Why I won't buy Bill Simmons's basketball book

[Bostondevil]

Originally Posted by Olympic Fan

And PS Bostondevil, you LIKED John Reilly in "For the Love of the Game"?

Very funny. No really, that's funny. Truth be told, I didn't see For Love of the Game. I did like him in Hard 8, Criminal, Magnolia, The Anniversary Party, The Perfect Storm, and shoot, I'll even throw in Chicago. The guy is very funny but he can also, you know, act. Unlike Will Ferrell who is also very funny but at the end of the day, can he carry a movie? He's much better in supporting roles, Old School, then in something like Semi-Pro, don't ya think? Yeah, yeah, OK, Anchorman, but that's got Paul Rudd and you know he brought something extra to the set everyday. Anyway, the pairing of an acting comedian (Ferrell) with a comic actor (Reilly) ought to be brilliant, right? But then you have Step Brothers, so, not always.

Come to think of it, Paul Rudd and Will Ferrell ought to team up again, maybe in a threesome with John C.

[rthomas]

Originally Posted by WeepingThomasHill

I'll be lining up to buy his book next week (DC signing next Monday, folks, at the ESPN Zone at 11:30 pm). I love his writing and have been a fan for years. He combines hard core sports analysis with pop culture and 80s references. I really never considered him a misoygnist. He writes frequently about his wife and kids - I would think any sports fan parent on here could relate. Liked the movie The Hangover? Then you will enjoy his Vegas stories. His NFL and NBA coverage are superb. Who cares if he rips on Duke? He is not writing for the Herald Sun. I think his suggestion that every team have a Vice President of Common Sense to run through trades and other roster moves is brilliant, and I wish my teams did that.

If you don't like funny stories about having kids, movie references, 90210, Shawshank Redemption and Vegas with your sports, you should find another writer. He's not David Halberstam, and does not pretend to be.

Are you really Bill Simmons? or just a stalker?

[cato]

Originally Posted by rthomas

Are you really Bill Simmons? or just a stalker?

He can't be Bill Simmons. I hadn't read that post before.

[RainingThrees]

For a time I could not stand Bill Simmons because he not only hated Duke Basketball but also hated soccer calling it a sissy-sport that only little kids play so their parents can get rid of them blah blah blah. But over this year he has finally actually watched soccer and has discovered he likes it and he has even picked a favorite team. I do read his column now and he is pretty funny when he is not ragging on Duke.

[UrinalCake]

I also enjoy him in small doses, thus I'll continue reading his columns but pass on his book. He does bag on Duke, but it's only occasional as college basketball isn't really his forte, which he openly admits. And I'm not going to stop reading someone just because they don't support my teams - that would make for a pretty limited view of the world, IMO.

His NBA draft diaries are a favorite of mine, along with his relections on growing older and having a family. Of course, his perspective is not very common as most guys with children aren't able to spend six hours a day in front of a TV.

[throatybeard]

Simmons was just on PTI, and he sounded like a decent, thoughtful human being. After witnessing so many years of witnessing his online shtick, the cognitive dissonance made my head explode.

[Turk]

Anybody feel like commenting on the book excerpts over on the Mother Ship? Bill Walton was the first player I ever idolized as a kid. I wonder if his career would have been any different if he entered the league today, where he could benefit from all the advances in medical technology, footwear, conditioning, etc.

[juise]

In the latest Simmons podcast, he makes another Duke joke. He's discussing his impression that Mark Teixeira was way too excited about the Yankees going ahead in the 9th inning of game 4 and says that "he was jumping around like a 12th man on Duke."

I am proud that Duke's bench feels like they are as big a part of the team as the players on the floor. It would have been even better if he had said that Teixeira was "jumping around like a Cameron Crazy." I wasn't offended.

[weezie]

Originally Posted by throatybeard

Simmons was just on PTI, and he sounded like a decent, thoughtful human being. After witnessing so many years of witnessing his online shtick, the cognitive dissonance made my head explode.

I saw it too. Maybe he thought he was auditioning for future seat on the show.

