Episodes
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#145: Bill's Impressive Career, Using Bill/Ringer to Bond IRL, The Divisive Derek Thompson, Anduril Hat Theories, Which Ringer Creators Would Run for Office & Predicting Future Internal Ringer Issues
Welcome to Episode #145! We bring on friends Nathan and Jon for a 3-man weave covering a wide variety of topics in the world of Bill Simmons. (0:00-25:30) We start off reminiscing about becoming fans of Bill many years ago. The sports media landscape was vastly different and Bill's writing, and...
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#144: Sean's Netflix Comments & Will The Big Picture Move on From The Ringer, Why Russillo Has Dropped Off at Barstool, Could The Ringer Learn From Barstool's Drama Content, and More on Bill & ChatGBT
Welcome to Episode #144! We bring on Reed to react to Sean's Netflix and AI comments and the overall Talk Easy pod with him and Amanda, and discuss their place at The Ringer, the general dynamics of calling out your boss, and whether they'd ever move on. We also predict the reaction on the next...
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#143: Bill's Proxy Scandal & Why the Pod's Worse With More Gambling; Plus, Bill's Clippers/Pablo L & Changing Silver Views, Grading Russillo's First Barstool Year, A Ringer Scouting Report and ChatGBT
Welcome to Episode #143! We bring on Ben for his third appearance (#133, #134). We start off on Bill's proxy betting scandal, which leads into a discussion of how the pod's become worse the more Bill talks gambling - the charm is gone and it's now much more commercialized. We next get into the...
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#142: Klosterman on The Ringer's Cultural Influence; Are Movies Back…and Market Correcting TV & Books? Plus, Bill's Newfound Twitter Moxie, Will He Ever Retire, and the Best of Portnoy's Barstool Book
Welcome to Episode #142! We bring on Gracie for her third appearance (#129, #121). We start off breaking down Chuck Klosterman's comments about The Ringer's impact on movie discourse - is he right abut how influential their podcasts have been on what it means to be a movie fan? We continue the...
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#141: Author Danny Funt on the Swift Rise and Destructive Impact of Legalizing Sports Gambling; Plus, Why Bill Simmons' Role is So Disappointing
Welcome to Episode #141! We bring on Danny Funt, author of Everybody Loses: The Tumultuous Rise of American Sports Gambling, for a highly informative and engaging discussion on the impact of legalizing sports gambling in the US. We start with Danny's motivations for writing the book, including…
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#140: Discovering Bill Through The Ringer's (Apexing) Pop Culture Content; Plus, Spielberg/Friedland Pods, Bill's Best Movie Take, Netflix's Failing Video Pods and the Real Reason Behind Chalamet Hate
Welcome to Episode #140! We bring on Rebecca from Twitter to get the perspective of a relatively new Bill Simmons listener who came to his pod and The Ringer through their pop culture content. We hit on the recent Spielberg and Friedland pods as well as Bill's NBA Finals coverage, and assess the...
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#139: Is the Re-Apex Over? Plus, Re-Assessing Who Won the Simmons/Russillo Break-up
Welcome to Episode #139! We bring back Chris for his 5th appearance (#93, #95, #100, #130). Last November we discussed who was winning the break-up; we update our thoughts after Russillo's recent ascension and Bill's lackluster content of late - is the re-apex officially over? We get into the...
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#138: Why Hasn't Anyone Covered the Russini Scandal? A Deep Dive Into the Evolution of Sports Media
Welcome to Episode 138! We bring on returning guest Mike (Episode #112) to get to the bottom of why there's been almost no coverage of the Dianna Russini scandal by sports media. We go through the evolution of the medium: TV and ESPN's early days, athletes gaining more control over the narrative,...
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#137: The Chanch Bros Return for a Victory Lap on Zach Lowe and the NBA's Issues; Why is the League Becoming Less Cool? Plus, Klosterman-Simmons Pods in Nadir Canyon
Chanch and Kyle (Episodes #98 and #120) return to the pod after calling their shot in 2024 on listeners turning against Zach Lowe and coming to the realization that the NBA has serious issues including style of play and the regular season schedule. We also discuss how the NBA is losing its…
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#136: Russillo vs. Lowe NBA Sundays — Why Do We Already Miss Ryen & How to Fix Lowe & Bill; Plus, Bill's Unique Cultural Critique Methods, Re-Apex Content Strategy Shift & Ringer Talent Assessments
Welcome to Episode #136! We bring on Matt from Twitter for an in-depth conversation on all things Bill Simmons. First, we discuss the topic of the year so far: Russillo vs. Lowe NBA Sundays. The listeners already miss Ryen and prefer him over Zach; we get into why we think that is, and propose...
