Style
When Simmons' first started his website, he wrote what he thought friends would enjoy reading because he never understood how people could be sportswriters while claiming they did not care which team won, in the name of journalistic objectivity. Since Simmons was writing on the web he figured that "in order to get people to read it, it had to be different from what people got in newspapers and magazines." He believes his job is not to get into the heads of the players, but into the heads of his readers. One way he gets his readers to come back is to update frequently and to be provocative, so he can get a discussion going among and with his readers. Simmons has stated that he "...will never write a traditional sports column."
With his column, Simmons aims to speak for, reconnect sportswriting with, and reproduce the experience for the average fan. Simmons' writing in his columns is characterized by mixing sports knowledge, erudite analysis, clever prose, comedy, references to pop culture including movies and television shows, his non-sports-related personal life, his many fantasy sports teams, video games, and references to adult video. His columns often mention trips to Las Vegas or other gambling venues with his friends, including blackjack and sports gambling.
One of his most popular recurring columns is the "Mailbag" where he answers readers' e-mails. He almost always ends these columns with a strange e-mail, followed by the statement "Yup, these are my readers." He also occasionally engages in lengthy chat sessions with readers on ESPN.com. His wife occasionally writes mini-articles within Simmons' own Page 2 articles as "The Sports Gal," on subjects such as The Hills and her lack of understanding of a golf handicap.
Read more about this topic: Bill Simmons
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