GatewayRedbirds.com

I read his latest column for the first time and I've got to say it gets a big "meh." I only read Reilly sporadically in SI, but I usually enjoyed it. His Page2 column about golfing with Charles Barkley just isn't very interesting. I'm not sure if he's in print, too, but if he is and he's turning in pieces like that -- I'd say ESPN wasted a lot of money.

What's worse is that Bill Simmons is gone until Week 1 of the NFL season because he's finishing his book. That's [expletive]. I'd rather read a weekly column about the NBA, because I'm sure his book is about being a Boston sports fan.

I share your enjoyment of Bill Simmons. He seems to be REALLY black or white with a lot of people. Either you hate his guts or you love him. I personally love him. I just wish he did more baseball stuff. He's honestly the most entertaining thing on the ESPN front page most of the time.

I used to really enjoy Rick Reilly way back in the day before the internet was big. His back page column in SI always had a decent opinion piece or a story about something in the world of sports that most people didn't hear about in their local paper. Haven't read him the last several years and the few columns he's done recently for ESPN have been completely mailed in.

Simmons is a lazy bastard. All I ask for is a column or two a week and he can't even handle that most of the time, writing a book or not. Would it be really that hard to throw together a mailbag every week from now until the book is done to stay current? Hopefully this new book will have some original stuff in it. The first book was just a reprinting of his Red Sox columns from that year with some footnotes and comments added. Still didn't stop me from buying it and enjoying it, though.

I would agree with Bill Simmons. I have always enjoyed his sports guy take. Like you said, wish there was more baseball though.

And you think Rick Reilly is bad in print, try listening to him to commentary before the HR derby and then at the British Open..

GatewaySnayke wrote: What's worse is that Bill Simmons is gone until Week 1 of the NFL season because he's finishing his book. That's [expletive]. I'd rather read a weekly column about the NBA, because I'm sure his book is about being a Boston sports fan.

Then you should be happy, because SG's book is about the NBA.

I think there's some bad blood between Simmons and ESPN that may be a factor in his absence.

heyzeus wrote:I think there's some bad blood between Simmons and ESPN that may be a factor in his absence.

I certainly hope so.

heyzeus wrote:I think there's some bad blood between Simmons and ESPN that may be a factor in his absence.

http://deadspin.com/390425/simmons-cert ... e-not-kept

taxman wrote:

GatewaySnayke wrote: What's worse is that Bill Simmons is gone until Week 1 of the NFL season because he's finishing his book. That's [expletive]. I'd rather read a weekly column about the NBA, because I'm sure his book is about being a Boston sports fan.

Then you should be happy, because SG's book is about the NBA.

Awesome news.