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#135: Analyzing The Ringer's Move to Netflix
Welcome to Episode #135! We bring on Josh from Twitter (@joshjurnovoy) for an insightful look into The Ringer moving their video podcasts from YouTube to Netflix. We discuss the business case from both Netflix and The Ringer's perspective, assess the technical aspects of these video pods now…
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#134: "Number 16, Limitless" — The Bill Simmons Re-Apex
We bring on recurring guests Roman (#118, #119) and Ben (#133) for a 3-man weave celebrating Bill Simmons' re-apex. Enjoy!
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#133: Max Kellerman Pod Reaction; Is Bill Re-Apexing Post Russillo? Plus, a Ringer NBA Pod Idea and What Makes a Great BS Pod Guest
Welcome to Episode #133! We bring on Benjamin and first react to Max Kellerman's appearance on the BS Pod - what made Max so good, and more broadly, what makes for a great BS Pod guest? We then talk about Bill's improved content since Russillo left - did he hook himself up to the Rejuvenation...
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#132: EMERGENCY POD — Netflix Wins the Warner Bros. Auction
Welcome to the latest episode! Netflix has agreed to buy Warner Bros. - we break it all down! Enjoy
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#131: Who Will Buy Warner Bros. — Netflix, Paramount or NBC?
Welcome to Episode #131! In today's pod I break down the state of play of the Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) sale process. Why are they looking to be sold, which company that submitted bids (Paramount, Netflix, NBC) has the best chance of winning, why is each company interested in buying WBD, and...
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#130: Russillo vs. Simmons: Who Won the Break-Up?
Welcome to Episode #130! We bring on recurring guest Chris (#93, #95, #100) to cover all the angles of Ryen Russillo leaving Bill Simmons & The Ringer. We first hit on what we think Russillo should do at Barstool, including utilizing the talent there and adding some variety into his show; so far...
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#129: Reviewing NBC & Amazon's NBA Coverage; Plus, a Russillo Update, Bill's Weak NBA Gambling Scandal Response, and Big Picture NYC Live Show Takeaways
Welcome to Episode #129! We bring back Gracie (#121) to discuss an entertaining variety of r/BS Pod topics. First, we assess how NBC & Amazon are doing so far covering the NBA. We break down their studio shows, presentation and announcers, and contrast it with ESPN, who has been putting out a...
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#128: Ceruti & Nephew Kyle Leave With Russillo; Plus, the Downfall of the BS Pod
Welcome to Episode 128! We bring on Evan to discuss a wide variety of Bill Simmons topics, starting with the shocking news of the day - Sir Rudy & Nephew Kyle are joining Russillo's new venture. We then hit on why we think Bill's pod has declined significantly, including the guest list, Guess the...
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#127: The Rewatchables Deep Dive, Plus a Russillo Fake Movie Pitch
Welcome to Episode #127! We bring back recurring guest Imperial Twilight (#115 & #117) for a deep analysis into The Rewatchables podcast. Imperial's been on a Rewatchables kick over the last few months and shares his thoughts on a variety of topics, including: How Rewatchables Bill is the old…
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#126: The Decline of Guess the Lines, Bill's Hiring Decisions & Bill's Jimmy Kimmel Response
Welcome to Episode 126! We bring on Andy (@adplacksports) for a classic r/BS Pod show. We start off talking Guess the Lines - why has it dropped off so much, and is it redeemable? We assess what made the show great and how it lost its luster. We then hit on Bill as Ringer GM and discuss the…
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#125: EMERGENCY POD — Ryen Russillo Leaves The Ringer for Barstool
Ryen Russillo is leaving The Ringer to form an independent digital media company which will sign a multi-year partnership with Barstool and receive investments from Barstool and Dave Portnoy. We break down this sports media news of the century - enjoy!
