I get a kick out of MSMers fighting with each other but the ESPN fights between their own employees is getting a little weird. Reilly went on record yesterday during a .Com chat and said he enjoyed Simmons' work and was glad to be on his team. Simmons? He had this to say on WEEI yesterday. From Scott's Shots via Deadspin....
“I don’t even care about the money (he’s making). I care about the fact he only has to write 800 words all week. What does he do all week? I’m just getting warmed up at 800 words.”Wow. That's a pretty low blow, but Simmons has been writing some pretty good columns as of late with this venom. It'll be interesting to see if ESPN protects its $17 Million dollar investment or just ignores it per usual. I'm also pretty sure The Sports Guy is openly trying to get fired these days. Good times.
“I don’t think (his hiring) has really changed my life in any way other than he touches my soul with his writing. That’s really it. He’s raising the bar morally, financially. . . he’s raising it all over the place. I’m just happy to be along for the ride.”
ESPN Cat Fight!: Simmons Bashes Reilly (Scott's Shots)
I was listening to this interview yesterday and all of his comments were said very sarcastically. Especially the one about Reilly's writing "touching his soul."
ReplyDeleteHe actually seemed to be saying that none of this Rick Reilly stuff was bothering him. You could interpret those quotes the wrong way without hearing the inflection of his voice.
He was very passive about the whole thing, kind of saying "I'm over it."
jesus simm....it's one thing to sound like a girl, try not to act like one.
ReplyDeletegrow the F up
-dan
I've thought that for the past month, Simmons is trying to get canned. He needs to go the Costanza route I think.
ReplyDelete@anon
ReplyDeletethanks at first I didn't pick up the sarcasm b/c Simmons can be a bit of a drama queen at times and he would totally say something like "touched my soul" about a random jump shot by KG or something.
Do you get weei via satellite or something? Seriously I hate this station but it is unavoidable.
ReplyDeleteCat fight, more like a dork fight. I'd kill to see that fight and if Sports Guy is trying to get fired this is going to get awesome. Of course it'll cool off and then they'll fire him over something stupid.
I think gmoney has it right - Simmons wants out. The self-proclaimed WWL is notoriously thin-skinned and Simmons at times seems to want to criticize a colleague.
ReplyDeleteThe network that brings us Stephen A. Smith, Around the Horn and used to bring us Danyelle Sargent (before her on-air f-bomb) might stand a little criticism.
That said, Reilly has won the national sportswriter of the year title so many times they might as well retire it. So ESPN gave him the keys to the kingdom? It's called capitalism, Bill. Holy Cross taught you better than that. The deal he signed is his business, not yours. You get paid pretty well to write about your buddies and insert a zillion irrelevant pop culture references. As jobs go, that doesn't suck. If you're pissed at your employer, quit. You won't because of the money, though.
AA, did you see his response to Bob Ryan buried in his Quotes from the 2004 Phil Jackson Book column?
ReplyDeleteJesus, what a girl. Grow up, Simmons.
ReplyDeleteEver notice how Simmons sounds like a little girl on the radio? A complete twerp.
ReplyDeleteReilly flat blows, and has made his reputation, like Jeff Pearlman, from using hyperbole and innuendo to create controversy (see: chasing Sammy Sosa around the Cubs locker room with a pee cup).
ReplyDeleteSimmons is far from alone in his views.