PC Board OT Thread Take 4 [No Politics]

[Colbinii]

Yeah I think I listened to 90% of his pods since 2007, the basketball ones are actually the least interesting to me because I know too much, it's more fun to listen to a sport you don't know as much like the NFL.

My theory is we're the main reason he got into talking about player rankings all the time.

Eh, he knows so little about football that I can't listen to him talk about non-basketball, and even that I listen to during work for entertainment. I think I enjoy him because it gives me some low-level analysis and scratches an itch for me since I'm not a meanstream/ESPN consumer, and Simmons hits that "homer, bar talk" itch that's fun to have scratched.

[rk2023]

Yeah I think I listened to 90% of his pods since 2007, the basketball ones are actually the least interesting to me because I know too much, it's more fun to listen to a sport you don't know as much like the NFL.

My theory is we're the main reason he got into talking about player rankings all the time.

Yeah, I think his pantheon framework and book of basketball sort of paved the way for this discussion (whether it’s nuanced or, rather, clowns spearing it)

[Dr Positivity]

Yeah I think I listened to 90% of his pods since 2007, the basketball ones are actually the least interesting to me because I know too much, it's more fun to listen to a sport you don't know as much like the NFL.

My theory is we're the main reason he got into talking about player rankings all the time.

Yeah, I think his pantheon framework and book of basketball sort of paved the way for this discussion (whether it’s nuanced or, rather, clowns spearing it)

The PC board was already in its prime imo and had multiple top 100 votes before the Book of Basketball came out, so I don't think it influenced us too much, more the other way around. We did borrow the trade value rankings on T&T board from him.

[eminence]

His pantheon sizes make no sense, but I do like the tiering approach.

[Colbinii]

His pantheon sizes make no sense, but I do like the tiering approach.

I like the tiering approach as well, and it was first brought to my attention from you when ranking players.

Now I use it for many rankings.

[Doctor MJ]

Yeah I think I listened to 90% of his pods since 2007, the basketball ones are actually the least interesting to me because I know too much, it's more fun to listen to a sport you don't know as much like the NFL.

My theory is we're the main reason he got into talking about player rankings all the time.

Eh, he knows so little about football that I can't listen to him talk about non-basketball, and even that I listen to during work for entertainment. I think I enjoy him because it gives me some low-level analysis and scratches an itch for me since I'm not a meanstream/ESPN consumer, and Simmons hits that "homer, bar talk" itch that's fun to have scratched.

You know what's funny? When I first got into serious historical basketball analysis I got frustrated with Simmons, but nowadays I really enjoy listening to him more than most other podcasters.

I think I've come to appreciate what he does bring to the table and I just take things with a grain of salt on the things he doesn't. Dude has spent a very long time appreciating basketball as an observer and thinking about how to make sense of it all. I appreciate being able to reflect on his observations.

[Doctor MJ]

Yeah I think I listened to 90% of his pods since 2007, the basketball ones are actually the least interesting to me because I know too much, it's more fun to listen to a sport you don't know as much like the NFL.

My theory is we're the main reason he got into talking about player rankings all the time.

Yeah, I think his pantheon framework and book of basketball sort of paved the way for this discussion (whether it’s nuanced or, rather, clowns spearing it)

So, first I'll say, it's interesting that it seems you guys see influence going between Simmons, us, and the mainstream when it comes to player ranking. I don't think there's any doubt Simmons influenced others. Where we fit into it all, if at all, is less clear.

With Simmons being so internet-aware, it seems quite plausible that he knew about us, but I kinda doubt he's lurked on our projects.

Now on the other hand, Simmons has definitely been aware of Ben Taylor for at least several years now, but to my knowledge he's avoided any commentary about Ben's analysis despite the fact that there's a lot of cross-pollination between Ben and others on the Ringer team.

[Colbinii]

Yeah I think I listened to 90% of his pods since 2007, the basketball ones are actually the least interesting to me because I know too much, it's more fun to listen to a sport you don't know as much like the NFL.

My theory is we're the main reason he got into talking about player rankings all the time.

Eh, he knows so little about football that I can't listen to him talk about non-basketball, and even that I listen to during work for entertainment. I think I enjoy him because it gives me some low-level analysis and scratches an itch for me since I'm not a meanstream/ESPN consumer, and Simmons hits that "homer, bar talk" itch that's fun to have scratched.

You know what's funny? When I first got into serious historical basketball analysis I got frustrated with Simmons, but nowadays I really enjoy listening to him more than most other podcasters.

I think I've come to appreciate what he does bring to the table and I just take things with a grain of salt on the things he doesn't. Dude has spent a very long time appreciating basketball as an observer and thinking about how to make sense of it all. I appreciate being able to reflect on his observations.

Yeah, I'm not sure humble is the right word but he does admit to being wrong about people/players/teams, ect.

But yeah, totally agree that he is extremely passionate about sports, especially basketball.

I also enjoy the back-and-forth with him and Russillo on basketball. Russillo is more calculated and leans on a lot of recency/other experts/stats while Simmons relies on his feel in a way that is respectable. It's a good balance.

