Michael Rapaport Ripped Bill Simmons and His HBO Show After Un-Responded Texts

As we’ve seen before, a scorned Michael Rapaport has no issue directing his animosity at prominent sports media members. Rapoport sent four texts, seeking to solicit some time on his (former?) friend Bill Simmons’ podcast to promote his new book. When those requests were ignored, Rapaport went on a 14-minute rant on his own podcast that will make it difficult for their relationship to ever recover:

It’s unclear why Simmons ignored Rapaports entreaties, but it’s possible it’s because Rapaport joined Barstool this past June; Dave Portnoy has long been a vocal critic of Simmons.

Anyways, among the things Rapaport, who repeatedly maintained he is the “best guest” Bill Simmons has on his podcasts, and that he defended Simmons against criticism from Barstool staffers on-air, said:

• “When Bill Simmons had his crusty, stale-from-the-start, never-got-better, bullshit HBO show, last year — look it up, folks — I came on there, did the skit about Deflategate, was the best thing on that show.” [Note: I vehemently disagree; the long interview with Aaron Rodgers was the best thing on that show.]
• “The [HBO show] was trash. Great writer. Icon of this whole sports culture thing. But in front of the camera you just don’t have it. You just can’t do it.”
• “I’m not coming on [your podcast] to talk Knicks, to talk Charles Oakley. Have those fucking cornball, nerded glasses fucks sit there and bore people to sleep about basketball.”
• “I’d rather listen to fucking paint try — I said listen to paint dry — than Jake Gyllenhal or Malcolm Fucking Gladwell, one of the world’s smartest people, I don’t fucking give two shits what you have to say about basketball.”

Rapaport said that when he sees Simmons around Los Angeles he’ll confront him about it to his face.

Even if Rapaport was speaking in kayfabe, the directness and specificity of these insults were pretty mean-spirited and it’s hard to see Simmons collaborating with Rapaport again anytime soon.