The Bill Simmons Podcast - podcast cover

The Bill Simmons Podcast

The Ringerwww.theringer.com
HBO and The Ringer's Bill Simmons hosts the most downloaded sports podcast of all time, with a rotating crew of celebrities, athletes, and media staples, as well as mainstays like Cousin Sal, Joe House, and a slew of other friends and family members who always happen to be suspiciously available.
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Episodes

'Parent Corner' Special Edition Part 2 With Cousin Sal (Ep. 329)

HBO and The Ringer's Bill Simmons and Cousin Sal dish out potentially problematic parenting advice and share stories from their time as dads in the second part of this series. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Feb 21, 20181 hr 36 min

Revamping the NBA Playoffs, Plus Cousin Sal and Rockets GM Daryl Morey (Ep. 328)

HBO and The Ringer's Bill Simmons breaks down the reasons why the NBA playoff format needs to be dramatically different (5:00). Then, Cousin Sal hops on the line to give his thoughts on the Winter Olympics (27:00), the NBA All-Star Game (34:00), and early Oscars picks (42:00). Finally, Rockets GM Daryl Morey joins to detail his journey through the NBA ranks and the importance of analytics in his life (56:00). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices...

Feb 19, 20181 hr 58 min

Richard Jefferson on Being Traded, Changing Roles, and the New-Look Cavs (Ep. 327)

HBO and The Ringer's Bill Simmons is joined by Nuggets forward Richard Jefferson to discuss his new life in Denver (6:00), Jamal Murray's potential (12:00), Luke Walton vs. LaVar Ball (22:00), the most impressive rookie in the NBA (30:00), the LeBron GM narrative (38:00), Kyrie Irving's ability to lead (46:00), the IT situation in Cleveland (56:00), and the best NBA teammates (1:04:00). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices...

Feb 16, 20181 hr 33 min

Scooter Braun on Growing Up on Basketball, Managing Music Stars, and Making Music Pop (Ep. 326)

HBO and The Ringer's Bill Simmons is joined by talent manager Scooter Braun, who discusses his upbringing around basketball (6:00), the cyclical nature of music (16:00), the decision to roast Justin Bieber (23:00), Kanye's creativity (30:00), the narcissistic nature of superstardom (48:00), the best basketball players in music (1:08:00), and the struggles of safety on tour (1:18:00). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices...

Feb 14, 20181 hr 34 min

U.S. Soccer, Winter Olympics, Paul Pierce, and Boston Sports Media Shenanigans With Rob Stone, JackO, Bill's Dad, and Kirk Minihane (Ep. 325)

HBO and The Ringer's Bill Simmons is joined by Fox Sports host Rob Stone to discuss the new U.S. Soccer president (6:00). Then, JackO joins to give a full update on all the happenings of the Winter Olympics (26:00). Then, Bill's dad hops on the line to give his takeaways from Paul Pierce's jersey retirement in Boston (45:00). And finally, Boston radio host Kirk Minihane runs through the hottest story lines and the shifting culture in Boston sports (1:01:00). Learn more about your ad choices. Vis...

Feb 12, 20181 hr 44 min

Two-Hour NBA Trade Deadline Extravaganza (Ep. 324)

HBO and The Ringer's Bill Simmons is joined by his old ESPN buddy Ryen Russillo to discuss Isaiah Thomas's value in the NBA today (6:00), OKC's positive outlook for keeping Paul George (13:00), the pitfalls of the NBA salary spike (20:00), LeBron's new teammates (34:00), LeBron's next move (54:00), and the impressive upcoming 2018 NBA draft (1:06:00). Then, another former ESPNer, Tom Haberstroh, offers his thoughts on who won the trade deadline and the one trade that didn't happen that should ha...

Feb 08, 20182 hr 2 min

The Sports Repodders on Super Bowl Coverage, TV Nostalgia, and the Winter Olympics (Ep. 323)

HBO and The Ringer's Bill Simmons is joined by Wall Street Journal sports columnist Jason Gay and Ringer editor-at-large Bryan Curtis to discuss new media's impact on Super Bowl LII coverage (8:00), broadcast experimentation in the NBA (22:00), the best announcing teams (38:00), Chris Berman's return (52:00), and reasons to not care about the 2018 Winter Olympics (1:01:00). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices...

