Bill Simmons – You Wouldn’t Like Him When He’s Angry
Uncategorized October 12th. 2007, 10:38am
We’re practically beyond spent on the whole Bill Simmons vs. Dane Cook war of words. This though, you must read:
It’s the Dane Cooks of the world that need to be addressed. I know for a fact that Cook (A) wore a Yankees cap while taping an entire day of “Crank Yankers” phone calls, and (B) wore a Yankees cap and a Red Sox T-shirt to a “Man Show” season wrap party. Again, this isn’t a third-hand story — I have friends who would swear on the lives of their children that they witnessed those two “incidents” (for lack of a better word). Well, no true Sox fan would wear a Yankees hat under any circumstances, unless they were being tortured or engaging in some sort of twisted sexual role play with a hooker. So when he’s doing the whole “I’m a huge Sox fan!” thing in his baseball commercials, or claiming that Derek Jeter told him he was a big fan and Cook responded, “I’m not” (an actual “story” that Cook told on the “Mike and Mike” show last month) … I mean, he HAS to be called out on this stuff, right? I think it’s time for him to write another letter to himself.
Someone who is more familiar with Bill’s work, please indulge us: Is this guy for real? Is he this petty? Does he want Tom Brady’s first-born for wearing a Yankees hat? Is he jealous that Cook is the face of postseason commercials? Did Cook cut him off in traffic? It’s as if he’s stalking the guy.
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42 Responses to “Bill Simmons – You Wouldn’t Like Him When He’s Angry”
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October 12th, 2007 at 10:47 am
My guess is that something happened between Cook and Kimmel and Simmons’ hatred is spawned from that. Perhaps Cook tried to bag Sarah Silverman? Who the hell knows.
Cook put out a comedy album that aged as well as milk, put together Tourgasm and makes shitty movies. I hope Simmons never stops bashing him.
October 12th, 2007 at 10:47 am
I honestly think that Simmons resents Cook’s success. At the end of the day, they both rely on nostalgia and references that make you think, “yeah, I do remember that!” But Cook is a massive phenomenon (I have no clue why) while Simmons has a niche audience and a gig as Kimmel joke writer when he hosts awards shows. Simmons thinks he’s funnier than Cook, but because Simmons is behind the scenes and Cook is a performer, Cook’s star has risen (again, why!?). There’s some jealousy there and it’s not even close to hidden.
October 12th, 2007 at 10:49 am
Yeah I don’t get it really. I’m a big Simmons fan, but the Dane Cook stuff has gotten very petty and desperate. He needs to let it go. It’s becoming kind of ridiculous.
October 12th, 2007 at 10:54 am
gosh
who cars about these two guys
everyday there is a mention of these guys
they suck period
so does Whitlock
When are we going to start talking about sports again here
Fannation is blowing this web site away
October 12th, 2007 at 10:55 am
No, it’s cool when Brady and LeBron wear Yankees gear because Simmons likes them. He is coming off as a douche with this whole situation, but I agree with him. Cook is awful. Then again, Simmons is getting close to his level of obnoxiousness.
October 12th, 2007 at 10:55 am
Simmons has his moments and can turn a phrase, but he has been exposed as a hypocrite so, soooo many times it’s hard to really take him seriously. For example, why is it wrong for Yankee fans to talk about the number of championships they have compared to Boston, but it’s OK when Peyton Manning wins a title for him to IMMEDIATELY write, “Win two more then talk to me.” It’s OK for LeBron to wear a Yankee hat at a Cleveland game, but Dane Cook is evil incarnate? The Patriots are exposed as cheaters and never address whether or not their cheating was used to help win Super Bowls … and Simmons writes an entire column excusing it. Somehow I doubt he would be as forgiving if it were anyone but the Pats. And these are just the ones that come to mind.
My advice is to enjoy him for what he is, but don’t look to him as some arbitor of sports fandom.
October 12th, 2007 at 10:56 am
Since when did Simmons proclaim himself to be the Lord of all Nostaglia and Red Sox hall monitor?
Simmons has become that kid in high school, who always won “Most School Spirit Award” and continued to show up 20 years after he graduated to lecture the kids on how to be a true fan.
What a douche.
October 12th, 2007 at 11:03 am
simmons is such a jealous little girl, isn’t he?
