Bill Simmons built a media empire at ESPN with his podcasts, his NBA insight, his oversight of 30 for 30, and the formerly-trustworthy website, Grantland. But when Simmons' contract was set to expire in September, ESPN announced that they were cutting him loose from the company, presumably because he is a polarizingly honest figure who cuts through sports bullshit to get to the real truth underneath every bizarre thing that happens in the bizarre industry, but ESPN is a cookie-cutter company that wants nothing to do with controversy. They want to appease the demographics and risk losing real journalism in the process. So honestly, it was better for the legend that is Bill Simmons to take his talents elsewhere, to put it in a phrase that ESPN might understand. He has gone to HBO, a perfect fit for him, because he will be allowed to freely speak his mind with no threat of consequence on his weekly talk show that is basically Grantland on screen. I'm very happy for him.
Good luck to him, too. :)
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