Bill Simmons has bashed ESPN on numerous occasions since the network decided to not renew his contract, and his former boss is finally firing back.
Over the weekend, ESPN president John Skipper was asked about a theory Simmons has proposed regarding why the World Wide Leader decided to part ways with him. Simmons told Jim Rutenberg of the New York Times that he wonders if Disney CEO Robert Iger (Disney is ESPN’s parent company) wanted him gone after Simmons made controversial remarks about Roger Goodell and the NFL. Shortly after Simmons was ousted, Iger’s name was linked to a proposed Los Angeles stadium that would have been shared by the Oakland Raiders and San Diego Chargers.
Skipper has heard enough.
“Bill would rather spin conspiracy theories and be perceived as a martyr than take responsibility for his own actions,” he told Rutenberg. “Let me be unequivocal and clear and take responsibility for my actions: I alone made the decision, and it had nothing to do with his comments about the commissioner. I severed our relationship with Bill because of his repeated lack of respect for this company and, more importantly, the people who work here.”
When Skipper first announced that ESPN would not be renewing Simmons’ contract, he was far more kind. Apparently he has heard enough, which isn’t surprising in the wake of the latest comments Simmons made about his former coworkers, though he later apologized.
Bottom line? The divorce between ESPN and Simmons was not an amicable one.