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#124: The Case for Russillo to Barstool; Plus, Why ESPN's New Streaming App is Doomed
Welcome to Episode #124! We bring on recurring guest and sports media specialist JF for a highly informative show on the r/BS Pod topic of the day (Russillo's free agency) and the hottest non-Russillo sports media story (ESPN's Direct to Consumer app launching). To start off the pod, JF makes the...
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#123: A Ryen Russillo Deep Dive, Plus Future of Sports Media Talk
We bring on Russillo expert Mason for a highly detailed look at everything Ryen Russillo: his time at ESPN, the art of a Russillo take, the beauty of Life Advice, whether his contract being up is causing tension with Bill, and, of course, where he'll land next. We finish up talking future of…
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#122: The Ryen Russillo Free Agency Special
Welcome to the latest r/BS Pod! We bring on two returning guests for a 3-man weave covering every angle of Ryen Russillo's looming free agency. Enjoy!
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#121: Assessing the Perk/Simmons Beef — Who Won? Plus, ESPN's Terrible NBA Coverage, The Big Picture vs. Rewatchables, Russillo's Next Landing Spot, and the Barstool to Ringer Listener Pipeline
Welcome to Episode #121! We bring on Gracie from Twitter for a classic r/BS Pod ep, starting off with the Perk-Simmons beef. Bill launched some aggressive takes against Big Perk, who came firing back with a long monologue of his own including going into Bill's WNBA archives - we assess who won…
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#120: A Simmons/Russillo/Lowe Podcast Breakdown — Did the Big 3 Live Up to the Hype? Plus, a Deep Dive Into Chuck Klosterman's Latest BS Pod Appearance — Including His Wonky AI Takes
Welcome to episode #120! We bring back the Chanch brothers from Episode #98 for another 3-man weave breaking down the recent Big 3 Simmons/Russillo/Lowe pod. Then we dive into Chuck Klosterman's latest appearance on the BS Pod and discus his wonky AI takes. Enjoy! Check out Kyle's fantasy league...
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#119: 4-Man Panel Breaks Down the Bill Simmons-Pablo Torre Feud & Podcast, and What it Means for Bill and the Future of Sports Media
Welcome to Episode #119! We bring on returning guests Roman, Chris and Chenny for a rare 4-man panel to cover every angle of the Bill Simmons-Pablo Torre story. We discuss the origin of the feud, what we liked about Pablo calling out Bill several times, why we think Bill did the pod given he...
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#118: Spreading Bill Simmons Lingo to non-Bill Fans, Russillo’s Essential Role at The Ringer, Zach Lowe’s Guest Issues, The Beauty of r/BillSimmons, and Who Wins a CR vs. Van 7-Game Series?
Welcome to Episode #118! We bring on Roman from TikTok for an absolutely classic r/BS Pod. We start off with Roman’s successful tales of bringing Bill Simmons lingo to non-Bill listeners. We then discuss The Rewatchables and the hilarity of film buffs having to put up with Bill Simmons’ takes…
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#117: Part 2 With Imperial Twilight: Bill’s Apex Mountain, How Bill Can Make it As a Hollywood Mogul, Bill Should Launch a Book Publishing Co, and Why The Ringer Should Expand Into College Basketball
Welcome to Part 2 with Imperial Twilight! We start talking Bill's next career steps - IP says Bill should livestream games similar to the ManningCast - an OG idea by Simmons himself. He could also do a tour of all 30 NBA arenas with a documentary crew following him. Ultimately Simmons needs to…
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#116: EMERGENCY FEUDCAST — Simmons & Russillo Land Nuclear Blast on Outkick's NBA Ratings Coverage; Clay Travis & Bobby Burack Respond With Tactical Strikes of Their Own — We Assess the Feud
We have a sports media feud! We break down it all down on the show and assess who is right about NBA ratings. Enjoy!