Feb 07, 20181 hr 23 min

Super Bowl LII Winners and Losers With Cousin Sal (Ep. 322)

HBO and The Ringer's Bill Simmons is joined by Cousin Sal to discuss the bad matchups for the Pats (5:00), Doug Pederson's MVP coaching (12:00), the strip sack on Brady (18:00), the Malcolm Butler mystery (24:00), the future of the Pats defense (32:00), Nick Foles's next move (41:00), the Super Bowl odds for next season (52:00), and another edition of "Parent Corner" (1:02:00). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices...

Feb 05, 20181 hr 8 min

Francesa Fridays and Vince Staples (Ep. 321)

HBO and The Ringer's Bill Simmons is joined by Mike Francesa to discuss the latest 30 for 30, on Bill Belichick and Bill Parcells (7:00), the Mount Rushmore of NFL coaches (18:00), the media coverage of Super Bowls (28:00), Eli Manning's fourth-quarter magic (34:00), and picks for Sunday's final showdown (58:00). Then, Vince Staples joins to give his thoughts on the Blake Griffin trade and the state of Clippers fandom (1:04:00). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoice...

Feb 02, 20181 hr 17 min

Larry Wilmore on Good-Natured Hatred, the New-Look Lakers, and Segmented Audiences (Ep. 320)

HBO and The Ringer's Bill Simmons is joined by 'Black on the Air' host Larry Wilmore to discuss the young L.A. Lakers under Luke Walton (6:00), George Gervin's playground game (15:00), Blake Griffin's goodbye (25:00), N.Y. traffic vs. L.A. traffic (34:00), the age of "agreement culture" (42:00), the power of differing opinions (50:00), and Kendrick Lamar's accessibility (1:05:00). Then The Ringer's Juliet Litman joins to discuss all things 'Bachelor' (1:11:00). Learn more about your ad choices. ...

Jan 31, 20181 hr 38 min

Cousin Sal's SB 52 Primer and J.K. Simmons on The Greatness of 'Oz' (Ep. 319)

HBO and The Ringer's Bill Simmons is joined by Cousin Sal to discuss surefire Super Bowl prop bets (10:00), LeBron's Lakers odds (20:00), Ronda Rousey at Royal Rumble (34:00), and another edition of "Parent Corner" (38:00). Then, Oscar-winning actor J.K. Simmons joins to discuss HBO's first great drama, 'Oz' (54:00), Kevin Costner's magical arm in 'For Love of the Game,' and the making of 'Whiplash' (1:24:00). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices...

Jan 29, 20181 hr 48 min

The Jalen Rose Reunion Special (Ep. 318)

HBO and The Ringer's Bill Simmons reunites with Jalen Rose to discuss the origins of The Fab Five (5:00), Jalen's rise at ESPN (14:00), 'The Grantland Basketball Hour' (30:00), the NBA All-Star draft (36:00), LeBron's longevity in the East (1:01:00), Kawhi Leonard's situation on the Spurs (1:16:00), Coach K's new sales pitch (1:28:00), and the best NBA Finals cities (1:40:00). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices...

Jan 25, 20181 hr 57 min

The Hand of Brady and Special Guest Tony Romo (Ep. 317)

HBO and The Ringer's Bill Simmons is joined by Cousin Sal to discuss the Eagles' dominating victory over the Vikings (4:00), Doug Pederson's playoff performance (10:00), the return of Chris Berman (14:00), the Pats' game-winning plays (22:00), the largest Super Bowl spread in nine years (28:00), Danny Amendola's clutch catches (32:00), and the Pats' lack of penalties (41:00). Then, former Cowboys quarterback and current CBS commentator Tony Romo joins to give his thoughts on his first year in th...

Jan 22, 20181 hr 19 min

Greta Gerwig and Saoirse Ronan of 'Lady Bird,’ Plus Francesa Fridays (Ep. 316)

HBO and The Ringer’s Bill Simmons is joined by ‘Lady Bird’ writer-director Greta Gerwig and star Saoirse Ronan to discuss the reception of the film (02:00), the enjoyment of making a coming-of-age story (10:00), and the timing of its release in today’s current climate (34:00). Then, Mike Francesa joins Bill to discuss the unbelievable end to the Vikings-Saints game (51:30), Tom Brady's injured hand (53:30), the most shocking in-game playoff football moments (59:00), their predictions (01:06:45),...

Jan 19, 20181 hr 32 min

Western Conference All-Stars With Zach Lowe (Ep. 315)

HBO and The Ringer's Bill Simmons is joined by Zach Lowe of ESPN to discuss the angriest NBA fan base (02:00), locks for the Western Conference All-Star starting lineup (04:30), Anthony Davis vs. Karl-Anthony Towns (19:30), the Cavs potentially trading for Boogie Cousins (34:00), their current All-Defense first team (55:45), if the Rockets are legitimate (58:30), the Isaiah Thomas–Paul Pierce drama (01:07:00), and the most bizarre story in the NBA (01:11:15). Learn more about your ad choices. Vi...

