Those of us who are regular visitors to ESPN.com will no doubt be somewhat confused at today’s news: the most popular internet sports journalist in the world, Bill “The Sports Guy” Simmons, has chosen to be a Spurs fan. Of his own free will.
I’m not sure whether I should be disappointed or not.
Obviously, I’m always in favor of another person coming aboard the Good Ship Arsenal, especially if they’re a pretty darn good writer like the Sports Guy. That said, I don’t feel the need to be disappointed or angry when someone picks another team, even if it’s Spurs. At least they’re watching the football. Nothing wrong with that.
The annoying thing, though, is that Simmons loves to get on his high horse and take potshots at teams he doesn’t like, and clearly Arsenal’s going to be on top of that list. For someone like myself who looks forward to updates from the SG, that’s going to be highly annoying.
Thoughts from the crowd?
30 Responses to “The Sports Guy Goes Spursy”
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July 20th, 2006 at 12:55 pm
Ah well. I sent him an email trying to convince him to support Arsenal. I even mentioned this site and how great it is - I don’t know if Spurs fans have something similar (are there even any Spurs fans in the U.S.?) - but to no avail. He’s a Sox and Celtics fan though, so he’s used to the disappointment. I read his article though, and I’m not sure how he deems the Arsenal to be more of a bandwagon team than Man U or Chelsea. Whatever. The bottom line is that the more people that watch quality soccer, the better.
July 20th, 2006 at 1:05 pm
As a long-time follower of “The Boston Sports Guy,” I think we should cut him a break. In all the years I’ve followed his writing, he’s written about the beautiful game maybe three times, and that’s being generous. His writing is always a good read (except when he’s written his 69th basketball column), and he saw that Nick Hornby is already a fan.
July 20th, 2006 at 1:21 pm
Great column with a disappointing result. I did admire his thoroughness in choosing. I don’t loathe the Spurs as much as some of my English counterparts, but I do wish he’d made the right choice. Oh well, he’s in for a life of constant disappointment.
On another note: in the past week, I’ve sent emails to both Rick and Mike without any response. Wondering if it’s an issue with Arsenal America’s email or mine.
July 20th, 2006 at 1:29 pm
I got so many emails from my mates with links to the Simmons? story yesterday that I just started clicking them directly into the trash folder. When I did bother to respond, I did so curtly and said the same thing each time:
?You don?t pick a team: a team picks you.?
The whole intent of Simmons? article is misguided. Using his ridiculous set of intellectual parameters for picking a favorite EPL team is akin to trying to decide what country you want to claim for citizenship. Sure, you can immigrate or you can marry your way in, but you will never be a natural born citizen. Sorry.
Let yourself beome moved by the players, their stadium and their play. Visit a few. Attand some matches. Study the history, the songs, the ghosts of the past. Spill your guts over some wretching defeats. Get pissed drunk over a surprise late winner. Then, and only then, claim your righful spot in the supporters’ column.
I assume Spurs will offer Simmons a lifetime of misery, but he deserves as much.
No check that. Eventually, he will cook up a way to claim to be a fan of another squad?a successful one?in a few seasons? time. I?m sure he?s drafting the article now. What a wanker.
July 20th, 2006 at 1:30 pm
Used to the dissapointment of 16 Championships by the Boston Celtics? Who is even close in the NBA to that record?
If you say what have they done lately, then, your Red Sox arguement is flawed… as they won it all in 2004, and have made the playoffs the last 3 seasons.
He’ll probably find dissapointment with Spurtz, but they are improving… that is for sure. If not for some bad lasagna, we’d be watching them in the CL next year. Since then, we’ve lost Pires & Bergy, and possibly Cole… and they have added talent, and will likely add more.
July 20th, 2006 at 1:44 pm
I agree that picking a team during one off-season is a recipe for disaster. He would have been better off watching Fox Soccer Channel for a season, then picking a club.
I sent him a friendly note welcoming him to the U.S. EPL fan community and offering him some advice. I suspect that he will tire of this soon. Living on the West Coast is tough with the 5am games, etc. By the time the NBA season starts, he will have forgotten all about this.
