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‘Grantland’s Demise Is Causing A Stir With Bill Simmons And Others

By Ernest Shepard
Published on: 14:24 PST, Oct 30, 2015

So long, Grantland! Not everyone is happy that you are gone, including its architect, Bill Simmons.

ESPN has decided to shut down its popular site dedicated to long-form sports and entertainment analysis. It is a crushing blow for not only ESPN visitors, but also visitors who sought out something different from what the parent site had to offer. The news have not been well-received.

While publishing for Grantland has been suspended, a timetable to reconvene is not released, leaving doubt over the return of new posts at Grantland in the minds of its readers.

Grantland has built a large following over the years. Under the guiding hands of Bill Simmons and a group of talented writers, millions of readers would visit the website on a monthly basis. What lured them was long-form articles which featured video analysis and play-by-play breakdowns, rarely seen on a website. Certain sports statistics such as Player Efficiency Rating (PER) and Wins Above Replacement (WAR) became household terms for sports fans. To many fans, hearing that ESPN has suspended Grantland is heartbreaking.

ESPN released an official statement about its decision, which can be read here.

In their statement regarding the status of Grantland, Bill Simmons received his praise.

“We are grateful to those who made it so. Bill Simmons was passionately committed to the site and proved to be an outstanding editor with a real eye for talent.”

Simmons was with Grantland as editor-in-chief at its introduction. He and ESPN decided to go their separate ways earlier this summer after contract re-negotiations came to a screeching halt.

Bill Simmons is among those who are sad to see Grantland go. He took to Twitter to offer up his thoughts.

To witness the demise of Grantland just five short months after he left could only be summed up in that fashion.

According to NPR, several celebrities expressed their sadness about the news. NBA writer Nate Silver, late night talk show host Seth Myers, and actor and director Jon Favreau were among the group.

Grantland was ahead of the curve when it came to the writing style that was usually on display. When it came to rules, there were few. Can you write? Can you be entertaining? That was what Grantland had to offer. It was also an alternative for those who wanted an unconventional approach to sports journalism. Once the site began including entertainment in its repertoire, it really took off. Adding a dimension which is universal will do that.

Several up-and-coming journalists saw Grantland as one of the pioneering websites that included sports and entertainment without a stale approach.

How long would it last without its leader, Bill Simmons, who oversaw things?

Many of the gambles that ESPN took in allowing Simmons to brand Grantland to his liking was a testimony to the faith that they had in him. This included his groundbreaking 30 For 30 series. The documentary series will continue on most likely. Many of Grantland‘s contributors took part in the projects that Simmons was in charge of.

The news of Grantland‘s demise cannot be too surprising. Without Bill Simmons in place, how much loyalty was ESPN executives supposed to have for the remaining contributors?

And with ESPN facing budget cuts, was Grantland truly going to survive the chopping block?

There are several former ESPN employees who have placed blame on the company’s overspending, according to a Sporting News report. Just one week ago, ESPN laid off 300 workers.

A total of $100 million had to be trimmed from ESPN’s budget this year. They will have to shave off another $250 million by 2017. There was no way for Grantland to survive conceivably. The question now is, will Bill Simmons, deal with HBO in tow, come in and take some of his former Grantland teammates under his wing.

Today is a sad day for Grantland readers. Knowing that this is the end is heartbreaking. The impact of Grantland‘s demise is felt by the readers who visited the site regularly, including the celebrities and its architect Bill Simmons. Why he was not allowed to take Grantland with him on his way out of ESPN’s door remains a mystery today. Had he been able to take ownership of Grantland, it is uncertain where the website would be today.

[Photo by Mike Windle/Getty Images Entertainment]

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