[70sFan]

I don't listen to Simmons podcasts at all, so can't comment but I always felt hesitant to listen to anything he says since I got the footage tape of Wilt's 73 points performance against the Knicks. His description of the Wilt game from many years ago is extremely inaccurate.

I do think he did a lot of good to basketball history though, so it's worth appreciating.

[sp6r=underrated]

Yeah I think I listened to 90% of his pods since 2007, the basketball ones are actually the least interesting to me because I know too much, it's more fun to listen to a sport you don't know as much like the NFL.

My theory is we're the main reason he got into talking about player rankings all the time.

Yeah, I think his pantheon framework and book of basketball sort of paved the way for this discussion (whether it’s nuanced or, rather, clowns spearing it)

The PC board was already in its prime imo and had multiple top 100 votes before the Book of Basketball came out, so I don't think it influenced us too much, more the other way around. We did borrow the trade value rankings on T&T board from him.

Yup, I remember joining in 07 and the PC board conversation was extremely strong. Most of those posters are gone, and I hope doing well!, so I don't think he influenced us. I could see an argument his enthusiasm for basketball has brought some people here who wouldn't be here otherwise.

As Doc said, I'm skeptical he was reading our top 100 threads in 07. He's a very busy, careerist who has a family. Our conversations are awesome but I doubt he followed.

And while I don't listen to him I read him for over a decade. It was always obvious the media he consumed (TV coverage/ 80s-90s pop culture). he loved social media and longform writing. I think if he was interested in our projects there would have been clear cues in the book of basketball. I saw none.

By the end of the aughts he had fully left behind the blogging culture which his aol/page 2 days were antecedent of. And I'm almost certain if he wasn't reading us then he isn't reading us now.

[eminence]

His pantheon sizes make no sense, but I do like the tiering approach.

On my own 'pantheon' style list. Fibonacci # tiers, birth order within tiers

LeBron

Russell

Kareem, Duncan

Mikan, MJ, KG

Wilt, Bird, Magic, Hakeem, Shaq

West, Oscar, DrJ, Karl Malone, Robinson, Dirk, Kobe, Curry

Schayes, Gilmore, Moses Malone, Stockton, Barkley, Miller, Nash, Wade, CP3, Durant, Harden, Giannis, Jokic

Notes:
-Curry reasonably likely to take Bird's spot
-A bit generous to Giannis/Jokic (I'm heavier on longevity than many), but it'd take them falling off a cliff to not make the tier at this point.
-I have a Tier 8 (and guys I consider tier 9, but no actual list), but couldn't remember them all off the top, so left out for today, might come back and edit them in later
-I also have a full order for my top 20, but not from that point on (DrJ currently hanging on to the last spot in Tier 6)

[Colbinii]

His pantheon sizes make no sense, but I do like the tiering approach.

On my own 'pantheon' style list. Fibonacci # tiers, birth order within tiers

LeBron

Russell

Kareem, Duncan

Mikan, MJ, KG

Wilt, Bird, Magic, Hakeem, Shaq

West, Oscar, DrJ, Karl Malone, Robinson, Dirk, Kobe, Curry

Schayes, Gilmore, Moses Malone, Stockton, Barkley, Miller, Nash, Wade, CP3, Durant, Harden, Giannis, Jokic

Notes:
-Curry reasonably likely to take Bird's spot
-A bit generous to Giannis/Jokic (I'm heavier on longevity than many), but it'd take them falling off a cliff to not make the tier at this point.
-I have a Tier 8 (and guys I consider tier 9, but no actual list), but couldn't remember them all off the top, so left out for today, might come back and edit them in later
-I also have a full order for my top 20, but not from that point on (DrJ currently hanging on to the last spot in Tier 6)

Fibonacci sequence...you love to see it

[eminence]

Yeah you got the OG cards.

Yeah just too late to have cheaply gotten the Moxes and the Lotus, but basically everything else.

Moved from the Awards thread

Been playing some cube recently and had a lot of fun with that.

Considering putting together my own simplified version to teach the kids some of the game.

[Colbinii]

Yeah you got the OG cards.

Yeah just too late to have cheaply gotten the Moxes and the Lotus, but basically everything else.

Moved from the Awards thread

Been playing some cube recently and had a lot of fun with that.

Considering putting together my own simplified version to teach the kids some of the game.

I have a game board group and this one guy bought an entire proxied Vintage Cube from China

There is a brewery in Minneapolis which hosts monthly cubes that's super fun. It's a fun way to engaging with the game as a more responsible adult.

[eminence]

Yeah just too late to have cheaply gotten the Moxes and the Lotus, but basically everything else.

Moved from the Awards thread

Been playing some cube recently and had a lot of fun with that.

Considering putting together my own simplified version to teach the kids some of the game.

I have a game board group and this one guy bought an entire proxied Vintage Cube from China

There is a brewery in Minneapolis which hosts monthly cubes that's super fun. It's a fun way to engaging with the game as a more responsible adult.