July 20th, 2006 at 2:13 pm
If you’ve ever read his column, which is sounds like you haven’t, he has anguished over the Celtics and their downhill slide since Len Bias Died. That was 20 years ago! Yes, they have won 16 titles, but not in quite awhile. That’s what I mean by failures. He has also written numerous times about the Sox and their past failures and still writes about all they have done wrong. Don’t even get him started on the Bruins.
July 20th, 2006 at 2:15 pm
I believe his comment was that he didn’t want the competition that Hornby would provide. I was really hoping that he would pick the Arsenal though. I like his writing and would have looked forward to high profile articles on a high visibility site. His book on the Sox “Now I can Die in Peace” was very entertaining.
July 20th, 2006 at 2:18 pm
Living on the West coast isn’t so hard. If I’m up, I watch the morning games. If I’m not up, they generally replay them at 2:00 in the afternoon. All I have to do is avoid the internet for a morning which isn’t too hard. I sit in front of computer five days a week so avoiding it on the weekends isn’t too tough.
July 20th, 2006 at 3:02 pm
Please don’t join the barrage of fans who are on about how Spurs are fattening their squad. Exactly how many of their side went to the World Cup? How many made an impression? Who have they bought that would break into our first team if we’re healthy. And they’re a**holes.
Look, I know we need some strengthening, but whenever you think we’re not doing enough, look at pictures of the new stadium and do your best to think ahead.
July 20th, 2006 at 3:05 pm
How did we not win anything until 2004? The guy’s a joke telling a joke. Whatever.
You either KNOW you’re a Gooner or you’re not. How many of us took the geek route and analyzed all the clubs. I bet they called this guy “stats” in school.
Just as if you were born there, the club chooses, you. Not the other way around.
July 20th, 2006 at 3:28 pm
Scotty.
The facts are … they have brought in talent, we haven’t really improved. We have injuries to start with… and no cover (unless you factor in Cygan).
Bad Lasagna is the only thing that kept Spurs out of 4th and and Arsenal watching the CL.
Just giving the facts.
We could sign 2 or 3 players next week… but recent history has us watching on the sidelines.
Maybe you are OK with being out of the title race by Thanksgiving? But I’m not.
July 20th, 2006 at 3:34 pm
What email address did you send to, and what was it regarding?
July 20th, 2006 at 3:36 pm
My comment is: Who’s Bill Simmons? He’s a journalist? Woopty-fricking do. The media sucks, both news & sports. And the sports media are the kings of presenting & writing opinions as facts…
Bill Simmons is a Spurs fan… (yawn) Who’s Bill Simmons again? Which “Sports Guy” (whatever that is) is he?
July 20th, 2006 at 3:49 pm
Actually, if you read any of his old columns, he is very much a “born into a team” sort of guy, so while his approach is wrongheaded, it is also a bit unusual for him. Maybe being a Spurs fan will teach him the error of his ways.
July 20th, 2006 at 3:55 pm
Stag, you’re as bad as Spurs if you’re blaming their last day loss on JUST the lasagna. That’s ridiculous.
The fact of the matter is they lost. PERIOD. Bad lasagna, good lasagna, doesn’t matter.
A “good” excuse is still an excuse. They lost, they couldn’t handle it, they blamed it on an excuse. Our injuries during the year weren’t as good an excuse as food poisioning reason to try & get matches postponed? Why not? Please! Spurs are crying over not doing the job. Plain & simple.
“Bad lasagna is the only kept Spurs out of 4th & Arsenal watching the CL,” is like saying “Arsenal would’ve beat Barcelona if Barcelona wouldn’t have socred those goals,” or “yep, we would’ve won if we would’ve scored more goals than you!”
The FACTS are Spurs lost, we didn’t. WHATEVER the excuses are/were.
