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Has the "Grantland" website met your expectations?
Posted on 8/24/14 at 11:10 am
Posted on 8/24/14 at 11:10 am
I think their NBA coverage is top notch but I'm consistently disappointed by their NFL and MLB coverage. I think that Bill Barnwell is pretty mediocre as their "NFL Expert" when compared to Zach Lowe who handles the NBA.
I don't love their soccer angle as much as most seem to ("Men in Blazers" is a highly regarded podcast but I've never been able to get into it). As I mentioned before, their MLB coverage isn't hard hitting IMO (I think it's Jonah Kerl?) and doesn't especially stand out as "great reading or insight" to me.
Their pop culture coverage (breaking down movies and television series) is great, but Grantland as a site definitely covers and breaks down hip hop way more than I'm interested in hearing. Would prefer rock/alternative/college rock get better coverage.
Curious what errbody else thinks - I'm assuming that a lot of us grew up with Bill Simmons on ESPN and have a love/hate/love relationship with him.
It's weird to me that Simmons is so passive with the site - I realize he's been doing NBA stuff for the network (maybe now that he lost the power play and is off the pre game show he'll return to the site more).
I don't love their soccer angle as much as most seem to ("Men in Blazers" is a highly regarded podcast but I've never been able to get into it). As I mentioned before, their MLB coverage isn't hard hitting IMO (I think it's Jonah Kerl?) and doesn't especially stand out as "great reading or insight" to me.
Their pop culture coverage (breaking down movies and television series) is great, but Grantland as a site definitely covers and breaks down hip hop way more than I'm interested in hearing. Would prefer rock/alternative/college rock get better coverage.
Curious what errbody else thinks - I'm assuming that a lot of us grew up with Bill Simmons on ESPN and have a love/hate/love relationship with him.
It's weird to me that Simmons is so passive with the site - I realize he's been doing NBA stuff for the network (maybe now that he lost the power play and is off the pre game show he'll return to the site more).
This post was edited on 8/24/14 at 11:13 am
20
Posted on 8/24/14 at 11:13 am to SirWinston
I think it's great
Posted on 8/24/14 at 11:14 am to SirWinston
I used to read it when it first came out, but don't even click on it anymore.
Posted on 8/24/14 at 11:25 am to SirWinston
I've only paid attention to the NBA stuff.
Posted on 8/24/14 at 11:30 am to SirWinston
It's hit or miss. Definitely better for NBA
Posted on 8/24/14 at 11:31 am to SirWinston
Well I imagine the majority of his time will be tied up in the Grantland Basketball Show.
Also, his podcasts have pretty much taken the place of his articles, and the content is usually better.
Also, his podcasts have pretty much taken the place of his articles, and the content is usually better.
Posted on 8/24/14 at 11:34 am to SirWinston
their youtube channel is great. dont read the site tho
Posted on 8/24/14 at 11:34 am to SirWinston
Barnwell is the worst major writer on that site. It is great for basketball coverage and baseball (Keri is a great writer as well). As for pop culture, the movie reviewer guy is really good but everything else is garbage.
This post was edited on 8/24/14 at 11:35 am
Posted on 8/24/14 at 11:42 am to Big Moe
quote:
It's hit or miss
Yep. It's not really a go to destination for me anymore but every few days I'll drop in to see if some article title catches my eye and it'll sometimes deliver.
And Simmons' Friday NFL betting line/NFL articles are still usually solid enough.
But agree on Barnwell. His work just doesn't appeal to me.
Posted on 8/24/14 at 11:48 am to SirWinston
I enjoy most of Jonah Keri's stuff. Don't really read the nba or nfl stuff
Posted on 8/24/14 at 11:49 am to SpartyGator
quote:
I've only paid attention to the NBA stuff.
Posted on 8/24/14 at 11:51 am to SirWinston
Holly Anderson is handling CFB duties. EDSBS took a downturn when she left a few years ago IMO.
Posted on 8/24/14 at 11:57 am to Rickety Cricket
quote:
I used to read it when it first came out, but don't even click on it anymore.
This.
I'll read Klosterman when he once every 5 months writes an article but that's about it.
All the chick writers suck.
And I just don't care about 80% of the topics at Grantland.
Posted on 8/24/14 at 12:58 pm to Zamoro10
Barnwell is really bad to me and I'm glad that others agree.
My impression of Barnwell is that he cultivated this reputation of being a "thinking observer" of the NFL because he knows stuff about line play. He breaks down centers and guards (but not even that well IMO) and this gave him a certain cache at some point as an "expert".
His overall takes are bad and his opinions of the divisions and of teams are usually way off. His team predictions are worse than the average NFL fan and Robert Mays isn't much better. Plus they both come across as very smug know-it-alls. There was a stretch last season where each of their smug predictions turned out to be 100% wrong (I especially recall them discussing how the Colts had "no chance" of going into San Francisco and not getting slaughtered, and of course the Colts dominated that game. Next week they didn't eat crow or even acknowledge it. They also gave the Saints very little chance of beating Philly at Philly, and seemed unaware that Sean Payton had been focusing more on the run later in the season, which totally changed the Saints' ability to win that game outdoors in the cold.)
Contrast this with Zach Lowe who is heads and shoulders better than them in all facets of his NBA coverage, with the ability to talk about fun things and a self-deprecating personality to boot.