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#115: Part 1 With Imperial Twilight: Did Bill Help Destroy Sportswriting? Plus, Bill's Evolution From Fan to Rich LA Insider, Why Hasn't He Been Cancelled & Challenging Russillo's Tape Grinding Claims
Welcome to Episode #115! We had on fellow podcaster Imperial Twilight and went for over two hours - so like our recent two episodes, we're breaking this into two parts. We kick off Part 1 by talking about Bill's background - how much of his persona is real and how much has he exaggerated his…
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#114: Part 2 With David Quiñones: Bill's Best Guests, Why Russillo Likely Stays at The Ringer, Our Decades Long Bill Gripe, Rings Culture Patient Zero, and The Future Legacy of Today's Gambling Craze
Welcome to Episode #114! This is part two of our excellent conversation with journalist David Quiñones. David opines on what he feels are under-appreciated guests on the BS Pod; he likes Bill with Sean Fennessey and Mallory Rubin. We then discuss how it's odd people don't mention The Ringer and...
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#113: Part 1 With David Quiñones: Bill's Lasting Impact on Sports Journalism, The Evolution of Player Coverage, The Generational Divide in Sports Media, and Why Does Bill Hate Mid-Tier NBA Stars?
Welcome to Episode #113! We bring on David Quiñones, a Miami-based podcaster and former sportswriter at the Miami Herald. David combines a deep history with Bill Simmons with his vast experience of working in media and sports media specifically, and the result is one of the r/BS Pod's best…
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#112: Nadir Canyon Masters Pods - Has Bill Lost Touch With the Average Sports Fan? Plus, Bill's Failure to Adapt, His Lost Interviewing Skills, and Why His Hot Takes Have Gotten Much Worse
Welcome to Episode #112! We bring on Mike from Twitter for a classic r/BS Pod rip. Mike and I assess the current state of Bill Simmons and his content and identify some issues that have caused us - former listeners of every one of his pods - to drop off considerably. We start with the thesis that...
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#111: Best & Worst Case Bill Simmons NBA Playoff Scenarios, More Zach Lowe to The Ringer Coverage, and NBA Twitter Stories with @HubieTalksHoops
Welcome to Episode #111! We bring back @HubieTalksHoops for a wide-ranging show talking Bill Simmons, NBA, sports media and more. We first continue our ongoing coverage of Zach Lowe to The Ringer, where Hubie hits on some points we haven't discussed over the last few episodes. We also get his…
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#110: Lowe vs. Russillo, GM Bill vs. Content Creator Bill & Stephen A vs. LeBron; Plus, is PMT the Evolutionary BS Report & What's The Ringer's Salary Cap Strategy?
We bring back Aaron from Episode #100 for a wide-ranging and fast-paced r/BS Pod rip hitting on Bill Simmons current events including Zach Lowe signing with The Ringer - what's the salary cap hit and will The Ringer make any moves in response? Plus, who's more valuable, Lowe or Russillo? We also...
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#109: EMERGENCY POD — Zach Lowe Joins The Ringer
Incredible news today - Zach is back! We break it down from every angle. Enjoy!
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#108: LeBron on McAfee Reaction: What it Means for Bill, Stephen A, ESPN, the NBA Media Landscape and LeBron's Legacy
Welcome to Episode 108! We bring on recurring guest Chenny (Episodes #102, #80, #75) to break down the interview heard 'round the sports world this week: LeBron on McAfee. This had wide ranging implications on sports and sports media, and we get into everything - including LeBron's specific…
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#107: NBA vs. March Madness Fanhood - Why Can't We Like Both? Plus, Bill Doubling Down on NBA vs. Pardon My Take Going Broad - What's the Better Strategy? And Bill Simmons Sliding Doors Moments
Welcome to Episode 107! We bring on a frequent contributor from r/BillSimmons - he's staying anonymous - for a classic r/BS Pod rip. We haven't had one in awhile and boy it feels great to be back. We start off the show talking NBA vs. March Madness, with Bill Simmons leading the charge that you...
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#106: Why Was 'Around the Horn' Cancelled — and Why We Used to Love it
This week Around the Horn announced their last show will be May 23rd. Sports fans lit up Twitter with fond memories of growing up watching OG legends Woody Paige, Jay Mariotti, Tim Cowlishaw, J.A. Adande, Bill Plashcke, Kevin Blackistone, Jackie Mac, Bob Ryan and more banter on their screen every...
