Its Official: Bill Simmons Joining ESPN's NBA Countdown

[indeedproceed]

This news broke a few days ago, and ESPN confirmed it today: Bill Simmons and Jalen Rose are joining Magic Johnson and Michael Wilbon on ESPN's NBA Countdown. Getting the boot? Jon Barry and Chris Broussard. The press release: Barry "will transition to game analysis," and Broussard will remain an "NBA Insider for SportsCenter and other news and information programming." Yow.

No snark here: This show now threatens to be tolerable.

And for funsies, a comment from the cheap seats:

Breaking from Chris Broussard's Twitter: "Sources tell me that a scenario exists in which an unnamed ESPN personality may be facing demotion from the network's NBA Countdown. Details by the end of the day."

[Interceptor]

This is great news, I like Simmons. I don't even care if he's wrong half the time, he's entertaining.

[Donoghus]

Good news.  ESPN's NBA coverage leaves a lot to be desired especially their studio show.  Adding Simmons & Rose is a step in the right direction.

Evidently, Stan Van Gundy was going to be on the show but Stern stepped in and put the kibosh on that which is a disappointment.  I guess SVG had made some disparaging comments about Stern on the radio and when ESPN ran the idea of SVG joining the studio show, Stern nixed it. 

I think SVG with Simmons would've been terrific. 

[ManUp]

They booted the smartest guy on the set, Jon Barry.

Good Riddance on Broussard though.

[Fafnir]

Good news.  ESPN's NBA coverage leaves a lot to be desired especially their studio show.  Adding Simmons & Rose is a step in the right direction.

Evidently, Stan Van Gundy was going to be on the show but Stern stepped in and put the kibosh on that which is a disappointment.  I guess SVG had made some disparaging comments about Stern on the radio and when ESPN ran the idea of SVG joining the studio show, Stern nixed it. 

I think SVG with Simmons would've been terrific.

Yeah I saw that on biglead/deadspin.

Sucks I'd have enjoyed the master of panic on the show. Simmons I'm unsure on, I wonder how he'll do with the format regularly.

[Yoki_IsTheName]

NIce. The show will be entertaining now. Hope they kept Barry though, he's one of those on point guys all the time.

Glad that Broussard is out. Like him as a reporter, but not as an analyst.

[PierceMVP08]

I was a fan of Barry.  I think that's a downgrade.  I couldn't care less for Brousard so I'm a fan of that move.

I'm actually not thrilled about the guys coming on.  I feel like Jalen Rose blabbers a bit (so now there'll be two guys like that with Magic on set) and I don't think simmons is a good on-air personality.  He's got a face for radio, and I'm not a fan of his winy voice.  He should remain in the written word.

[Interceptor]

Sucks I'd have enjoyed the master of panic on the show. Simmons I'm unsure on, I wonder how he'll do with the format regularly.

Indeed, I didn't know SVG was in the mix, and I died a little bit inside now that we won't get him. Tragedy.

I think Simmons will be fine. He was atrocious before, but he's had some TV experience now, and the analysis that he does on the BS reports he cranks out shouldn't be all that difficult to adapt for Countdown.

[Donoghus]

As long as Broussard is gone, I'm happy.

I wish they'd do something about Magic but that's asking too much.  He's pretty awful these days.

[OsirusCeltics]

You are all missing the real news

Broussard would no longer be on NBA Countdown. Yes!!!!

[Lucky17]

Good news.  ESPN's NBA coverage leaves a lot to be desired especially their studio show.  Adding Simmons & Rose is a step in the right direction.

Evidently, Stan Van Gundy was going to be on the show but Stern stepped in and put the kibosh on that which is a disappointment.  I guess SVG had made some disparaging comments about Stern on the radio and when ESPN ran the idea of SVG joining the studio show, Stern nixed it. 

I think SVG with Simmons would've been terrific.

I read recently SVG's response to that. It boiled down to, "ESPN has no balls, because they are paying the league hundreds of millions of dollars for TV rights, and still take orders from Stern, instead of the other way around."

[nostar]

I don't think you guys understand. Jalen Rose is full on unwatchable. I've never heard him say a smart thing ever and when he gets caught in some stupid backward logic he just randomly says something about being from the hood. I'd sooner take Broussard than Jalen, at least Broussard does some reporting, bad though it is.

Jon Barry was a good analyst and I will miss him. Simmons is a welcomed addition and I think SVG would have been great but man bringing Jalen on is a severe oversight. Boo ESPN, the only thing worse than Jalen is Stuart Scott's trite and borderline racist approach to journalism.

[Interceptor]

^ I just listened to the 10/17 B.S. Report, which is basically an hour of Simmons and Jalen talking, and I didn't think that Jalen was bad. Maybe he's different on TV, but he didn't say anything that I can recall as "stupid", and had a couple of interesting stories.

EDIT: if anyone else wants to listen - http://espn.go.com/espnradio/grantland/player?id=8517312

[BudweiserCeltic]

Man, Jon Barry was the best thing they had there, too bad they're moving him. I don't care much for Jalen Rose personally, but he's not a bad alternative either.

Chris Brouasasasard was awful though.

[BudweiserCeltic]

^ I just listened to the 10/17 B.S. Report, which is basically an hour of Simmons and Jalen talking, and I didn't think that Jalen was bad. Maybe he's different on TV, but he didn't say anything that I can recall as "stupid", and had a couple of interesting stories.

EDIT: if anyone else wants to listen - http://espn.go.com/espnradio/grantland/player?id=8517312

Just listened to it, and it was great. One of the best B.S. Report I've listened to (given, I haven't listened to a whole lot of them).