If Lowe's NBA coverage is a 10 then I'd give Barnwell/Mays a 3.
My impression of Barnwell is that he cultivated this reputation of being a "thinking observer" of the NFL because he knows stuff about line play. He breaks down centers and guards (but not even that well IMO) and this gave him a certain cache at some point as an "expert".
His overall takes are bad and his opinions of the divisions and of teams are usually way off. His team predictions are worse than the average NFL fan and Robert Mays isn't much better. Plus they both come across as very smug know-it-alls. There was a stretch last season where each of their smug predictions turned out to be 100% wrong (I especially recall them discussing how the Colts had "no chance" of going into San Francisco and not getting slaughtered, and of course the Colts dominated that game. Next week they didn't eat crow or even acknowledge it. They also gave the Saints very little chance of beating Philly at Philly, and seemed unaware that Sean Payton had been focusing more on the run later in the season, which totally changed the Saints' ability to win that game outdoors in the cold.)
Contrast this with Zach Lowe who is heads and shoulders better than them in all facets of his NBA coverage, with the ability to talk about fun things and a self-deprecating personality to boot.
If Lowe's NBA coverage is a 10 then I'd give Barnwell/Mays a 3.
This post was edited on 8/24/14 at 1:03 pm
Posted on 8/24/14 at 1:01 pm to SirWinston
I heard they will have their own basketball show this upcoming season on ESPN.
Posted on 8/24/14 at 1:04 pm to SirWinston
Simmons is a great interviewer, and I like a lot of the work he does with Jalen Rose. I'm looking forward to the next team-by-team NBA preview they do. But I don't regularly read the articles on Grantland.
Posted on 8/24/14 at 2:29 pm to Wrenchruh
Holly Anderson is handling CFB duties. EDSBS took a downturn when she left a few years ago IMO.
Agree. She left about the same time the page layout change happened and it just doesn't seem near as clever as it used to. Even Spencer Hall's stuff seems forced and trying to hard to be clever.
Agree. She left about the same time the page layout change happened and it just doesn't seem near as clever as it used to. Even Spencer Hall's stuff seems forced and trying to hard to be clever.
Posted on 8/24/14 at 3:16 pm to SirWinston
I never really liked it, tbh. They disappointed me from the beginning.
Posted on 8/24/14 at 5:04 pm to SirWinston
The NBA coverage is great. Lowe is the best NBA guy in the business, and it isn't even close. Goldsberry's graphics are awesome and easy to understand.
Simmons has always been best at the NBA (and pretty worthless in all other sports), and when he puts together a column every month or so, it's usually good. Mailbags can be fun to read as well.
I don't read much baseball. However, I like Jonah Keri's columns. I think they signed Ben Lindbergh from Baseball Prospectus recently, and he's also really good.
NFL is decent. I like Barnwell. I think Mays is largely worthless. "Oh look, I can spot an underrated offensive guard on the Falcons because I played two seasons of varsity football in a Chicago suburb".
The college sports coverage is terrible. Shane Ryan is funny. He also understands nothing about college basketball. Holly Anderson is apparently well liked but I find none of her jokes funny and her writing is based all on humor and pop culture references, rather than data. The one guy who writes about zone read offenses seems like he really knows what he is talking about, but I'm not knowledgeable enough to really know.
When it comes to pop culture, I think Molly Lambert, Rembert, the movie critic, Steven Hyden, and Andy Greenwald are all terrible. The sports side is definitely better than the pop culture side.
Simmons has always been best at the NBA (and pretty worthless in all other sports), and when he puts together a column every month or so, it's usually good. Mailbags can be fun to read as well.
I don't read much baseball. However, I like Jonah Keri's columns. I think they signed Ben Lindbergh from Baseball Prospectus recently, and he's also really good.
NFL is decent. I like Barnwell. I think Mays is largely worthless. "Oh look, I can spot an underrated offensive guard on the Falcons because I played two seasons of varsity football in a Chicago suburb".
The college sports coverage is terrible. Shane Ryan is funny. He also understands nothing about college basketball. Holly Anderson is apparently well liked but I find none of her jokes funny and her writing is based all on humor and pop culture references, rather than data. The one guy who writes about zone read offenses seems like he really knows what he is talking about, but I'm not knowledgeable enough to really know.
When it comes to pop culture, I think Molly Lambert, Rembert, the movie critic, Steven Hyden, and Andy Greenwald are all terrible. The sports side is definitely better than the pop culture side.
Posted on 8/24/14 at 7:17 pm to SirWinston
I read almost anything Zach Lowe & Simmons put out writing wise when it comes to the NBA. I also listen to the BS Report, Jalen & Jacoby, and the Lowe Post whenever I get the chance (prefer local stuff).
I ignore pretty much the rest of the site unless I see an article retweeted by someone I trust their opinion on.
They actually just signed a deal with NBC about 2 weeks ago. I started listening to their podcast right after seeing how great their world cup previews were.
I ignore pretty much the rest of the site unless I see an article retweeted by someone I trust their opinion on.
quote:
I don't love their soccer angle as much as most seem to ("Men in Blazers" is a highly regarded podcast but I've never been able to get into it).
They actually just signed a deal with NBC about 2 weeks ago. I started listening to their podcast right after seeing how great their world cup previews were.
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