OT: Bill Simmons' "The Ringer" went live today

Collymore · Post #61 » by **Collymore** » Sun Jun 19, 2016 5:07 pm

Quite underwhelming so far. They brought the b-team from Grantland and so far it seems like there are few a-teamers among the new additions.

Why isn't Simmons posting any pieces about the NBA Finals? Tjarks, Conception, Borcas and McNear is doing the heavy lifting and it's just short run-of-the-mill puff pieces.

Big Mac Biyombo · Post #62 » by **Big Mac Biyombo** » Sun Jun 19, 2016 6:35 pm

Collymore wrote:Quite underwhelming so far. They brought the b-team from Grantland and so far it seems like there are few a-teamers among the new additions.

Why isn't Simmons posting any pieces about the NBA Finals? Tjarks, Conception, Borcas and McNear is doing the heavy lifting and it's just short run-of-the-mill puff pieces.

His HBO show launches Wednesday, and it seems like that's taking up all his time. Just based on what he said on Katie Nolan's podcast this week, I'd guess he's going all in on this show. The format for it sounds really good from what he said.

DowJones · Post #63 » by **DowJones** » Sun Jun 19, 2016 7:21 pm

Really weak NBA Finals coverage from Bill. That was what I was afraid of as his content transitions from sports to pop-culture.

DowJones · Post #64 » by **DowJones** » Sun Jun 19, 2016 7:31 pm

Big Mac Biyombo wrote:
Collymore wrote:Quite underwhelming so far. They brought the b-team from Grantland and so far it seems like there are few a-teamers among the new additions.

Why isn't Simmons posting any pieces about the NBA Finals? Tjarks, Conception, Borcas and McNear is doing the heavy lifting and it's just short run-of-the-mill puff pieces.

His HBO show launches Wednesday, and it seems like that's taking up all his time. Just based on what he said on Katie Nolan's podcast this week, I'd guess he's going all in on this show. The format for it sounds really good from what he said.

He said he is going to interview his guests in a different way. I just don't see how he can do it while someone like Kimmel or Colbert can't. It just doesn't seem interesting. His first guests are Ben Afflek (couldn't care less) and Charles Barkley (3 days after the NBA Finals). ESPN or Dan Patrick will probably get Chuck the day after the Finals. I would be more interested in his 30 minute show if 24 minutes weren't tied into 2 interviews.

SactoKingsFan · Post #65 » by **SactoKingsFan** » Sun Jun 19, 2016 8:31 pm

So far it looks like a cheap version of Grantland.

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Collymore · Post #66 » by **Collymore** » Sun Jun 19, 2016 9:01 pm

Yeah, the last piece about the finals was posted 2 days ago. Gotta have that weekend off even if it's game 7.

mtron929 · Post #67 » by **mtron929** » Mon Jun 20, 2016 1:26 am

Collymore wrote:Yeah, the last piece about the finals was posted 2 days ago. Gotta have that weekend off even if it's game 7.

I never understand why the sports writers that focus on one sport never seem to work on weekends. If you are a NBA writer, shouldn't you work pretty much all day long during the NBA season and at least during the playoffs?

RoseIs1 · Post #68 » by **RoseIs1** » Mon Jun 20, 2016 1:27 am

Why do all of Simmons' sites have such ugly design? Even when Grantland launched it was an eyesore. You'd think with all of the money he has, he'd be able to find a decent designer.

KnicksGadfly · Post #69 » by **KnicksGadfly** » Mon Jun 20, 2016 2:05 am

RoseIs1 wrote:Why do all of Simmons' sites have such ugly design? Even when Grantland launched it was an eyesore. You'd think with all of the money he has, he'd be able to find a decent designer.

Grantland was pretty nice, but the Ringer actually does use Medium...ugly. The Undefeated isn't bad though!

