STREAM EXCLUSIVE ORIGINALS

Celebrate Bill Simmons' HBO Deal By Reliving His Most DGAF Moments

This man knows how to <em>reeeaaaad.</em>
By Christopher Rosa
July 22, 2015 / 1:42 PM

After a tumultuous break-up with ESPN, sports media veteran Bill Simmons is rebounding with a hot new mate: HBO.

The network announced Wednesday it finalized a lucrative agreement with Bill, spearheaded by a weekly sports and pop culture series set to premiere in 2016. Bill will also produce new content for the channel and its digital platforms, including sports programming that has zero to do with boxing. Cheers to that!

“It’s no secret that HBO is the single best place for creative people in the entire media landscape,” Bill said, according to a press release from HBO. “From the moment I started talking to Michael and Richard [Plepler, HBO chairman and CEO], it was hard to imagine being anywhere else.”

If you know anything about Mr. Simmons, you may read his statement as a little bit shady. In May, he parted ways with ESPN after 14 years of working and building the brand—and not exactly on the best terms. Basically, Bill stopped giving a f—ck about censoring himself for ESPN, and the channel wasn't happy about it. Need we remind you of these awesome moments?

  • The time he dared ESPN to punish him for calling NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell a liar during the Ray Rice domestic abuse scandal: "I really hope somebody calls me or emails me and says I’m in trouble for anything I say about Roger Goodell. Because if one person says that to me, I’m going public. You leave me alone. The commissioner’s a liar and I get to talk about that on my podcast … Please, call me and say I’m in trouble. I dare you," he said.

  • And then when he did it again.

  • The time he clapped back at WEEI despite its partnership with ESPN.

  • The time he demanded more respect from ESPN over Grantland: "I think they take it for granted. Not just how hard I work, but how hard everybody works," he said.

  • The time he called out ESPN's Mike & Mike for unfairly slamming First Take.

  • The time he said, "Do I get to speak now?" while commentating NBA Countdown.

    • In short, bless you, Bill, for these moments. We're looking forward to even more badassery in 2016.