October 12th, 2007 at 11:08 am
For clarity’s sake, Simmons is blasting Cook because he’s what he calls a “sports bigamist”; apparently Cook considers himself a “hardcore Sawks fan”, but wears Yankee stuff all the time and is generally considered an airhead when it comes to sports. LeBron wore a Yanks hat because he’s actually a Yankees fan.
But yeah, I’m having a hard time figuring out what’s supposed to motivate me to begin to give a shit about any of this.
October 12th, 2007 at 11:17 am
Wrong thread, but I just woke up:
Yes, Webb at 8:1 to win the MVP isn’t looking so great now.
If you had said this a day ago, I would give you some credit for it.
October 12th, 2007 at 11:17 am
I remember kids like LeBron who used to love the Yanks, Cowboys, and Bulls. They were annoying.
October 12th, 2007 at 11:18 am
simmons has lost his fastball. in the past he used to write about all of sports. now he’s going back to be the BOSTON SPORTS GUY. I understand that the boston teams are putting a nice little run together, but there is more to write about than bellidick, bosox and the racist celtics.
October 12th, 2007 at 11:20 am
If the fact that Dane Cook wore a Yankees hat is the absolute worst thing that Bill Simmons can say about him, then Simmons must actually like Dane Cook’s comedy. Which means that every other Simmons opinion must be ignored due to general idiocy. Q.E.D.
October 12th, 2007 at 11:27 am
Simmons also used to write about how Lewis Black wasn’t funny a few years back, too. It didn’t seem that big at the time, but it’s looking more and more that under his happy-go-lucky, sports fan demeanor he’s kind of an ass.
October 12th, 2007 at 11:27 am
Thing, I looked on Linesmaker for the Webb odds and would have put $10 on it. They didn’t have it.
October 12th, 2007 at 11:30 am
Cole, he’s from Boston. Of course he’s an ass.
October 12th, 2007 at 11:30 am
Oh, for fucks sake. Who gives a shit?
October 12th, 2007 at 11:32 am
+1 Zutroy.
October 12th, 2007 at 11:35 am
FYI, the TBL was just mentioned over on Neil Best Watchdog Blog.
http://weblogs.newsday.com/sports/watchdog/blog/
October 12th, 2007 at 11:35 am
I’d like to sniff Charlize Theron’s butt.
October 12th, 2007 at 11:36 am
I have gotten more work done today than usual today because of stories like this. I might have to start smoking just to keep my bosses from suspecting something.
October 12th, 2007 at 11:38 am
Joe Horn > Dane Cook
October 12th, 2007 at 11:47 am
Oh- it was at BetUS.
October 12th, 2007 at 11:47 am
s1rweeze
oh, right. Sometimes the right answer is the obvious one.
October 12th, 2007 at 11:58 am
do not quite understand why Bill Simmons continues to whine about Dane Cook. What Simmons says is correct, totally agree with him, but disagree that he keeps referencing him. Anyway, his writing has totally gone down since the success of the Red Sox in 2004. Still really talented, funny at times, but toooooo much Boston. For everyone that rips on people talking about the Yankees too much, ESPN employs a guy that only talks about Boston!
October 12th, 2007 at 12:05 pm
Remember everyone: this is a blog about sports media and sports journalism. Quit bitching about the topic.
And Bill Simmons saying Dane Cook sucks isn’t controversial, it’s stating the obvious. Although, his use of second person stories is entirely dubious.
October 12th, 2007 at 12:19 pm
Let me just add, usefully, that there’s only one October.
October 12th, 2007 at 12:25 pm
I would hardly say Dane Cook sucking is obvious.
I think the guy is hilarious and couldn’t care what he wants to wear or who he wants to cheer for.
I think this incident makes Cook even funnier. He has the self appointed judge on all things Red Sox all stirred up. What could be better.
You go Dane.
October 12th, 2007 at 12:26 pm
Something tells me the bun in the Sports Gal’s oven was placed there by the Cook in the kitchen.
October 12th, 2007 at 12:32 pm
I’m probably showing my age, but who the fuck is Dane Cook? Never heard of him.
October 12th, 2007 at 12:54 pm
This was far from the only dumb part of the column it’s excerpted from.
http://firejaymariotti.blogspot.com/2007/10/why-do-you-think-bill-simmons-is-only.html
Thanks for being a huge douche, Bill.
October 12th, 2007 at 1:19 pm
Dane Cook is the annoying guy you see in between the Frank TV Commercials.
