Bill Simmons facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bill Simmons
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Simmons in 2011
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| Born |
William John Simmons III
September 25, 1969 |
| Alma mater | |
| Occupation | Journalist, author, podcaster |
| Spouse(s) |
Kari Crichton
(m. 1999) |
| Children | 2 |
| Awards | Shorty Award (Best in Sports, 2010) |
William John Simmons III (born September 25, 1969) is a well-known American podcaster, sportswriter, and cultural critic. He is the founder and CEO of The Ringer, a popular website and podcast network about sports and pop culture.
Simmons first became famous with his website "The Boston Sports Guy." He then joined ESPN in 2001, where he created the website Grantland and worked until 2015. At ESPN, he wrote for ESPN.com, hosted his podcast The B.S. Report, and was a sports analyst on NBA Countdown.
After leaving ESPN, Simmons started The Ringer in 2016. He also hosted a show called Any Given Wednesday with Bill Simmons on HBO for one season. Today, he hosts The Bill Simmons Podcast on The Ringer.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Bill Simmons was born on September 25, 1969. His father was a school administrator. Bill grew up in Massachusetts before moving to Connecticut when he was nine. This move happened after his parents divorced.
He went to Greenwich Country Day School and Brunswick School for high school. In 1988, he spent a year at Choate Rosemary Hall, a prep school. As a child, Simmons read a book called The Breaks of the Game. He said this book greatly influenced his decision to become a sportswriter.
While at the College of the Holy Cross, Simmons wrote for the school newspaper. He had a column called "Ramblings" and later became the sports editor. He graduated in 1992 with a degree in political science. Later, he earned a master's degree in print journalism from Boston University.
Career Highlights
Starting Out as a Writer
After finishing grad school, Simmons worked different jobs for eight years. He started at the Boston Herald as a high school sports reporter. He mainly answered phones and helped with sports scores.
Later, he worked as a freelancer for Boston Phoenix. In 1997, he started his own website, BostonSportsGuy.com. He called his column "Sports Guy" because the site already had a "Movie Guy." He worked as a bartender and waiter at night while building his website.
His website quickly became popular. By 2001, it had about 10,000 readers every day.
Time at ESPN
Simmons' fame as "The Boston Sports Guy" led to a job offer from ESPN in 2001. His columns became very popular on ESPN.com's Page 2. He was one of the most widely read sports writers online. Many people consider him a pioneer in online sportswriting.
In 2007, Simmons and Connor Schell came up with the idea for 30 for 30. This was a series of 30 documentaries celebrating ESPN's 30th year. Simmons was an executive producer for this project until he left ESPN.
On May 8, 2007, Simmons started a podcast for ESPN.com. It was first called Eye of the Sportsguy and later changed to The B.S. Report. He hosted one or two hour-long podcasts each week. The B.S. Report was often the most downloaded podcast on ESPN.com. In 2009, it was downloaded over 25.4 million times.
Simmons also wrote for ESPN The Magazine and joined the TV series E:60. From 2012 to 2014, he was a panelist on the NBA Countdown pregame show. ESPN announced in May 2015 that his contract would not be renewed.
Working with Jimmy Kimmel
In 2002, Jimmy Kimmel asked Simmons to write for his new late-night talk show. Simmons eventually agreed and moved to California. He worked as a comedy writer for Jimmy Kimmel Live! from April 2003 to spring 2004. He continued to write for ESPN during this time. Simmons later said this was "the best move" he ever made. He left the show to focus full-time on his sports column.
Leading Grantland
Simmons was the editor-in-chief of Grantland. This was a website owned by ESPN that covered sports and pop culture. It launched on June 8, 2011. The website featured many talented writers and contributors.
In 2014, ESPN announced that Simmons would produce a show for ESPN through his site. It was called The Grantland Basketball Hour. In these episodes, Simmons discussed NBA topics with his co-host Jalen Rose. Special guests included journalists, celebrities, and athletes. ESPN shut down the Grantland website on October 30, 2015, after Simmons left the company.
Projects with HBO
On July 22, 2015, Simmons announced a new deal with HBO. As part of this deal, he hosted a weekly talk show called Any Given Wednesday. The show premiered on June 22, 2016, but was canceled in November 2016.
Simmons continued to work on other projects with HBO. He co-produced a documentary about André the Giant. This documentary aired on HBO on April 10, 2018. In 2018, HBO renewed Simmons's contract to continue working with the network.
Founding The Ringer
Simmons launched his new website, The Ringer, on February 17, 2016. It is part of his company, the Bill Simmons Media Group. The media group includes many podcasts about sports, pop culture, and technology. Many writers from The Ringer website also host these podcasts. The Ringer officially went live on June 1, 2016.
In 2020, Spotify bought The Ringer for about $200 million. Spotify's CEO, Daniel Ek, called The Ringer "the new ESPN." Simmons stated that The Ringer would keep its own content and editorial control.
At The Ringer, Simmons is the CEO. He hosts The Bill Simmons Podcast. On his podcast, he talks with Hollywood stars, athletes, and his friends and family.
Writing Style
When Simmons first started his website, he wrote what he thought his friends would enjoy. He wanted his writing to be different from traditional newspapers. He believed his job was to connect with his readers. He did this by updating his site often and starting discussions. Simmons has said he will "never write a traditional sports column."
His writing style mixes sports knowledge with references to movies and TV shows. He also shares stories from his personal life and talks about his fantasy sports teams. His columns often mention trips to Las Vegas.
In 2007, he was named one of the most influential people in online sports.
Books by Bill Simmons
On October 1, 2005, Simmons released his first book, Now I Can Die in Peace. This book became a New York Times best-seller. It is a collection of his columns, with extra notes. The book covers his writing leading up to the 2004 World Series win by the Boston Red Sox.
In July 2008, Simmons took time off to finish his second book. This book was called The Book of Basketball: The NBA According to the Sports Guy. It was released on October 27, 2009. The book explores who the best players and teams in NBA history are. It also answers many "What if?" questions about the NBA. This book also became a number one New York Times Best Seller.
Personal Life
Simmons is married to Kari Simmons, who he calls "The Sports Gal" in his columns. They have two children. His father, William Simmons Jr., was a school superintendent for over 15 years.
Simmons is a big fan of Boston sports teams. These include the Boston Red Sox, New England Patriots, and Boston Celtics. He also supports the English Premier League football team Tottenham Hotspur.
Simmons and his family created the Simmons Family Foundation. They have given scholarships to support graduates from HBCUs at Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism.
In May 2023, Simmons' reaction to the Celtics' Game 7 loss became a popular internet meme.
Internet Influence
Simmons has helped create several internet memes. One of the most famous is the Ewing Theory. Other ideas include the Tyson Zone and the Manning Face.