July 20th, 2006 at 4:32 pm
I agree that he should have watched FSC for a year then decided. It’s not like he can go back and be reborn in North London. Then at least he could have made an informed decision as opposed to believing robbie keane’s celebrations are “wild” (when they’re actually a moronic combination of cartwheels and sumersaults), thinking the Arse didn’t win anything until the undefeated season, and so on. In the end I still love his writing and the fact that he’ll write about soccer is even better. Though I did send him a bitter e-mail after the article.
July 20th, 2006 at 5:38 pm
I assume his one of those dumb americans who does not know anything about football( they call it soccer in America dont they?)
July 20th, 2006 at 6:36 pm
According to the Barca website and others Lilian Thuram and Gianluca Zambrotta have signed for Barcelona.
Well….2 of the big spenders have now had their pick. Real yesterday, Barca today.
Who’s left….Zebina, Vieira, Camoranesi, Trezeguet, Ibrahimovic, Del Piero …
Wonder where Pat will go
July 20th, 2006 at 10:24 pm
Hey all, I read the same article and I agree don?t know know really how to take his article. In a years time and watching a dozen or so games in a years time from the US to decide which squad to support is kind of funny to me. It looks like most of his article is excerpts of emails he got from fans. So he is not really formulating his own opinion on any team. I have been following The Gunners from 86, I was fortunate enough to have been stationed there in the military for four years and was taken to a match at Highbury. That was my intro to football and Arsenal. I have been a supporter ever since. I?m not too sure how much creditability I will give his columns about the league. If he wants to support the Spurs then it?s more cannon fodder for us to show him the errors of his ways at the end of the season.
July 20th, 2006 at 11:35 pm
He must be on the BOTTLE to then! They suit each other.
Hope he enjoys his frustration.
At least he won’t have to worry about writers bloc…, I mean constipation.
July 21st, 2006 at 1:22 am
Is it Davies or nothing for us? I hope AW is not forced to spend 10m on him. Can’t we look at Distin from ManCity?
July 21st, 2006 at 4:19 am
sylvestre from the mancs? or is he just cygan with pace! I think he’d be a decent enough signing (john o shea is also available it seems) - last 2 seasons his confidence has been shot, anything bad that could happen, has happened and his manager has done feck all to help him.
July 21st, 2006 at 5:36 am
As expected, Kerrea Gilbert has gone on loan. He has joined Cardiff City for one season.
July 21st, 2006 at 11:04 am
Vieira is going to Inter.
Kovac could be worth looking at from Juve.
A Man U reject in the Arsenal team, I dont think so.
Distin, is not in the same league as Davies. He might have experience but he is prone to making mistakes.
There is always NESTA from AC.
July 21st, 2006 at 12:00 pm
As a new Arsenal fan, I probably won’t be quite as hurt when he mouths off - but seriously, how often is he gonna write about the EPL?
Theres the NFL, College Basketball, and the NBA - all splitting up the same playing time.
July 21st, 2006 at 2:42 pm
Hi Mike,
I sent emails to mikek@arsenalamerica.com, rick@arsenalamerica.com, and gear@arsenalamerica.com.
It was regarding ordering a tshirt and also the fact that
the email address on AA site for Gary of the SF Arsenal America district office bounced back as undeliverable.
Cheers, Mark
July 21st, 2006 at 4:15 pm
The Sports Guy is the most popular _Boston_ internet sports journalist in the world. I find his Boston jingoism limits immensely the usefulness of his comments, as he really isn’t a journalist so much as he is an internet superfan with a large readership. In any event, the fact that the Gunners are going to slap around Spurs in the coming season should limit his snarky comments quite a bit.
I am also reminded of a comment made by U.S. Civil War Confederate General J.E.B. Stuart when discussing his father-in-law’s decision to remain loyal to the United States:
“He will regret his decision but once, and that will be continuously.”
July 21st, 2006 at 4:44 pm
I did hear back from Mike about the shirts.
July 21st, 2006 at 9:43 pm
Once spurs season goes down the drain, you’ll never hear anything about it again. Besides, basketball season will start and he’ll have to fill his quota of 243 NBA columns per week.