# Anyone reading Grantland? (Bill Simmons' new sports website) **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [June 14, 2011, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-reading-grantland-bill-simmons-new-sports-website/585422 "2011-06-14T13:55:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2011, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-reading-grantland-bill-simmons-new-sports-website/585422/21 "2011-06-15T20:17:51Z")
> [@zamboniracer](#): > > Ok, of the 1,000 columns he’s written over his life, only the last 10 and another 50 or so before that were not Boston centric. > > No, that’s not right either. Perhaps I should say there were not Simmons’ centric (Simmons, his friends, his dad, his kids, his trips to the Gah-den as a kid, etc etc.). I don’t care about him, his friends or his family. If you like it, storyteller, that’s great. Simmons has found a great niche audience and you’re part of it. Huzzah! Me, I can’t stand him. Would you feel the same way if Simmons went to Marquette, and waxed poetic about his time watching Terry Cummings, Sidney Moncrief, and Jack Sikma? :dubious: I read the Ichiro piece, and other than the open paragraph looking like it belonged in another article, I enjoyed it. ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2011, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-reading-grantland-bill-simmons-new-sports-website/585422/22 "2011-06-15T20:34:25Z")
> [@zamboniracer](#): > > Ok, of the 1,000 columns he’s written over his life, only the last 10 and another 50 or so before that were not Boston centric. > > No, that’s not right either. Perhaps I should say there were not Simmons’ centric (Simmons, his friends, his dad, his kids, his trips to the Gah-den as a kid, etc etc.). I don’t care about him, his friends or his family. If you like it, storyteller, that’s great. Simmons has found a great niche audience and you’re part of it. Huzzah! Me, I can’t stand him. Count me with **storyteller**. Simmons includes his friends, family, college and childhood into his writing often. He’s unabashedly biased and upfront about it. I feel like I know him because of all that. Because I know him I get more out of his columns. I can relate better to them because I can put it into context with his personality and experiences. In many ways it reminds me of reading the sports threads here on the Dope, in many ways we know each other and when I read something that **SenorBeef** or **Ellis Dee** write about the NFL I know precisely where that point of view is coming from. That’s a helpful bit of context and allows me to often infer more information than is necessarily presented in the text. When something is said that I disagree with I can often adjust my point of view to at least see where they are coming from. You can’t accuse him of constantly writing about Boston sports, that’s not something he does with any regularity. There have perhaps been more LA Clippers columns than Boston Red Sox columns in the previous 2 years. If you want to accuse him of being biased, that’s fine, but he’s not “Boston-centric” in the sense that his work revolves around Boston sports. About Grantland, I’m reading it simply because there isn’t much Sports journalism that I like these days and I need to get my Simmons fix one way or another. I agree that Klosterman can been insanely pretentious and meandering, but he can also be exceptionally good. I’d rather read someone like that than someone who’s going to be consistently bland, melodramatic and pandering like Rick Reilly. I dislike the name Grantland aggressively, I mean WTF? I wish the columns had comment functionality, but I suspect that would be more trouble than it’s worth and that’s not what this site is trying to be about. The layout and format needs a lot of help and it doesn’t scale properly on my phone. I really do like the footnotes, it’s a amusing way to add depth and/or tangents to stories. I’m hoping it grows and I’m hoping this leads to a broader group of writers that I like and potentially more Podcasts for me to follow. ---
**Author:** ![zamboniracer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e9a140/32.png) [@zamboniracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zamboniracer)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2011, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-reading-grantland-bill-simmons-new-sports-website/585422/23 "2011-06-15T20:38:39Z")
> [@Omniscient](#): > > . I feel like I know (Simmons) because of all that. Because I know him I get more out of his columns. I can relate better to them because I can put it into context with his personality and experiences. I feel like I know him too. I know him to be an asshole. YMMV ---
**Author:** ![phreesh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9fc29f/32.png) [@phreesh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phreesh)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2011, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-reading-grantland-bill-simmons-new-sports-website/585422/24 "2011-06-15T20:42:35Z")
I was excited about more longform sports journalism, but forgot that not every longform article is worth reading. And you have to put so much more time and effort into a longform article that it’s doubly frustrating when it sucks (Like the Ichiro article. Ichiro’s story is awesome and you spend 80% of it on personal reflections having very little to do with the guy. WTF?). I also love the idea of footnotes, but find them barely legible. I’m a big Simmons fan, so I’ll probably return at least weekly, but it’s not as good as I’d hoped. ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2011, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-reading-grantland-bill-simmons-new-sports-website/585422/25 "2011-06-15T21:01:45Z")
