Bill Simmons is back on the interwebs.
Like most everyone in the online journalism world, we were shocked and saddened when ESPN pulled the plug on the outstanding Grantland last fall. Our own Shane Ryan, who wrote for the site regularly, wrote a moving requiem on its demise. But Simmons (whose new HBO program begins soon) and a group of his most trusted ex-Grantlanders are starting a new website called The Ringer within the next few months.
From the looks of the editorial board—Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan, Mallory Rubin, and now Bryan Curtis—The Ringer will look much the same as Grantland in terms of content, with a mixture of sports and pop culture. We can only assume the new site will learn from its predecessor’s mistakes, though now that Bill Simmons doesn’t have bosses at ESPN to piss off, this new venture probably has a better chance at survival.
You can already sign up for The Ringer’s newsletter at its web address.