Since when did bias come with a negative connotation in the sportwriting world? Sure, fans want facts when they’re researching information about various sports topics, but why not add some humor and pop culture references into the mix while still getting the facts? Seems like it would make reading more enjoyable; and the reason you’re reading sports articles is because you enjoy it in some aspect, right? Of course.
Bill Simmons is an ESPN columnist, author of “Now I Can Die In Peace” and “The Book of Basketball” and a biased, die-hard Boston sports fan. But you’re thinking, “Wait, I’m not a die-hard Red Sox fan and I cringed at the thought of another Patriots Superbowl win.” Aside from the Boston/New England bias is interesting information and emotions which I’m sure many sports fans have felt about their own respective teams. It’s something you can relate to. It’s something that lets you know you’re not alone. It’s something that gives you hope. It’s comfort knowing there’s a community of support. And it’s incredibly hilarous.
So, here, I give you the Top 5 Reasons to follow Bill Simmons’ sportswriting:
Number 5: He references pop-culture.
Who doesn’t like jabs and jokes about terrible actors or musicians who are overrated?
Number 4: He is in-tune with his fans.
Every so often (depending on his schedule) Bill will answer questions and comment on content e-mailed to him by his fans. In the “Mail Bag” he takes all of this in good-nature and answers sarcastically and humorously, providing entertaining articles for fans to laugh about.
Number 3: His writing style is very relatable.
The endless hope and denial Bill has gone through while supporting his teams is something most sports fans can relate to. All of us are supporters of one team or another who have had good and bad seasons. The Boston sports scene is one of the more severe cases in history (namely, the Red Sox, Celtics and Patriots).
Number 2: His experiences make you envy the fact that you’re not him.
He often writes of his road trips with friends or events, such as the National Sports Convention, that he has visited. His experiences will usually remind you of any given scene of “The Hangover”, and you just wish you had been apart of these memorable moments.
Number 1: His style is a refreshing break from typical non-biased, opinionless, vanilla articles you’ll normally stumble upon.
He is one-of-a-kind. If you put all of these factors together, it makes for very entertaining material and you may even catch yourself cursing him for not coming up with more articles fast enough. There are not many sportswriters who can write material that fans will re-read over and over while waiting for a new article to come available.
So, check out Bill Simmons. He may take awhile to get used to, but you might just get hooked.
Photo courtesy of BBQ Papers