> [@zamboniracer](#): > > I feel like I know him too. I know him to be an asshole. YMMV If you don’t like him that’s fine, but your issue doesn’t appear to be with the subject of his writing and that’s what you claimed. ---
**Author:** ![zamboniracer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e9a140/32.png) [@zamboniracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zamboniracer)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2011, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-reading-grantland-bill-simmons-new-sports-website/585422/26 "2011-06-15T21:17:45Z")
> [@Omniscient](#): > > If you don’t like him that’s fine, but your issue doesn’t appear to be with the subject of his writing and that’s what you claimed. Oh brother.:rolleyes: Let me put it this way. I find his writing to be too Boston-centric and too Simmons’ centric. I find him, through his writings, to be egotistical without any apparent reason to be. Therefore, I consider him to be an asshole. Those are the dots and as I connect them. You think differently. That’s ok. ---
**Author:** ![Southern\_Yankee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/southern_yankee/32/2800_2.png) [@Southern\_Yankee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Southern_Yankee)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2011, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-reading-grantland-bill-simmons-new-sports-website/585422/27 "2011-06-15T21:34:39Z")
> [@zamboniracer](#): > > I find him, through his writings, to be egotistical without any apparent reason to be. I’m not arguing your opinion of him, but he’s probably (no cite, just my opinion) the most read/important “internet sports writer” so far. By that I mean he was there in the infancy of the web, relatively speaking, and his entire career has been online (with the exception of his books, which came later.) So, even though I don’t personally see him as egotistical, he actually DOES have some reason to be. I will continue to read Grantland and hope they adjust it as they get settled. It’s definitely a worthy venture. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2011, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-reading-grantland-bill-simmons-new-sports-website/585422/28 "2011-06-15T23:44:02Z")
> [@Omniscient](#): > > I dislike the name Grantland aggressively, I mean WTF? I assume it is named in honor of Grantland Rice. The columnists are certainly doing their damndest to imitate Rice. It’s a neat little tribute tothe greatest sportswriter of the first half of the 20th century but, yes, a very ill-advised name. ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2011, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-reading-grantland-bill-simmons-new-sports-website/585422/29 "2011-06-16T00:15:53Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > I assume it is named in honor of Grantland Rice. The columnists are certainly doing their damndest to imitate Rice. > > It’s a neat little tribute tothe greatest sportswriter of the first half of the 20th century but, yes, a very ill-advised name. You would be correct. ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2011, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-reading-grantland-bill-simmons-new-sports-website/585422/30 "2011-06-16T04:14:06Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > I assume it is named in honor of Grantland Rice. The columnists are certainly doing their damndest to imitate Rice. > > It’s a neat little tribute tothe greatest sportswriter of the first half of the 20th century but, yes, a very ill-advised name. I’m not exactly a complete rube and I never heard of the guy. Presumably I’m not the only one, and I’m not sure digging up a name from a bygone era was the wisest choice for a new media evolutionary experiment. ---
**Author:** ![Southern\_Yankee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/southern_yankee/32/2800_2.png) [@Southern\_Yankee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Southern_Yankee)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2011, 10:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-reading-grantland-bill-simmons-new-sports-website/585422/31 "2011-06-16T10:46:08Z")
I assumed it was because ESPN gave them a grant to start the site. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2011, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-reading-grantland-bill-simmons-new-sports-website/585422/32 "2011-06-16T12:27:05Z")
> [@Omniscient](#): > > I’m not exactly a complete rube and I never heard of the guy. Presumably I’m not the only one, and I’m not sure digging up a name from a bygone era was the wisest choice for a new media evolutionary experiment. Me too, however, I was curious and looked it up and confirmed it through the reviews for Grantland on another website. They thought it was a pretty pretentious name for a aposrts writing site too, like, what, [ErnestHemingway.com](http://ErnestHemingway.com) wasn’t taken? ---
**Author:** ![sachertorte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sachertorte/32/3727_2.png) [@sachertorte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sachertorte)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2011, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-reading-grantland-bill-simmons-new-sports-website/585422/33 "2011-06-16T20:18:24Z")
So Simmons has a new column\*. It’s about the Bruins (shocking, I know). I think I’ve figured out why Grantland isn’t working for me: all the other writers are trying to be Simmons. Simmons tosses in tangential information about his family and past and I don’t mind it. I find it interesting actually. The rest of the writers, well, not so much. I think I have a reaction to them the same way **zamboniracer** reacts to Simmons. I don’t care. Moreso, I’m bothered by it. I don’t know why. Perhaps Simmons is simply better at it. Or maybe it is because Simmons has established enough of a presence slowly through time (and judicious editing by ESPN) that I don’t mind it. But these ‘new’ writers, I think they are yammering on assuming the audience cares, when we really really don’t. Perhaps if they started with brief, one sentence tangents so that the audience slowly learn about who they are and form genuine interest. As it is now, I feel like they are all foisting their life stories on me all at once. \*It’s about Boston having a “hot goalie.” I totally agree. Tim Thomas is a hot bear. ---