Jan 17, 20181 hr 19 min

Minnesota's Miracle and BortlesMania With Cousin Sal (Ep. 314)

HBO and The Ringer's Bill Simmons is joined by Cousin Sal to discuss Stefon Diggs's miracle catch in Minnesota (5:00), the Vikings' destiny potential (15:00), the Falcons' poor play-calling (24:00), Mike Tomlin's miscues (30:00), the league's lack of big-name quarterbacks (40:00), Tom Brady defying age limitations (48:00), Jaguars-Pats (52:00), Vikings-Eagles (58:00), and another edition of "Parent Corner" (1:04:00). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices...

Jan 15, 20181 hr 10 min

Round 2 Preview With Mike Francesa and Fixing American Soccer With Kathy Carter (Ep. 313)

HBO and The Ringer’s Bill Simmons is joined by New York radio legend Mike Francesa to recap last week’s picks (2:35), give their picks for the NFL's divisional round (4:45), discuss NBA coaches’ issues with coverage of LaVar Ball (34:50), and debate who the Red Sox should acquire in the offseason (45:15). Then Kathy Carter, president of Soccer United Marketing, joins to discuss her campaign to become the next U.S. Soccer president and the next step for American soccer as a whole (49:35). Learn m...

Jan 12, 20181 hr 39 min

Guess the Lines Divisional Weekend With Cousin Sal (Ep. 311)

HBO and The Ringer's Bill Simmons is joined by Cousin Sal to discuss the up-and-down wild-card weekend (5:00), the Falcons' big upset (10:00), Blake Bortles's unmatched badness (14:00), Cam Newton's comeback effort (18:00), Jon Gruden's goodbye (24:00), Titans-Pats (29:00), Falcons-Eagles (35:00), Jaguars-Steelers (39:00), Saints-Vikings (42:00), House's defense of taking the Chiefs moneyline (46:30), and another edition of "Parent Corner" (1:01:00). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podca...

Jan 08, 20181 hr 14 min

Rehashing the Jimmy G Trade With Mike Francesa and Bill’s Dad (Ep. 310)

HBO and The Ringer’s Bill Simmons is joined by New York radio legend Mike Francesa to discuss the leaked news regarding the New England Patriots trading away Jimmy Garoppolo (2:10), evaluate Jon Gruden’s imminent return to the NFL (18:45), debate the likelihood of Bill Belichick taking another job (23:30), and give their NFL picks for this weekend (36:33). Then, Bill calls his dad to get a Boston resident’s perspective on the Patriots story (48:10) and the Celtics’ dominant season thus far (61:4...

Jan 05, 20181 hr 10 min

Pete Holmes on Conspiracies, Humor, and 'Crashing' (Ep. 309)

HBO and The Ringer's Bill Simmons is joined by comedian and star of HBO's 'Crashing,' Pete Holmes, to discuss his start in comedy, his favorite conspiracy theories (11:00), why roasts are therapeutic (22:00), the art vs. the person (28:00), the premise behind 'Crashing' (33:00), New York's stand-up scene (46:00), recording with Garry Shandling (55:00), Aaron Rodgers's UFO obsession (1:03:00), the power of boredom (1:12:00), and finding the weirdness with podcasts (1:20:00). Learn more about your...

Jan 04, 20181 hr 29 min

Guess the Lines Wild Card Weekend With Cousin Sal (Ep. 308)

HBO and The Ringer's Bill Simmons is joined by Cousin Sal to discuss the battle for the 6-seed in the AFC (5:00), Andy Dalton's clutch TD for the Bills (9:00), the terrible Titans (13:00), Jon Gruden's potential new gig (16:00), the best teams against the spread in the regular season (28:00), Titans-Chiefs (34:00), Falcons-Rams (41:00), Bills-Jaguars (47:00), Panthers-Saints (51:00), and another edition of "Parent Corner" (1:05:00). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adch...