Collymore · Post #70 » by **Collymore** » Mon Sep 12, 2016 4:31 pm

Very underwhelming. Simmons not providing any written material combined with the loss of Lowe and Barnwell really limits the quality. It's been a clear shift of focus from more in-depth articles to shorter click-bait stuff. I looks like they are targeting a different audience with articles about emojis etc.

I tried to give it a chance but it just didn't catch on with me.

Post #71 » by **bwgood77** » Mon Sep 12, 2016 5:31 pm

Collymore wrote:Very underwhelming. Simmons not providing any written material combined with the loss of Lowe and Barnwell really limits the quality. It's been a clear shift of focus from more in-depth articles to shorter click-bait stuff. I looks like they are targeting a different audience with articles about emojis etc.

I tried to give it a chance but it just didn't catch on with me.

Yes, none of the writers I read went, and then Simmons doesn't write? Unless he just lost it or has hit writers block, it's just ridiculous for him not to write an article. If he wrote just ONE good column, and tweeted it out, he would drive massive traffic to the site.

NavalAviator94 · Post #72 » by **NavalAviator94** » Mon Sep 12, 2016 7:27 pm

bwgood77 wrote:
Collymore wrote:Very underwhelming. Simmons not providing any written material combined with the loss of Lowe and Barnwell really limits the quality. It's been a clear shift of focus from more in-depth articles to shorter click-bait stuff. I looks like they are targeting a different audience with articles about emojis etc.

I tried to give it a chance but it just didn't catch on with me.

Yes, none of the writers I read went, and then Simmons doesn't write? Unless he just lost it or has hit writers block, it's just ridiculous for him not to write an article. If he wrote just ONE good column, and tweeted it out, he would drive massive traffic to the site.

I think we'll see that eventually. To do what he is doing takes a massive amount of work and he really needs to get the framework done correctly along with the various content channels moving the right direction oh and a T.V Show. I suspect we'll see more writing later but we do have his podcast which is one of my favorites to listen to.

Ferulci · Post #73 » by **Ferulci** » Mon Sep 12, 2016 7:41 pm

Very mixed feelings so far :
- The article quality is lacking. Too short, not in depth, focused on punchlines rather than quality.
- The shift to pop culture is my main problem. I dont mind an outside the box material on Pokemon Go or Frank Ocean, but the weekly article about Taylor Swift or TMZ-like article is mind boggling.
- We need more Bill Simmons material.
- The silver lining are podcasts. From Keep it 1600 to the Bill Simmons podcast (especially those with Rapaport) or the Wrestling podcast, they really have awesome stuff coming out each week.

EastBayBoy · Post #74 » by **EastBayBoy** » Mon Sep 12, 2016 8:21 pm

No really digging the reading material, but I like the podcasts like the NFL Divisional previews with Robert Mays.

bleeds_purple · Post #75 » by **bleeds_purple** » Mon Sep 12, 2016 8:34 pm

Collymore wrote:Very underwhelming. Simmons not providing any written material combined with the loss of Lowe and Barnwell really limits the quality. It's been a clear shift of focus from more in-depth articles to shorter click-bait stuff. I looks like they are targeting a different audience with articles about emojis etc.

I tried to give it a chance but it just didn't catch on with me.

Plus the fact everything written there seems to be tinted by the "PC culture" worldview. Sometimes I couldn't tell if it was The Ringer or Jezebel that I was reading.

I went to Grantland to get away from all this crap. I've completely given up on that site.

Feels like Simmons is spreading himself too thin. At this point everything he puts out is either mediocre or utter garbage whether it be the site (and his utter lack of articles), his show, or even the pod as of late.

rich316 · Post #76 » by **rich316** » Mon Sep 12, 2016 11:53 pm

bleeds_purple wrote:
Collymore wrote:Very underwhelming. Simmons not providing any written material combined with the loss of Lowe and Barnwell really limits the quality. It's been a clear shift of focus from more in-depth articles to shorter click-bait stuff. I looks like they are targeting a different audience with articles about emojis etc.

I tried to give it a chance but it just didn't catch on with me.

