Popular sports columnist and Grantland editor Bill Simmons is leaving ESPN, the New York Times reported Friday in a story that’s confirmed in an announcement by ESPN President John Skipper:
I decided today that we are not going to renew Bill Simmons’ contract. We have been in negotiations and it was clear it was time to move on. ESPN’s relationship with Bill has been mutually beneficial - he has produced great content for us for many years and ESPN has provided him many new opportunities to spread his wings. We wish Bill continued success as he plans his next chapter. ESPN remains committed to Grantland and we have a strong team in place.
Simmons’ current contract runs through the fall. He was suspended by the network in September 2014 after calling NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell a liar on a podcast. (For what it’s worth, Simmons’ specific claim about Goodell—that the commissioner was not being honest about how much he knew about the Ray Rice case before TMZ released a video of Rice punching his fiancée—was more or less later confirmed by a former federal judge in an arbitration ruling.)
In addition to his writing and management of Grantland, Simmons appears often on basketball-related ESPN broadcasts and is involved in the network’s acclaimed 30 for 30 documentary series. He’s written for ESPN since 2001.
