Bill Simmons Leaving ESPN

[LarBrd33]

Sports Illustrated’s Richard Deitsch reported this evening that the four staffers leaving for the mystery Simmons project are Sean Fennessey, Juliet Litman, Mallory Rubin, and Chris Ryan

That kind of stinks, because the only other Grantland thing I read/listen to religiously is the Andy Greenwald and Chris Ryan Hollywood Prospectus podcast...  I guess this means that's over...

Those two also did the "Watch the Thrones" podcast.  I imagine they will keep it going in some respect.  But I liked the back and forth between Greenwald and Chris Ryan the most.

[Denis998]

Sports Illustrated’s Richard Deitsch reported this evening that the four staffers leaving for the mystery Simmons project are Sean Fennessey, Juliet Litman, Mallory Rubin, and Chris Ryan

That kind of stinks, because the only other Grantland thing I read/listen to religiously is the Andy Greenwald and Chris Ryan Hollywood Prospectus podcast...  I guess this means that's over...

Those two also did the "Watch the Thrones" podcast.  I imagine they will keep it going in some respect.  But I liked the back and forth between Greenwald and Chris Ryan the most.

Do you not listen to the Lowe post?

[LarBrd33]

Sports Illustrated’s Richard Deitsch reported this evening that the four staffers leaving for the mystery Simmons project are Sean Fennessey, Juliet Litman, Mallory Rubin, and Chris Ryan

That kind of stinks, because the only other Grantland thing I read/listen to religiously is the Andy Greenwald and Chris Ryan Hollywood Prospectus podcast...  I guess this means that's over...

Those two also did the "Watch the Thrones" podcast.  I imagine they will keep it going in some respect.  But I liked the back and forth between Greenwald and Chris Ryan the most.

Do you not listen to the Lowe post?

Not often, but Lowe is easily the best NBA writer around.

[LarBrd33]

Rembert is gone:  http://awfulannouncing.com/2015/espns-desire-to-one-up-bill-simmons-is-keeping-grantland-afloat.html

[Donoghus]

Rembert is gone:  http://awfulannouncing.com/2015/espns-desire-to-one-up-bill-simmons-is-keeping-grantland-afloat.html

Wasn't a fan of his but it sure seems like Grantland is a sinking ship right now.  They lost 4 people a couple of weeks ago also. 

Who's left?  Lowe & Burnwell?  Not much else.

[LarBrd33]

Rembert is gone:  http://awfulannouncing.com/2015/espns-desire-to-one-up-bill-simmons-is-keeping-grantland-afloat.html

Wasn't a fan of his but it sure seems like Grantland is a sinking ship right now.  They lost 4 people a couple of weeks ago also. 

Who's left?  Lowe & Burnwell?  Not much else.

One of my favorite podcasts (Hollywood Prospectus) is officially dead.  I imagine "Watch the Thrones" is dead as well.

[Quetzalcoatl]

What's funny is that Grantland is actually doing ok right now and is basically transitioning to a click bait site.  They're losing viewers now, but they might actually rebound into a site we all hate like Buzzfeed or something in the long run.

[LarBrd33]

RIP Grantland...  that was quick

http://espnmediazone.com/us/espn-statement-regarding-grantland/

[Denis998]

RIP Grantland...  that was quick

http://espnmediazone.com/us/espn-statement-regarding-grantland/

Wonder where Lowe will end up.

[Evantime34]

Apparently ESPN is honoring the contracts of people still at grantland and they will just write for espn.

Zach Lowe is the best basketball writer there is, I wish he would have gone somewhere else. After deflategate and now this I'd rather not give their online site my traffic.

[Fafnir]

Apparently ESPN is honoring the contracts of people still at grantland and they will just write for espn.

Zach Lowe is the best basketball writer there is, I wish he would have gone somewhere else. After deflategate and now this I'd rather not give their online site my traffic.

Yeah, they have a much worse designed website now as well. I'm sure its optimized to be more like facebook but I just avoid it. It doesn't even give me the scores of sports as easily. Pushes all sorts of irrelevant stuff they are promoting alongside playoff scores.

Combine that with 538 being an awful disappointment and ESPN doesn't have much other than live rights that I use anymore. Pretty much only go their for a fantasy league that uses their platform.

[LarBrd33]

Well I was bummed that Chris Ryan and Andy Greenwald were splitting up.  I liked their podcast together (Chris Ryan is joining Simmons on some unspecified project)... but it sounds like Greenwald was on his way out regardless of this decision:

Andy Greenwald ‏@andygreenwald 36m36 minutes ago

For what it's worth, next Weds was to be my last day at Grantland. Now it's today. Will forever be proud of the amazing work & friendships.

I could see Zach Lowe staying at ESPN since he's the best NBA writer around, but most of Grantland's talent doesn't make sense on ESPN... they write about pop culture... ESPN is a sports website.

Here's Lowe's relevant tweet:

Zach Lowe ‏@ZachLowe_NBA 36m36 minutes ago

Cancel that Lowe Post, @coachthorpe. Tuesday column was gonna be fun, too. Return of the 10 Things I Like and Don't Like!

... End of his podcast?

Simmons take:

Bill Simmons ‏@BillSimmons 3m3 minutes ago

I loved everyone I worked with at G and loved what we built. Watching good/kind/talented people get treated so callously = simply appalling.

[Donoghus]

Writing was on the wall since Simmons got canned. 

Too bad.  They had some really good content. 

Lowe will land on his feet soundly somewhere whether its being on the mothership's website or jumping elsewhere.  Demand for him will be extremely high.

[celticsclay]

Well I was bummed that Chris Ryan and Andy Greenwald were splitting up.  I liked their podcast together (Chris Ryan is joining Simmons on some unspecified project)... but it sounds like Greenwald was on his way out regardless of this decision:

Andy Greenwald ‏@andygreenwald 36m36 minutes ago

For what it's worth, next Weds was to be my last day at Grantland. Now it's today. Will forever be proud of the amazing work & friendships.

I could see Zach Lowe staying at ESPN since he's the best NBA writer around, but most of Grantland's talent doesn't make sense on ESPN... they write about pop culture... ESPN is a sports website.

Here's Lowe's relevant tweet:

Zach Lowe ‏@ZachLowe_NBA 36m36 minutes ago

Cancel that Lowe Post, @coachthorpe. Tuesday column was gonna be fun, too. Return of the 10 Things I Like and Don't Like!

... End of his podcast?

Simmons take:

Bill Simmons ‏@BillSimmons 3m3 minutes ago

I loved everyone I worked with at G and loved what we built. Watching good/kind/talented people get treated so callously = simply appalling.

ESPN is a sports website like the Harlem Globetrotters are a professional Basketball team...

[sofutomygaha]

I'm looking forward to hearing the full story. There's been some really weird stuff going on in the last few weeks-- the unexplained Mays/Barnwell hiatus, the bizarro just-the-facts columns they put in when they came back, the "this is relevant and important" stuff in the shootaround