Comments on: (5) James Joyce vs. (12) Bill Simmons

By: Pablo

Pablo — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 01:18:00 +0000

I stopped reading Bill Simmons in 2005 after a few years because his writing was stale and repetitive. I read an article of his lately. It might as well have been written when he was still a bartender. We don’t care what your dad, your buddies, or your wife has to say, let alone what YOU have to say about Boston and everything Boston-related.

By: Tom

Tom — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 16:39:00 +0000

Hey mods, what’s the deal with not allowing some comments? I thought my take on this matchup was well thought out, if brief. Or was it the extremely mild questioning of this whole tournament thing that you didn’t like? I’m glad mental floss is into censorship – it’s really great for expanding the mind, knowledge, and understanding. Jerks.

By: Joe

Joe — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 18:53:00 +0000

Sure Joyce is a classic but Simmons really innovated the sports writing game. I have to give him my vote.

By: Andrew

Andrew — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 17:34:00 +0000

I find Simmons to be stale these days. Also, overtly homerish. I go with Joyce.

By: Ken

Ken — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 15:36:00 +0000

I’m with you guys. I’ve read Ulysses and Finnegans Wake, and I thought both were brilliant. Snippets of Joyce never just pop into my head during my day-to-day life, but I’m always thinking of some old Simmons punchline and chuckling. The Reggie Cleveland All Stars alone have greatly enhanced my sports viewing experiences.

By: Kikadee

Kikadee — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 15:03:00 +0000

@Ian… I agree with you. I’ve read everything Joyce wrote. Damn, I read “Ulysses” three times in the course of my university career! And I marvel at his prose and insight.

But Bill Simmons’ writing has made me laugh and cry, so hard, in equal measure, and in any case, far more than Joyce’s has ever done. I love that he uses anecdotes about his wife, the Sports Gal, and even invited her to be a guest writer. I love that he came around to liking Steve Nash. I love his 80s pop culture references. He makes me proud of all things Bostonian and I’ve never even been there. His Las Vegas road-trip recaps, and his improving relationship with hockey–and, through that, his dad–have been delightful to read.

So, yeah, Joyce may be the greater linguist and intellectual, but Simmons writes in a way that touches my heart. I haven’t cracked open “The Dubliners” in nearly a decade, but I read “The Sports Guy” on a regular basis.

Pass the matches, Ian: I voted for Bill Simmons, too.

By: Ian

Ian — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 13:36:00 +0000

I know Joyce is the right choice, but I have a complete man crush on Simmons. I have been reading him since his first days on ESPN.com…..I have his book and now listen to all of his podcasts. So my vote went to Simmons.

I will now light myself on fire – ‘Bill Simmons’