Ric Bucher recently shed light on his past interactions with Bill Simmons, recounting their time as ESPN colleagues and reflecting on how their relationship appeared to dissolve after Simmons left the network. The sports media personality didn’t hold back during an episode of his On the Ball with Ric Bucher podcast, addressing both Simmons’ recent commentary and their history together.
Bucher began by critiquing Simmons’ take on the Sacramento Kings, referencing a trade suggestion Simmons made following the team’s struggles. “My former ESPN colleague, Bill Simmons, took note of the Kings’ loss to Detroit. And as Bill is wont to do, immediately threw out a trade idea, as if Mike Brown’s firing is an indication that the Sacramento Kings are ready to start over.
He suggested that the Houston Rockets should be putting on a full-court press to get the Kings to deal them De’Aaron Fox,” Bucher said, as reported by Awful Announcing.
From there, Bucher shifted gears to reflect on their past collaboration, which included co-hosting a regular ESPN podcast segment called The Three-Man Weave alongside Marc Stein.
“It generally consisted of Bill suggesting various wild and outlandish moves, and Stein and I explaining why they were either A. Not feasible, B. Not smart, or C. Not feasible nor smart,” Bucher said, offering a glimpse into their dynamic.
The turning point, Bucher suggested, came after Simmons left ESPN in 2015. He recalled an invitation to appear on Simmons’ then-new podcast, The Bill Simmons Podcast (formerly The B.S. Report), and how the situation unfolded. “After Bill left ESPN, he actually invited me onto his podcast at one point. And I said, ‘I’d be happy to,’ if he would also come on mine. And I never heard from him again,” Bucher said.
He elaborated further, pointing out a perceived pattern in Simmons’ behavior. “That’s kind of the way it works with Bill from my experience. If you can do something for him, he is very excited to work with you. If it comes to him doing something that would be more of a benefit to you, crickets.”
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Bucher’s comments offer insight into the complexities of professional relationships in the media world and hint at the challenges of balancing collaboration with competition.
While Simmons has not responded publicly to Bucher’s claims, the Ringer founder has been no stranger to media spats. Earlier this year, Simmons had a highly publicized exchange with ESPN’s Pat McAfee, after McAfee criticized Simmons’ impression of him on his podcast. Simmons responded by taking a jab at McAfee’s show ratings.
As Bucher and Simmons continue to carve their respective paths in the sports media landscape, this latest episode serves as a reminder of the tensions that can arise even among the industry’s most prominent figures.
Whether or not Simmons addresses Bucher’s remarks remains to be seen, but the revelation adds another layer to the ongoing conversation about professional dynamics in sports journalism.
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