October 12th, 2007 at 1:43 pm
I like Simmons but lately he has been God awful.
This Dane Cook stuff? Who picks a fight with a comic? So you don’t think he’s funny. We get it, Bill. You obviously only love the “real comics” out there like Bill Hicks. And anyone else is just a poseur.
Get over it
October 12th, 2007 at 2:36 pm
“Who’s Bill Simmons? He writes on the internet? Really, they pay people for that? Weird, well I’m gonna go play some kickball, count my money, and fuck hot actresses.” – Dane Cook (who I hate but he still pwns simmons)
October 12th, 2007 at 3:01 pm
bill simmons? i’d rather read gene simmons!
October 12th, 2007 at 4:56 pm
Don’t think anyone answered the simple question: yes, Bill is entirely that petty.
Also: Bill doesn’t mind fighting with anyone more famous than him, as it gives him press. Can’t fault the guy there, I suppose. Though he does come across as the queen of all that is douchebaggery.
October 12th, 2007 at 4:58 pm
Just because one puts emPHAsis on certain SylLABles does not mean they are funny.
Simmons is not criticizing Cook for wearing the Yankees hat. He is criticizing him for being disingenuous by going on ESPN and claiming to be a huge Red Sox fan when he clearly isn’t.
The hat itself is a trivial matter, but lying and being phony to try to endear yourself to people deserves to be called out. With Mike and Mike all but kneeling down to service him on the radio, Simmons provides a bit of balance.
October 12th, 2007 at 5:10 pm
Here’s a long story of my run-in with Simmons:
For Super Bowl 39, I went with my friend at UF to his home in Jacksonville. His father hooked us up with server jobs at the Maxim Party the night before the game. When we got there we were given the run around by party coordinators who kept talking into their walkie talkie headsets. Eventually, this one guy told my friend and I that we weren’t really needed but we could hang around the party anyway. This was a pretty sweet deal for a couple of college kids (there was an open bar). When the place wasn’t too packed we got to talk to David Lee for awhile about a win over Auburn that day, and then we talked to Jesse Palmer who was equally as nice. Once the place started filling up, all the insanely hot girls were around all the celebs and athletes (especially Lee and Palmer), and we were left to gawk and eat the food.
Then, after seeing Brian Urlacher with a score of ladies around him and seeing Ryan Cabrera and his midget friends run around the place like they were in middle school, I notice Simmons being a wallflower with a couple of guys around him. Feeling good, and having success going up to Lee and Palmer before (Stephen A., too) I go up and introduce myself and start with the “Love the column” line. Simmons, who was obviously drunk, was gracious and then began firing questions our way. He asked us personal, small talk questions. We talked about my suburban Massachusetts hometown, then he found out that we were Patriots fans. A twenty + minute conversation ensued, and ended with us trying on his friend’s Super Bowl 36 ring. He kept talking about how he saw Katie Holmes and ragged on Jacksonville, my friend’s hometown. They got into a discussion about that.
My conclusion about Simmons is this: He’s the guy who he portrays in his columns. He’s a guy who is fascinated by celebrity life, and is hung up on sports with strong convictions. I think he really liked someone noticing him in a crowd of B-list stars, too. There’s nothing more satisfying than some ego stroking.
October 12th, 2007 at 5:57 pm
I might be upset if Simmons write the entire column about Dane Cook, he didn’t. He threw his barbs in there and moved on…atleast until his next column. At least Simmons is also willing to make fun of himself. He did post an e-mail of a fan ripping him for only writing one column a week when he used to write 3. It does upset that me that two guys that I really like can’t get along. Simmons is funny, and I love Cook especially early in his career when he was the first and still is the only famous Dane that I know. Him and a kicker for the Miami Hurricanes sometime in the 90’s.
October 12th, 2007 at 6:03 pm
I’ll just say ditto to Jake. I’m really not a Simmons hater, but it’s becoming harder to defend the guy. This Cook thing is just dumb.
October 13th, 2007 at 4:16 am
Simmons is great fun. Always enjoy his columns.
Don’t know why people are so down on him, He clearly doesn’t take himself to seriously…. He writes about sports & 80’s movies FFS.
If you don’t like him, Why read/listen to him?
October 14th, 2007 at 10:33 am
Simmons is a barely ok read when you are bored at work. His wife is a much better writer though. He needs to cut his word count in half and let her write more.