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#105: Stop Being an NBA Doomer — Ratings are Fine and the League is in Excellent Financial Shape
There's been a lot of discussion about NBA ratings this season. Given my background in sports media, I discuss why this is misguided and that the NBA is actually in excellent shape. We discuss the new TV rights deal, how the media partners make money, what variables will be needed to judge the…
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#104: ESPN Insider Comes on to Talk Bill Simmons at Grantland and Where Bill Ranks on the ESPN Pyramid, Plus Bill Simmons Current Events — What Was That Termine & Eddie Johnson Pod??
Welcome to Episode 104! We bring on Mike (@SpringerProject) from Twitter for a classic r/BS Pod rip. We start off discussing Bill Simmons current events, with Mike actually defending the Termine & Eddie Johnson pod - wait, what?? Then we get into Mike's time at ESPN and discuss the formation of…
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#103: A Review of Katie Nolan's New Podcast "Casuals"
Welcome to Episode 103! We bring on previous guests Mike (Episode 73) and Chanch (Episode 98) for a 3-man weave reviewing Katie Nolan's new podcast. It's a concept we've wanted to do for awhile - a podcast reviewing another podcast - and what better show to start with than someone who goes back...
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#102: EMERGENCY POD — Luka Gets Traded and Bill & Russillo Record the Greatest Podcast of All-Time
Welcome to Episode 102! We bring back 3-time guests Flex and Chenny to react to the insane Luka trade and epic masterpiece from Russillo, Bill and Rob Mahoney, who recorded an emergency 3-man weave as soon as the trade happened Saturday night. We break it all down: the trade, the pod, Bill's…
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#101: EMERGENCY POD — Bill Simmons to Re-Sign with Spotify; Plus, is an ESPN Reunion Coming, and is Zach Lowe Joining The Ringer?
Welcome to Episode #101! The Podfather is staying at Spotify, and thus we break down all the angles. Plus, reports indicate he may work with ESPN again, and we assess whether Zach Lowe is now planning on joining The Ringer. Enjoy!
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#100: EMERGENCY POD — Big Cat Grew Up a Boston Sports Fan
Welcome to episode 100! We bring on 3-time guest Chris (Episodes 93 & 95) and first time guest Aaron (who's pod I guested on last week) to discuss, so far, the sports media story of the year: Big Cat grew up a Boston sports fan. That's right, the Pardon My Take co-host grew up right outside of...
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#99: Why Bill Remains So Popular Despite a Content Drop-off, is Pardon My Take the Evolutionary Page 2 Bill, Reacting to Ric Bucher's Comments, and a Theory on Why Bill's Takes Have Become So Wonky
Welcome to Episode 99! We bring on @T_sizzle71 from Twitter for a classic r/BS Pod show. We've focused on NBA ratings for the last couple episodes and had a welcome return to this podcast's roots talking all things Bill Simmons. We start off discussing our backgrounds with Bill, both finding him…
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#98: A Foolproof Way to Lift NBA Ratings and Solve the League's Regular Season Issues; Plus, Did Zach Lowe Ruin Basketball?
Welcome to Episode 98! We bring on Chanch and Kyle from TikTok, who are brothers in real life, for another classic r/BS Pod 3-man weave. We start off talking our history with Bill Simmons (0:00-9:15) before Chanch and Kyle introduce their foolproof way to fix the NBA (9:15-58:30). They've been...
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#97: The 3-Man Weave Returns — Why are NBA Ratings in Decline, and What Can the League Do About it?
Welcome to Episode 97, where we bring back r/BS Pod favorites JF (Episodes 71 & 83) and TikTokInvestors (Episode 27) for a classic 3-man weave. We discuss the topic that's taken over NBA Media: Why are NBA ratings down? JF & TikTok expand on a variety of reasons highlighted by the NBA Twitter...
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#96: Bill in Shambles as JJ Redick & the Lakers Start 3-0
We review the history of Bill Simmons and JJ Redick, dating back to 2010, that's led to Bill severely doubting the 2024 Lakers and saying JJ was a lunatic for taking the job - and why he's likely infuriated at their hot start.
About this show
A podcast discussing Bill Simmons, the BS Pod, Russillo, The Ringer, Grantland, Page 2, sports media, podcasts and more. Not affiliated with Bill Simmons or The Ringer
Hosted by
The r/BillSimmons Podcast
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