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Bill Simmons has a track record of taking digs anywhere he can at his former employer, ESPN. Because the sudden resignation of Philadelphia 76ers General Manager Sam Hinkie has once again brought about the typical #hottakes from First Take, that, in turn, means Simmons is having a field day poking fun at his old stomping grounds.
Specifically, Simmons went after Stephen A. Smith, whose painfully stating-the-obvious discussion of the situation earned some RiffTrax from the Sports Guy himself.
To Simmons’ credit, it does go without saying that a guy who’s responsible for 47 wins in three years is going to be on the proverbial chopping block. The more nuanced and worthwhile conversation revolves around Hinkie’s autonomous role with the 76ers’ organization and whether “the process” was ever going to work. Then again, nuance isn’t something anyone’s ever going to get from First Take, or from Stephen A. Smith. That’s not the design of the show, for better or worse. Additionally, Smith is an easy target for his longstanding belief that the volume at which your argument is made directly correlates with its validity.
Still, Simmons provides some interesting, and usually entertaining, reactions when it comes to his former place of employment. Many people criticize ESPN, sometimes unfairly, because taking shots at the World Wide Leader is an easy thing to do. But not many critics carry the weight – and personal history – that Simmons does.