**Author:** ![storyteller0910](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecae2f/32.png) [@storyteller0910](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/storyteller0910)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2011, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-reading-grantland-bill-simmons-new-sports-website/585422/34 "2011-06-16T20:43:59Z")
> [@sachertorte](#): > > So Simmons has a new column\*. It’s about the Bruins (shocking, I know). > I think I’ve figured out why Grantland isn’t working for me: all the other writers are trying to be Simmons. Simmons tosses in tangential information about his family and past and I don’t mind it. I find it interesting actually. The rest of the writers, well, not so much. I think I have a reaction to them the same way **zamboniracer** reacts to Simmons. I don’t care. Moreso, I’m bothered by it. > > I don’t know why. Perhaps Simmons is simply better at it. Or maybe it is because Simmons has established enough of a presence slowly through time (and judicious editing by ESPN) that I don’t mind it. But these ‘new’ writers, I think they are yammering on assuming the audience cares, when we really really don’t. > > Perhaps if they started with brief, one sentence tangents so that the audience slowly learn about who they are and form genuine interest. As it is now, I feel like they are all foisting their life stories on me all at once. I agree with all of this, actually, word for word, excepting that Michael Schur’s piece about cricket (with someone whose name I do not remember and don’t care enough to look up) was, improbably, great. ---
**Author:** ![Jas09](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d07c76/32.png) [@Jas09](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jas09)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2011, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-reading-grantland-bill-simmons-new-sports-website/585422/35 "2011-06-16T20:52:14Z")
> [@storyteller0910](#): > > I agree with all of this, actually, word for word, excepting that Michael Schur’s piece about cricket (with someone whose name I do not remember and don’t care enough to look up) was, improbably, great. Agreed. Somebody mentioned it upthread so I read it yesterday and was stifling laughs (sometimes not so effectively) all the way through. It helps that I’m moderately aware of cricket and in fact followed the match in question live. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![sachertorte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sachertorte/32/3727_2.png) [@sachertorte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sachertorte)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2011, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-reading-grantland-bill-simmons-new-sports-website/585422/36 "2011-06-16T20:55:56Z")
I haven’t read that one. I’ll have to look at it soon. I work with many Indians (India Indians) who LOVE Cricket. So much so, that I’m acutely aware that India recently won the Cricket World Cup. ---
**Author:** ![sachertorte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sachertorte/32/3727_2.png) [@sachertorte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sachertorte)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2011, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-reading-grantland-bill-simmons-new-sports-website/585422/37 "2011-06-16T21:51:39Z")
Oops. I didn’t realize the article is specifically about that match. ---
**Author:** ![Southern\_Yankee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/southern_yankee/32/2800_2.png) [@Southern\_Yankee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Southern_Yankee)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2011, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-reading-grantland-bill-simmons-new-sports-website/585422/38 "2011-06-17T15:03:59Z")
[Now](http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/6667949/pappy-van-winkle) were talking! ---
**Author:** ![Hawkeyeop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/958977/32.png) [@Hawkeyeop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hawkeyeop)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2011, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-reading-grantland-bill-simmons-new-sports-website/585422/39 "2011-06-19T14:54:59Z")
> [@storyteller0910](#): > > A lot of the articles are like this. On the other hand, Michael Schur (Ken Tremendous!) just posted something, and if he posted once, he may post again. That, as far as I’m concerned, makes grantland worthwhile 🙂 Michael has been writing a bit on Sportsnation (The blog conglomerate that Neyer is now in charge of) as well as appearing on just about every other Pozcast (Joe Posnanski’s podcasts) ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2011, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-reading-grantland-bill-simmons-new-sports-website/585422/40 "2011-06-19T16:10:04Z")
Looks like it’s down right now. I’ve seen nothing but high criticism for the articles though. I’ve never been a Simmons fan though. I did see the Ken Tremendous article. I think he was making fun of the website. 12,000 words on cricket? Seems like the kind of parody he’d get into. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-reading-grantland-bill-simmons-new-sports-website/585422.md?page=1)