Tag: Bill Simmons (Page 3 of 16)

Why the Jets are overrated

New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan stands on the sidelines in the fourth quarter in week 1 of the NFL Preseason at The New Meadowlands Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey on August 16, 2010.    UPI /John Angelillo Photo via Newscom

Bill Simmons picks the Pats over the Jets in the AFC East this year, and here’s why:

First, I seem to be the only person who remembers that the Jets were 9-7 last year. You’d think they went 19 and minus-3. Second, I don’t trust the Sanchize even a little. Not a smidge. Unless he was trying to get us drinks from a crowded bar and the bartender was a cute female. Third, all the fuss about New England’s admittedly shaky defense obscured its explosive offense: The Pats are loaded at receiver and tight end, they have Brady, they can chuck the ball with anyone and they’re pissed off that nobody is picking them. And fourth, I’m a huge homer. So there.

I forgot that the Jets lost seven games last year…hmm…

Through five or six episodes of “Hard Knocks,” Rex Ryan does seem to be full of bluster, and Sanchez looked fairly brutal in the preseason. They’ll have a strong running game and a good/great defense, but I’m not sure that makes them the Super Bowl favorites that they seem to think they are.

What’s the deal with Tom Brady’s hair?

Pats homer Bill Simmons wrote this in his recent column about Tom Brady’s new hairdo…

Important note: A few weeks ago, all Patriots fans made a pact to pretend that Brady’s 2010 hairdo isn’t happening. We’re going to ignore it completely — even if his hair catches fire during a game and a referee puts it out with a challenge flag — and play dumb whenever you bust our balls about it. Which will probably be often. Just know this is the last time I will mention No. 12’s hair in 2010. In fact, what hair? Tom Brady changed his hair? I didn’t notice.

He looks like he should be playing a gym teacher in one of the “Twilight” movies.

Why did Shaq sign with the Celtics?

Boston Celtics head coach Doc Rivers (R) presents his jersey to newly signed Celtics player Shaquille O'Neal at a news conference in Waltham, Massachusetts August 10, 2010.  REUTERS/Brian Snyder  (UNITED STATES - Tags: SPORT BASKETBALL)

Bill Simmons’ latest column delves into ‘chewed-on theories’ and one question he tries to answer is why Shaq would sign with the C’s for the league minimum. He believes it goes back to Kobe’ response after Game 7 of the Finals when he was asked what this title meant to him.

His response?

“I got one more than Shaq! You can take that to the bank.”

O’Neal signed with Boston because “when I close my book at the end of the day, it’s all about winning and nothing else.” This was someone who told a teammate before the final game of his 2009 Suns season — when they had just been eliminated from playoff contention — that he “needed to start getting in shape for my reality show.” Game 82 and you need to get in shape? Huh? Now you suddenly care about winning titles again? Now you’re fine with swallowing your dignity to be a spare part, a minimum guy, an afterthought, someone with no security at all? Just to chase a ring? When you already have four?

My theory: I think Kobe’s postgame routine got back to Shaq. I think it pissed him off. I think it got his competitive juices flowing for the first time in years. I think he realized Boston was his best chance to tie Kobe at five. I think he wants this more than anything. I think he shows up next month in surprisingly good shape, and I think we’ll be saying in November, “Wow, that Shaq signing may have been a great move by Boston!” And I think this will happen for only one reason: because Shaq hates Kobe and Kobe hates Shaq. Just a theory.

It certainly seems reasonable. My sense is that Shaq is not happy with the way things went in Phoenix or Cleveland and is hoping to make him relevant again for one more playoff run. Of course, he’d love to beat the Heat and the Lakers along the way.

Steve Kerr on LeBron, Kobe, the Knicks and why he didn’t trade Amare

Steve Kerr appeared on the B.S. Report with Bill Simmons and had some interesting things to say. Feel free to head over to ESPN and spend an hour with Bill and Steve or read the highlights below:

On Ron Artest’s game-winning put-back in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals…

I wake up at night still thinking about that rebound — I mean, why didn’t it just hit the rim, and taken a normal bounce. I’ve thought about the game constantly, but as far as how that would have impacted my job, I haven’t looked at it that way.

On Ron Artest…

He was fantastic in the last couple of games of the Finals. I just think that Artest is one of the strangest players in the league because in a normal environment, in a normal game, sometimes he doesn’t look that great. He doesn’t make shots, he takes bad shots, he makes weird decisions, but when the game becomes kind of a street fight, especially like Game 7 of the Finals, there’s nobody you’d rather have. He’s just so strong and physical. And like that play he made against us in Game 6 — or Game 5 I guess it was — he just seems to have a knack for coming up with the loose ball, the rebound, whatever it is. He’s a crafty player, he really is.

On whether or not Amare Stoudemire is worth $100 million…

I was on the same page with Robert [Sarver, the owner of the Suns], with our management. We talked about it all year long. We really wanted him back, but if the price was too much though, then it didn’t make sense. And the main reason was because of the injuries. He’s had four knee surgeries, including a microfracture. You’ve seen what’s happened over the last few years with guys like Tracy McGrady and Jermaine O’Neal — the guys who come out of high school and play huge minutes right away. Their clock ticks a lot faster and they get to 29, 30, and they really start to slow down. I think you’ve even seen it a little bit with KG and Kobe last year although both guys really turned it on in the playoffs. But because of that, with Amare, I think he’s got a few really good years left in him. You know, years four, five and six though, if he can’t go and can’t produce, now you’re really tied up and locked down with a bad contract and that can be a major problem.

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Bill Simmons tries to improve fantasy football

NEW YORK - APRIL 24: Writer Bill Simmons speaks at the panel and screening of 'Beyond Playing The Field' during the 2010 Tribeca Film Festival at the School of Visual Arts Theater on April 24, 2010 in New York City. (Photo by Rob Loud/Getty Images for Tribeca Film Festival)

Simmons thinks he can fix all things sports, and is lobbying President Obama for the position of Sports Minister. This week, he’s intent on fixing fantasy football, which in my estimation, doesn’t need a whole lot of fixing. Anyway, his six suggestions are:

1. Everyone agrees on a Universal Fantasy System
Not a bad idea, but it’s impossible to get everyone that plays a sport/game with no oversight to agree on a set of rules. Simmons thinks he should be the guy who decides the rules. Okay…can I be the guy who decides what everyone drinks at a bar?

2. Everyone switches to an auction format
I love fantasy auctions and so would you if you got off your butt and tried one someday. They are more fun and more fair than the snake draft, but the snake draft is far simpler. As FF continues to go more mainstream, simple is going to win out. It’s sad, but true.

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