Bill Simmons is once again targeting his former employer.
The Ringer CEO Simmons went viral for his comments swiping at ESPN during the latest episode of his self-titled podcast. While discussing Game 4 between the Detroit Pistons and the New York Knicks on Sunday (a contest that ended in major controversy), Simmons spoke on Jalen Rose, his old co-worker at ESPN.
Rose, a Detroit native known for his fandom of the Pistons, was in attendance at Game 4 (which was held at Detroit’s Little Caesars Arena). ESPN, which was televising the contest, often cut to shots of Rose sitting in the crowd during the game. That didn’t sit right with Simmons, who sounded off about it on his podcast.
“I don’t think you need to show Jalen Rose 15 times after you f–king laid him off two years ago,” said Simmons. “Three minutes before he was about to do a ‘Get Up’ segment. And [he] gets a call [that] says, ‘Don’t go on ‘Get Up’ because you’re about to be laid off.’ Maybe don’t show him over and over during the game. You motherf–kers.”
You can see the full clip here (but beware of the foul language).
Simmons is referencing how Rose, who worked at ESPN from 2007-23, was laid off by the network as part of widespread budget cuts. Indeed, Rose was all set to appear on the ESPN show “Get Up!” on the morning that he was let go before the network did an awkward 180 in a moment that actually made it onto the air.
Meanwhile, Simmons, who himself worked at ESPN from 2001-15 before being let go, had a long history of issues with The Worldwide Leader. That included bitter disagreements over Grantland (the now-defunct ESPN-owned site that Simmons served as the editor-in-chief of) and problems with then-ESPN president John Skipper. Simmons has continued to take shots at ESPN in the years since leaving, and that was the case again this week with his sharp comments about the network’s treatment of Rose.
