ESPN suspends the Sports Guy

The Sports Guy spoke his mind and gave a great take on the frustration fans feel about the NFL. He’s been smacked down for it. By David Shankbone (Own work), via Wikimedia Commons

When Bill Simmons became an ESPN employee, I think all reasonable sports fans who follow the Sports Guy were excited. Simmons does a fantastic job of toeing the line between being a journalist and a sports fan with an opinion. Simmons’ strong takes bring readers who are passionate and excited about their teams. Simmons is able to make deep analysis of multiple sports easily digestible and has one of the most popular sports podcasts out there.

When I first read Simmons years ago, I thought he was an unrepentent Laker-hating troll. I still pretty much think that, but he’s grown on me because he, for the most part, has done a nice job of being transparent about who he actually is. He doesn’t have any kind of fake pretense, which is where he departs heavily from his current employer.

ESPN has gone from becoming something I thought was hip in the late 1990’s to being something that makes me feel icky for consuming.

Here’s a confession: I haven’t had cable at any time over the past two years or so, and I’ve still kept up with sports. In fact, I get my sports news more efficiently than ever. AND, I’m in charge of what’s important in my sports world. I consume sports how I want to, through sources I feel give me the best information. I think I’m pretty savvy about where I get this information and can tell the difference between something being actually reported on versus an agenda a network like ESPN tried to push on me.

I’m pretty sure only ESPN employees I follow at this point are ones related to Grantland. Aside from live sporting events, which ESPN does a great job with, Simmons’ Grantland is the last bastion of content worth consuming on ESPN’s platforms.

Simmons was reprimanded for not living up to ESPN’s sometimes-enforced standards of journalistic integrity. In a weird way though, he held tight to his real morals. Simmons expressed the anger of so many fans of the NFL, ripping into Roger Goodell and expressing the bad feelings every fan has about the league right now.

By suspending Simmons, ESPN showed itself again as an organization that’s not in touch. ESPN hired Simmons, empowered him to do things like exactly what he did on his podcast this week, and then suspended him. Suspending Simmons is not what’s good for consumers of sports or the NFL and I don’t think that it’s good for the network either.

So, here’s to Bill Simmons. Good job Sports Guy. I hope that when you come back, you can still keep being who you are. Even though I’ll probably read it less now (the site is owned by ESPN after all), I hope that Grantland can still be a thing that I can actually respect — there are some really great people there and the content is still fresh and readable.

ESPN and the NFL are giants of the sports industry. They have both once again failed me as a fan. I’m a fan of neither tonight.

"It's not like Ray Rice bad-mouthed his wife on a PODCAST." — someone high up at @espn, apparently. #FreeSimmons

— Patton Oswalt (@pattonoswalt) September 25, 2014

Worldwide leader in cowardice and hypocrisy @espn #freesimmons

— A.J. Shearon (@PATSbasketball) September 25, 2014

Here's the excellent OTL piece @BillSimmons was talking about. Read it before ESPN disappears it too. #FreeSimmons http://t.co/adau8Av2Nm

— Ted Friedman (@tedfriedman) September 25, 2014

This @BillSimmons suspension is mind blowing. He's the best talent @espn and deserves to be heard. #freesimmons http://t.co/W58BqtezvL

— Tanya (@MissTanya) September 25, 2014

WILD SONG OF THE NIGHT FOR #BillSimmons: "Gimme Some Truth" by #JohnLennon #FreeSimmons

— David Wild (@Wildaboutmusic) September 25, 2014