He's got quite the "mouth" in print interviews. He'd never make it past the filters here

[Billy Dat]

If you are an NBA fan, you should buy the book. It barely touches the college game, but is great in what it sets out to do.

As for Simmons and Duke, he is a hater...plain and simple. He's offered a lot of reasons why he hates Duke, but none are going to sound acceptable to a Duke fan.

I love Simmons, especially his podcasts, which is saying something because he hates every team I love...Duke, the Yankees, the Giants and the Knicks. Much of that is a NY/Boston thing, but the Duke part is like lemon squirting in a paper cut. When I hear or read him bashing Duke, I generally let loose with a string of curses and then feel better.

[Devilnole]

I agree BS has largely "jumped the shark." He was for a time hilarious as evidenced by the below running commentary he did on the 2002 National Spelling Bee:

http://proxy.espn.go.com/espn/page2/...simmons/020531

[duke23]

Anybody else notice the Duke football connection? Check out 1:10 PM.

Originally Posted by Devilnole

I agree BS has largely "jumped the shark." He was for a time hilarious as evidenced by the below running commentary he did on the 2002 National Spelling Bee:

http://proxy.espn.go.com/espn/page2/...simmons/020531

[Devilnole]

Originally Posted by duke23

Anybody else notice the Duke football connection? Check out 1:10 PM.

Should be about the same age. I assume it is our guy's brother.

[juise]

Originally Posted by Devilnole

Should be about the same age. I assume it is our guy's brother.

He's the older brother of Ayanga, and he was "our guy" for a while there.

Link

[NSDukeFan]

Originally Posted by Billy Dat

If you are an NBA fan, you should buy the book. It barely touches the college game, but is great in what it sets out to do.

As for Simmons and Duke, he is a hater...plain and simple. He's offered a lot of reasons why he hates Duke, but none are going to sound acceptable to a Duke fan.

I love Simmons, especially his podcasts, which is saying something because he hates every team I love...Duke, the Yankees, the Giants and the Knicks. Much of that is a NY/Boston thing, but the Duke part is like lemon squirting in a paper cut. When I hear or read him bashing Duke, I generally let loose with a string of curses and then feel better.

I am also a fan of Bill Simmons. I have thought about getting his book as I do find him insightful regarding the NBA and read all his articles related to pro ball. The teasers he has had lately did their job for me, as I am very curious about his ranking of the best players ever with Pat Ewing at 39. I find his ranking of MVP candidates (he ranks all the players in the league, and lists a lot of them with comments) great reading. I have also been impressed that he has started appreciating soccer. I would also agree that he can be sexist and inappropriate as well.

[DevilAlumna]

Originally Posted by Bostondevil

Very funny. No really, that's funny. Truth be told, I didn't see For Love of the Game.

For Love of the Game is my third-favorite baseball movie starring Kevin Costner! Joking aside, it is a good flick, and John C takes his usual good turn as well.

[pfrduke]

Originally Posted by juise

He's the older brother of Ayanga, and he was "our guy" for a while there.

Link

Wow. If you had put the over/under of "former National Spelling Bee participants who go on to become Division I-A (FBS) football players" at 1, I would absolutely have taken the under.

[NashvilleDevil]

Simmons had a Reggie Love comment in his column today:

"The bad news from our White House visit: We missed Obama by 15 minutes. The good news: We met Reggie Love, who has arguably replaced Charles Oakley as the world's single coolest sidekick. I left a book behind for Obama and signed it like this: "DEAR POTUS, PLEASE DON'T READ THIS UNTIL 2017." Because, if he does, we're all in trouble. It's 700 pages. I'd rather he figured out health care first."

I'm sure Simmons knows Reggie is a Duke grad but didn't want to mention that he actually likes a guy who has a Duke connection.

[bdh21]

On page 158 of the book, as he's complaining about his terrible decision to go to college in icy Boston, he actually writes: "High Schoolers, go west or south: Duke, Virginia, Vanderbilt..." Duke is the first college out of his pen and you call him a hater? He's more like a Duke ribber which, considering his shtick, isn't all that bad a thing.