Plus the fact everything written there seems to be tinted by the "PC culture" worldview. Sometimes I couldn't tell if it was The Ringer or Jezebel that I was reading.

I went to Grantland to get away from all this crap. I've completely given up on that site.

Feels like Simmons is spreading himself too thin. At this point everything he puts out is either mediocre or utter garbage whether it be the site (and his utter lack of articles), his show, or even the pod as of late.

The problem, as everybody predicted, was that without the ESPN media empire, he just wouldn't get good guests to talk to. Woj and Lowe get NBA players, front office executives, coaches to come on and talk to them. Simmons is basically persona non grata in the sports media world, and HBO has no pull with sports personalities, so he is stuck talking to his college buddies and the random oddballs he has become friends with like Gladwell.

eagereyez · Post #77 » by **eagereyez** » Tue Sep 13, 2016 12:04 am

I was interested in his show after Barkley came on for the first episode, but his guest after Barkley was Ben Affleck. They talked the Finals and compared it to the Pats losing. That would be a cool convo to have with Barkley, but I could not care less about Ben Affleck's sports opinion. Bringing in pop culture guys to talk about sports is just not interesting to me. <Insert Chappelle Ja Rule joke>.

emi_b7 · Post #78 » by **emi_b7** » Tue Sep 13, 2016 1:12 am

I'm waiting to see their NBA coverage. Even if I enjoyed some of Grantlad's pop culture articles every now and then, their NBA articles were the reason why I checked the site every day. Without Lowe's columns, Goldsberry's shooting analysis, the occacional Abrams story (those were top notch) and little to no Simmons, I don't like how it is looking though.
Right now the only "serious" NBA writer they have is Jonathan "no more questions for you bro" Tjarks. I'm not a fan of him. The other NBA writers they have only write about Demarcus Cousins' twitter, Draymond's dick and stuff like that.

At this moment, the only consistently good writer on the whole site is Shea Serrano IMO. He writes about the most random stuff, but he is pretty entertaining.

benultimate · Post #79 » by **benultimate** » Tue Sep 13, 2016 2:48 am

emi_b7 wrote:I'm waiting to see their NBA coverage. Even if I enjoyed some of Grantlad's pop culture articles every now and then, their NBA articles were the reason why I checked the site every day. Without Lowe's columns, Goldsberry's shooting analysis, the occacional Abrams story (those were top notch) and little to no Simmons, I don't like how it is looking though.
Right now the only "serious" NBA writer they have is Jonathan "no more questions for you bro" Tjarks. I'm not a fan of him. The other NBA writers they have only write about Demarcus Cousins' twitter, Draymond's dick and stuff like that.

Spot on +1

I've been a huge fan of Simmons over the years. Unfortunately the majority of the articles on The Ringer are beyond terrible, several times I've thought to myself while reading "WTF is this dude writing about" and quit reading there and then despite the articles being fairly short and not at all time consuming. I've given up with the site completely besides Simmons content and that is few and far between. Dare I say it I think a lot us took Grantland for granted.

Rapcity_11 · Post #80 » by **Rapcity_11** » Tue Sep 13, 2016 3:05 am

emi_b7 wrote:I'm waiting to see their NBA coverage. Even if I enjoyed some of Grantlad's pop culture articles every now and then, their NBA articles were the reason why I checked the site every day. Without Lowe's columns, Goldsberry's shooting analysis, the occacional Abrams story (those were top notch) and little to no Simmons, I don't like how it is looking though.
Right now the only "serious" NBA writer they have is Jonathan "no more questions for you bro" Tjarks. I'm not a fan of him. The other NBA writers they have only write about Demarcus Cousins' twitter, Draymond's dick and stuff like that.

At this moment, the only consistently good writer on the whole site is Shea Serrano IMO. He writes about the most random stuff, but he is pretty entertaining.

They have Kevin O'Connor too as a serious NBA writer. Haven't read any of his stuff yet though.