How much money can be attributed to any of them? They're all replaceable. The sports are what drive viewership, not the people talking about them.
This is a good point, it's relatively easy to find guys to make smarmy commentary on various sports issues.
Seems like it was more over inflated sense of self worth and jackassery than it was generating revenue, or a lack there of. Thought the latter probably made the former insufferable. http://www.vanityfair.com/news/2015/05/inside-shocking-abrupt-divorce-bill-simmons-and-espn
Unless you work for IP. In that case, you'd be given a "living wage" and a community key to the apartment over his garage.
Simmons begged for Grantland, got it and didn't break even. Now, if he had not been such a pain in the ass, maybe he gets a few more years to try.
"Grantland sought to “prove long-form has a place online.” Has it done so? Sort of. It is hard to fashion a general principle from Grantland. The site was not a startup. ESPN affiliation offered it immediate credibility and promotion. ESPN coffers offered it cash to launch and to operate at a loss if need be." Take a lap.