The Sports Dork and "These too cool for school comics"

[nec13]

Does Simmons still write for Jimmy Kimmel Live?

[jamesp]

While his discussions with Klosterman and the former ombudsman and his boss at ESPN on the changing media landscape were probably the best podcasts he's done, I'm still blown away by the grudge he still holds towards The Boston Globe for not hiring him straight out of Holy Cross as a columnist.  He instead starts on AOL, then moves to ESPN, then writes and produces for a network late night talk show and is now as prominent as any Globe columnist except Bob Ryan... seems like a pretty good trade off to me. He's made comments in the past blaming him not getting hired because he's a white male.  I bet he has pictures of Michael Holley and Jackie McMullen pinned to a dartboard at the Sports Guy Mansion.

Simmons is just a spoiled rich brat who habitually throws temper tantrums and lashes out at anyone who crosses him or doesn't bend over backwards for him.  Like Peteski's suggested, some 'too-cool-for-school comedians' must have justifiably made him feel dumb once.

I can't stand to hear him whine about the Globe job. Why would the Globe want a 25 year old sports writer doing columns when the newspaper's audience is probably age 35 and older. And what's he whining about affirmative action when he was clearly just a rich kid growing up? He said his dad lives on Beacon Hill and they've had Celtics season tickets for like decades.

Dameshek can be a pretty obnoxious guest. I hate how he calls hockey "puck." It reminds me of people in high school who called basketball "hoop", not even "hoops."

[jamesp]

I think Simmons may be talking, at least partially, in jest.

The distain in his voice when he says "with less star power" tells us more than he'd like us to know.

Later on they talk about live syncing Road House with the audience during a future podcast.

I just got through the podcast and didn't read your post earlier about the Road House. Very odd coincidence.

[jbissell]

I also remember him talking shit about Arrested Development, basically saying that it was nothing more than a show a little too pleased with itself.

I've really enjoyed his 180 stance on Twitter.  He would routinely badmouth it and then suddenly he signs up and can't control his tweets.

Pretty much his only work that I really enjoy these days is his NBA stuff.  Despite the homerism, he actually knows what he's talking about and makes a lot of sense (though his GM campaign is dumb).  Others have mentioned how unfortunate it is that he still thinks he approaches things from an everyday fan's POV and I couldn't agree more with that.  When you're good buddies with the Rockets GM and have big time contacts around the league, and are making a ton of Disney money, it's a pretty hard claim to make.

[eastgrandforks]

So, can anyone speculate why Zach was dining with the Olsen twins (as mentioned in the podcast)?

[namethebats]

But he went from being a fan who wrote a column to being a total insider, and I don't think he even knows it. He slips in these little touches into his columns now about awesome Super Bowl parties at Kimmel's house, or hanging out with some ridiculous celebrity. Nobody can relate to it, and worst of all, it's boring.

When the Patriots lost the Super Bowl, I was conflicted; I liked seeing such an exciting upset, but it would have been nice to see an undefeated team in my lifetime.

Then I read Bill Simmons' post-mortem. He'd been planning to write a feature about hanging out with Tom Brady at the post-game party. After that, it became the greatest win in NFL history.

Edit: Even with the homerism, I still think he's one of the best NBA writers out there. I just make sure to tune him out once football season starts.

[J. Garbage]

I also remember him talking shit about Arrested Development, basically saying that it was nothing more than a show a little too pleased with itself.

I'm actually with him on this one.

[nec13]

I also remember him talking shit about Arrested Development, basically saying that it was nothing more than a show a little too pleased with itself.

Strongly disagree with The Sports Guy. What kind of comedy does he like anyway?

[Stupornaut]

I also remember him talking shit about Arrested Development, basically saying that it was nothing more than a show a little too pleased with itself.

Strongly disagree with The Sports Guy. What kind of comedy does he like anyway?

Jimmy Kimmel.

[nec13]

Fair enough.

[scratchbomb]

When the Patriots lost the Super Bowl, I was conflicted; I liked seeing such an exciting upset, but it would have been nice to see an undefeated team in my lifetime.

Then I read Bill Simmons' post-mortem. He'd been planning to write a feature about hanging out with Tom Brady at the post-game party. After that, it became the greatest win in NFL history.

Edit: Even with the homerism, I still think he's one of the best NBA writers out there. I just make sure to tune him out once football season starts.

Oh god, I totally forgot about that. I've never read anything so "Let them eat cake" from someone who purports to be a just a regular dude. Yeah, that fact alone makes it the greatest Super Bowl ever.

I agree he's one of the best NBA writers there is. Problem is, he's become virtually insufferable on every other sport--including how he was suddenly "into" hockey when the Bruins got good, despite the fact that he declared hockey "dead to him" for years.

Oh, and check out the cover of his new book. Not exactly the work of a humble man:

[jamesp]

It seems like Simmons is alone on trashing Galifianakis right now. Zach had that NY Times Magazine article on Sunday. I just read in the review in Rolling Stone: "What else to know? That Galifianakis - spell it, say it, learn it - is the new rock star of comedy." and Ebert wrote "Well, Zach Galifianakis' performance is the kind of breakout performance that made John Belushi a star after "Animal House."

Hooray for Zach! I'm really looking forward to seeing this tomorrow.

[nec13]

It seems like Simmons is alone on trashing Galifianakis right now.

We resent those things that we do not understand.

[chrisfoll577]

At the beginning of a recent podcast (I think with his bowling/soccer announcer friend 'Stoner') while talking about The Hangover, his friend remarks on how good the film is and how Zach is the breakout star... Simmons responds by saying something to the effect of "Well, he's had enough chances"...

If someone I knew said that in my company, I'd call him on the carpet for such an assinine remark, yet no one in any of his podcasts, and probably in real life, with the exception of his Yankee fan nemesis Jack-O and maybe Klosterman calls him out on the wrongheaded garbage that spews from his mouth on every conceivable subject that's not Professional Basketball. 

I'm just now realizing that Simmons is actually my version of Tom's Kevin Smith.  I fucking hate him but read/listen to everything he produces.  It makes no sense.  In my paranoid mind I believe all his friends like Hench, J-Bug, Joe House, Stoner and even dudes from the Kimmell/Carolla septic tank like Dameshek and Cousin Sal are stupid enough to believe being his sycophants in his own version of the ViewAskewniverse will pay off big for them like it did for Jack-O... who probably gets nothing from his weekly chats but a Subway gift card and a fan club on Facebook.

[Tom Scharpling]

Just remember that Bill Simmons is getting all his opinions on comedy from Jimmy Kimmel. And never forget that.
Tom.