On today’s ESPN radio show Mike and Mike , Bill Simmons’ opinion on LeBron James and the Cavaliers slow start in the early NBA season was called “ridiculous” by one of the show’s co-hosts, Mike Golic.
Simmons, who was suspended by ESPN back in September for calling NFL commissioner Roger Goodell a “liar” in regards to the Ray Rice situation on his podcast The BS Report , is one of ESPN’s most polarizing figures, and is known for speaking his mind.
In the clip shown below, Simmons appears on Colin Cowherd’s radio show The Herd and compares LeBron James to the Anaheim Angels version of Albert Pujols. After the clip is finished, Mike Golic responds to what Simmons had to say about LeBron.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-AIyr1tomHQ
Simmons, who lives on the west coast in California, was likely not even awake when Golic made these comments, and finally responded to them about two hours ago on his Twitter page . Simmons’ tweets are shown below.
What Mike and Mike did today was absolute garbage. I would say I lost respect for that show, but I never had it. http://t.co/LRd8YzFfO8
— Bill Simmons (@BillSimmons) November 6, 2014
For an ESPN Radio show to pull an interview out of context from another ESPN Radio show, then play the moral authority card, is disgusting.
— Bill Simmons (@BillSimmons) November 6, 2014
Have the balls to call me to discuss it on the show. Don’t pull it out of context just because you need fodder for a segment. Pathetic.
— Bill Simmons (@BillSimmons) November 6, 2014
But hey – I’m just a guy who can’t evolve, right? http://t.co/XJ0GWbc5gJ
— Bill Simmons (@BillSimmons) November 6, 2014
After Simmons was suspended in September, it was rumored that he wanted out of ESPN . After Mike Golic called Simmons’ opinion ridiculous and because of Simmons’ Twitter rant, he may be daring ESPN to fire him.
Simmons’ final tweet was in reference to a column by ESPN ombudsman Robert Lipsyte, who is a very noted sportswriter in his own right, written after Simmons was suspended by ESPN following his comments about the NFL commissioner. In the column , Lipsyte suggested that Simmons, ESPN, and the audience evolve past simple mouthing-off.
Simmons is one of the few ESPN personalities who is able to stand out. Part of that is because of his candor and fearlessness when talking about sensitive issues in the world of sports. Mike Golic and Mike Greenberg [hosts of Mike and Mike ] are one of, if not the biggest, radio shows on ESPN. They, like Simmons, are one of the few personalities at ESPN who have been able to stand out. However, unlike Simmons, Greenberg and Golic aren’t known for their candor and fearlessness.
Neither Mike Golic nor ESPN has publicly responded to Simmons’ rant on Twitter.
[Image via Getty Images ]