This was enough to elicit a strong response from ESPN President John Skipper, who didn’t mince words while dismissing the idea. “Bill would rather spin conspiracy theories and be perceived as a martyr than take responsibility for his own actions. 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.”
Let's end this pissing contest. I was with you originally but that was before I was fully aware of the financial problems ESPN is facing. Even if the final straw was Simmons' lack of respect, there is no conceivable way that his salary/ the fact that he didn't produce revenue did not factor in the decision or accelerate it.
It averaged around 200,000 viewers and recently bottomed out at a mere 82,000 on Oct. 26. ha ha ha http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/bill-simmons-hbo-show-canceled-4-months-944249
I imagine cord cutters are putting a hurt on ESPN after the money they've spent on programming such as the SEC Network.
At one point was a fun writer. Then he got too big for his britches and became too much of a [penis].
His shtick was never fun for me. I don't get the appeal of the rants of a casual fan who just so happens to have a platform. I'd rather read content from writers who actually know their shit (and to be fair, Simmons hired some of those guys) than listen to the equivalent of some random drunk guy in a sports bar.
He could hit on something funny every once in awhile. The bigger he got, the worse he got. He did hire some very good writers for Grantland
The problem is he doesn't see himself as a casual fan anymore. He thinks he's an expert on everything