I was certainly considering proxying, some of that stuff is expensive these days (and I'm cheap).

My main hangup is trying to decide if I want to have some fully custom cards (would obviously need proxied). Have you ever played one which had custom cards and if so how did you feel about it?

[Colbinii]

Moved from the Awards thread

Been playing some cube recently and had a lot of fun with that.

Considering putting together my own simplified version to teach the kids some of the game.

I have a game board group and this one guy bought an entire proxied Vintage Cube from China

There is a brewery in Minneapolis which hosts monthly cubes that's super fun. It's a fun way to engaging with the game as a more responsible adult.

I was certainly considering proxying, some of that stuff is expensive these days (and I'm cheap).

My main hangup is trying to decide if I want to have some fully custom cards (would obviously need proxied). Have you ever played one which had custom cards and if so how did you feel about it?

Yeah back in my hay-day someone had a star wars cube.

[Clyde Frazier]

Simmons began his ascent in the sports world as “The Boston Sports Guy” and was hired by ESPN in 2001. He stayed with the network for 14 years before he founded The Ringer in 2016. In 2020, Simmons sold his site to Spotify for $200 million. He’s now both the managing director of The Ringer and the head of Spotify’s global sports content.

Kind of OT but I used to read Simmons throughout the aughts. His name brings out nostalgia of lazy dorm sessions.

When he transitioned to podcasts he disappeared for me. I knew he made money off Podcasts but I had no idea. Whatever you think of Simmons his ability to navigate media from the late 90s (aol) to podcasts really is impressive.

I don’t listen to Simmons much anymore, but his success is a fascinating business case study. Outside of his failed HBO show and weak on air ESPN stint, he’s done an incredible job at identifying media trends and capitalizing on them before they hit.

First it was his writing from a fan perspective, then having one of the first successful sports podcasts. The fact that bball was his favorite sport attracted me to him because there just wasn’t a ton of content out there back then. He’s also one of the best interviewers on any medium. If I was interested in a guest I always listened because he could get more out them than almost anyone. Larry David is the most recent example which I did listen to.

Then you have 30 for 30 which was a great idea and produced some very interesting documentaries. And eventually creating grantland and the ringer. His strength here was consistently identifying great talent. I don’t listen to him much anymore because I kinda feel like the league has passed him by, but his success in business certainly isn’t an accident.

[sp6r=underrated]

Simmons began his ascent in the sports world as “The Boston Sports Guy” and was hired by ESPN in 2001. He stayed with the network for 14 years before he founded The Ringer in 2016. In 2020, Simmons sold his site to Spotify for $200 million. He’s now both the managing director of The Ringer and the head of Spotify’s global sports content.

Kind of OT but I used to read Simmons throughout the aughts. His name brings out nostalgia of lazy dorm sessions.

When he transitioned to podcasts he disappeared for me. I knew he made money off Podcasts but I had no idea. Whatever you think of Simmons his ability to navigate media from the late 90s (aol) to podcasts really is impressive.

I don’t listen to Simmons much anymore, but his success is a fascinating business case study. Outside of his failed HBO show and weak on air ESPN stint, he’s done an incredible job at identifying media trends and capitalizing on them before they hit.

First it was his writing from a fan perspective, then having one of the first successful sports podcasts. The fact that bball was his favorite sport attracted me to him because there just wasn’t a ton of content out there back then. He’s also one of the best interviewers on any medium. If I was interested in a guest I always listened because he could get more out them than almost anyone. Larry David is the most recent example which I did listen to.

Then you have 30 for 30 which was a great idea and produced some very interesting documentaries. And eventually creating grantland and the ringer. His strength here was consistently identifying great talent. I don’t listen to him much anymore because I kinda feel like the league has passed him by, but his success in business certainly isn’t an accident.

Yup, and being able to identify when to switch is really hard to do. He was quite right in retrospect that switching from writing to podcasting was a good decision but at the time it was a very debatable move. He had a firmly established brand as a writer and could have comfortably made a living writing for the rest of his life.

And as you said he pulled off multiple transitions like this. And also recognized when it was in his interest to leave ESPN. How many people have tried to leave media conglomerates and failed? A lot.

He is a shrewd guy.

[sp6r=underrated]

Good news.

“We’re watching the end of Skip Bayless because his numbers, those numbers are so bad,” Le Batard said, citing Undisputed’s floundering ratings.

According to Sports Media Watch, Undisputed averaged a record-low 50,000 viewers on Tuesday, Feb. 27. In comparison, First Take averaged 486,000 viewers on the same day. Further depicting a grim ratings picture for Undisputed, Bayless’s FS1 show averaged 78,000 viewers in the week after Super Bowl LVIII, compared to First Take’s 548,000 average.

https://awfulannouncing.com/fox/dan-le-batard-were-watching-the-end-of-skip-bayless.html

This is good news as it is a sign pure, negative trolling turns folks off

[sp6r=underrated]

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