Why Is Bill Simmons So Triggered By Me? | Bobby Burack

Bill Simmons is really triggered by me.

For two straight weeks, he and his sidekick Ryen Russillo have addressed me during their fawning coverage of the NBA playoffs. 

"Yeah, Clay Travis, how about tweeting about the ratings," Russillo joked last week. "Get Bobby Burack on that one," Simmons replied, not so jokingly.

This week, Simmons complained about outlets like the New York Post aggregating his jabs at me and my response in an article citing sarcastic tropes about the league's on-court product.

"We are getting so aggregated," Simmons told Russillo on Monday. "Should we say something about Bobby Burack again? We can get aggregated. Do you think Burack will pick that up?"

I have not spoken to either Simmons or Russillo. Truthfully, I was unaware they had any issue with me until last week. Interestingly, their issues with me seem entirely based on my coverage of the NBA.

See, when Bomani Jones called me the "single worst person in the world" last week, it was personal. Jones still can't believe that I would dare report that his last three shows (on ESPN Radio, ESPN, and HBO) set record lows in their respective fields and ended in abrupt cancellation. 

Likewise, when Le Batard said I "proudly wear the [KKK] hood" on his podcast, he was just bothered that I asked him about his hypocritical coverage of domestic violence. In 2023, Le Batard claimed he had zero tolerance for violence against women, yet he employs Howard Bryant, who was arrested for allegedly choking his wife in public.

Le Batard then backed out of a planned interview with me.

As for Simmons, OutKick rarely covers him. In fact, the last time I mentioned Simmons was in defense of him. I questioned why bloggers mocked him for his low ratings at HBO, while giving Bomani a pass for even smaller ratings.

Any guesses as to why?

Similarly, Russillo doesn't generate many topics for OutKick to discuss. The last time he made headlines was in 2017 when he was arrested for trespassing in Wyoming while intoxicated and wearing his pants around his ankles in public.

We all make mistakes, but come on now.

I actually also defended Russillo when ESPN demoted him to afternoon radio, arguing the network should have elevated him instead.

Nonetheless, the two are apparently so bothered by my previous coverage of the NBA that it's interfering with their enjoyment the NBA playoffs.

Bill Simmons and Ryen Russillo, via The Ringer.

For background, I worked for a sports media site called The Big Lead before OutKick. At the time, thanks to founder Jason McIntyre, the site was one of the most influential in the industry. 

Around 2019, I made noise by reporting on the NBA's popularity loss.  Because The Big Lead was as mainstream as mainstream gets, people at ESPN--and the NBA office--didn't appreciate me covering the league so truthfully.

However, since 2019, nearly every major outlet has covered the NBA's declines--including Bill Simmons. In December, Simmons blamed the low viewership on the NBA's "star issue."

"I do think that they have a star issue," Simmons said on his podcast while discussing the ratings. "[Joe] House and I didn't miss Michael Jordan in the 90s when he played a playoff game. It was just non-negotiable. You didn't miss Jordan in the playoffs — period — unless you had a substantial event that superseded it. Otherwise, you watched Jordan. You don't have a guy like that now."

Now, for the first time in nearly six years, the NBA has some momentum. The opening weekend of the first round saw an increase of 17% year over year. But we emphasize the word "some" for a reason. National viewership for the season is down 2%. Local viewership is down 9%. 

While those numbers are not overly alarming, at a time when nearly every sport is thriving on television, including horse racing and bowling, the numbers aren't worth the victory lap Simmons and Russillo are taking, either.

Moreover, the increases are almost entirely a product of the Lakers' shock trade for Luka Doncic (and some dishonest gaming of the Christmas Day viewership) in February. For reference, the NBA was down around 28% on ESPN in December.

Unfortunately, for the NBA, the Timberwolves eliminated the Lakers last week.

If we are going to seriously discuss the NBA's ratings—my initial response to Simmons was in jest—a few strong months don't negate a decade of substantial declines. According to reports, NBA viewership is down 48% since 2012. 

No, streaming is not to blame. The NFL continues to set record viewership year after year.

Put simply, the NBA is not nearly as popular as Simmons claims it is. In actuality, there's an argument that MLB is more popular when local markets are considered.

Yet, because the NBA is the most politically progressive league in America and people like Simmons can sit courtside instead of outside in the cold/heat, media elites are weirdly protective of the brand.

As the first national writer to cover the NBA's low ratings, Simmons likely views me as an impediment to his preferred perception of the league. 

Fair.

However, if Simmons (or Russillo) wants to have a real conversation with me about their criticisms of me, they have an open invitation to do so privately (like Ryan Clark) or publicly (like Michael Wilbon).

In the meantime, I better get writing about those NBA ratings.