yankees fan? No surprise you are not a Simmons fan too. He is one of the most interesting writers out there today and he has inspired legions of imitators, but he is also too prolific for his own good and he writes in blog-style that leaves him open to criticism for not getting all of his fact straight and not always putting out the best possible product. He could never do what he does in the dinosaur media world, but he also could also benefit from a bit more editing (not to be confused with censorship, which ESPN imposes and removes some of his most biting media criticism).

[Deleted]

jack said:

Hey Buff, aren't you a big Yankees fan? No surprise you are not a Simmons fan too. He is one of the most interesting writers out there today and he has inspired legions of imitators, but he is also too prolific for his own good and he writes in blog-style that leaves him open to criticism for not getting stuff wrong and not always putting out the best possible product.

It has nothing to do with that, I just can't stand how 90% of his articles are the exact same once he starts in with his "me and my dad are the only NBA fans left" or his stupid theories or his everyone-in-the-world-does-it pop culture references. Yeah, we've all seen Karate Kid, give it a rest jerk.

Like I said, when he puts his mind to something I generally enjoy it. Those instances are just few and far between.

Hunter S. Thompson was an "interesting" writer. Tom Wolfe is an "interesting" writer. Bill Simmons is not. He's just a Gen X Rick Reilly.

[Jack]

HST and Tom Wolfe is setting the bar pretty high. I am curious which modern sportswriter you see as more "interesting" than Simmons? I am sure the_way will say Camille Powell, but I don't really know of anyone who has similar output to Simmons and also brings real quality probably once a week.

[Deleted]

jack said:

HST and Tom Wolfe is setting the bar pretty high. I am curious which modern sportswriter you see as more "interesting" than Simmons? I am sure the_way will say Camille Powell, but I don't really know of anyone who has similar output to Simmons and also brings real quality probably once a week.

First of all, that Camille Powell/the_way reference? Post of the year, my friend... post of the year.

Second, as far as interesting sports writers go, I guess the problem lies in sports coverage these days - it sucks. I mean, watch an episode of SportsCenter for chrissake. Everything is now a sound-byte. Even sports writing. Its pathetic.

Its gotten to the point where sports writing is either fluffly little pop-culture laden pieces (of which, i will admit, Simmons is possibly the best... after Rick Reilly), or really in-depth or thoughtful examinations by guys like E.M. Swift et. al. I just prefer the latter, that's all. If you're going to do the short, superficial examination thing, at least try to be original more often than not... my problem with Simmons is that he's usually "not."

That said, I was in heaven when HST used to write that what turned into a monthy column for ESPN Page 2. Not only because he's my favorite writer, but because each one was different... you never knew what you were going to get.