Jan 02, 20181 hr 19 min

Mike Francesa’s Week 17 NFL Picks, Kuzmania, The Rise of OKC, Chris Borland on the Dangers of Football, and Pacific Ocean Hoops (Ep. 307)

HBO and The Ringer’s Bill Simmons is joined again by New York radio legend Mike Francesa to recap last week’s NFL picks (2:23) and offer up picks for Week 17 (19:06). Then, The Ringer's Kevin O’Connor joins to discuss precocious NBA rookies (28:17) and the Oklahoma City Thunder trending upwards (31:28); former NFL linebacker Chris Borland and The Ringer’s Kevin Clark come on to debate the factors that hinder player safety in football (35:33); and The Ringer’s Mark Titus and Tate Frazier sit down...

Dec 29, 201755 min

Paul Thomas Anderson on Pursuing Filmmaking, Loving Adam Sandler, and Making 'Boogie Nights' (Ep. 306)

HBO and The Ringer's Bill Simmons is joined by filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson and Ringer editor-in-chief Sean Fennessey to discuss the changing landscape of selling movies (10:00), dropping out of college to pursue filmmaking dreams (20:00), working with Burt Reynolds (35:00), the art form of DVD commentary (45:00), the comedic genius of Adam Sandler (54:00), the intense setting while shooting 'The Master' (1:07:00), and writing scripts on Microsoft Word (1:18:00). Learn more about your ad choic...

Dec 27, 20171 hr 40 min

Guess the Lines Week 17 With Cousin Sal (Ep. 305)

HBO and The Ringer’s Bill Simmons is joined by Cousin Sal to discuss the end of the Cowboys’ playoff hopes after their loss to the Seahawks (2:40), Jimmy Garoppolo’s continuing success as a 49er (5:40), and the gambling implications of the Eagles’ fourth-quarter field goal (11:00). Then they guess Week 17 lines (37:20) and share a very special Christmas edition of Parent Corner (1:06:00). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices...

Dec 26, 20171 hr 17 min

Mike Francesa on the 49ers' Franchise QB, Eli's Next Move, and Week 16 NFL Picks (Ep. 304)

HBO and The Ringer's Bill Simmons is joined by legendary New York sports radio host Mike Francesa to discuss Jimmy Garoppolo's setup in San Francisco (5:00), Eli Manning's offensive line problem (12:00), Matt Ryan's down year (19:00), picks for Week 16 (32:00), Detroit's quiet season (40:00), and Super Bowl odds (45:00). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dec 21, 20171 hr 2 min

Bryan Curtis on ESPN's Skipper Era and Ben Thompson on Netflix vs. Disney (Ep. 303)

HBO and The Ringer's Bill Simmons is joined by The Ringer's editor-at-large, Bryan Curtis, to discuss John Skipper's decision to step down at ESPN and Skipper's lasting legacy at the company. Then, Stratechery's Ben Thompson joins (32:00) to give his thoughts on Disney's most recent acquisition and who's competing in the tech space with Netflix. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dec 20, 20171 hr 15 min

Guess the Lines Week 16 With Cousin Sal (Ep. 302)

HBO and The Ringer's Bill Simmons is joined by Cousin Sal to discuss the crazy Pats-Steelers finish (6:00), Todd Gurley's dominant performance in Seattle (15:00), Jimmy G's new groove with the Niners (21:00), the Ravens' playoff chances (36:00), the top NFC contenders (44:00), the Seahawks' struggles (57:00), the NFL games on Christmas Day (1:01:00), and another edition of "Parent Corner" (1:05:00). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices...

Dec 18, 20171 hr 17 min

The Blue-Plate-Special 70th Birthday Pod With Bill's Dad, Kevin Clark, and Kevin O'Connor (Ep. 301)

HBO and The Ringer's Bill Simmons is joined by his dad for his first full podcast, to talk the best and worst of Boston sports (2:50). Then, The Ringer's Kevin Clark stops by to talk Jimmy G, the AFC playoffs, and growing up a tortured Orlando Magic fan (22:50). Finally, The Ringer's Kevin O'Connor calls in to discuss some of the trades that shaped this NBA season, Russell Westbrook's off-ball play, the trade deadline, and way-too early NBA Finals talk (54:00). Learn more about your ad choices. ...

Dec 15, 20171 hr 26 min

The Stanton Trade Swindle With JackO (Ep. 300)

HBO and The Ringer's Bill Simmons is joined by his old buddy JackO to discuss the Yankees trading for slugger Giancarlo Stanton (5:00), Derek Jeter's secret agent status (12:00), the state of the Miami Marlins (17:00), the renewal of the Red Sox–Yankees rivalry (21:00), Shohei Ohtani signing with the Angels (27:00), Mike Francesa's farewell (35:00), and the chance Holy Cross changes its mascot's name (42:00). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices...

Dec 13, 201755 min
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