Grantland.com editor-in-chief Bill Simmons came off a three-week ESPN suspension only to find himself in the middle of another war of words.
The columnist took to Twitter for another rant, this time targeting Mike Golic of ESPN Radio's Mike & Mike, who criticized Simmons' comments about Cleveland Cavaliers star LeBron James.
Simmons, in an appearance Wednesday on ESPN Radio's The Herd with Colin Cowherd, mentioned James' slow start with the Cavaliers and said it reminded him "a tiny bit" of Albert Pujols' struggles in his first season with the Los Angeles Angels.
"I think it's one of the most ridiculous statements I've heard four games into a season in my life in any sport," Golic responded on the air Thursday, as noted by Tim Daniels of bleacherreport.com. "That's what I'll say about Bill Simmons. So, you know, he grabbed a headline, which is something I know he loves -- and that's one of the most ridiculous lines I've ever heard in any sport in my life. Four games into a season. I don't even ... that's ridiculous. I put nothing -- ZERO -- on that."
What's unclear is whether Golic understood the full context of Simmons' comments, which reportedly included a lengthy discussion about what Simmons has seen from James since his return to Cleveland.
Either way, Simmons opted against staying silent.
"I would say I lost respect for that show, but I never had it," Simmons tweeted Thursday. "For an ESPN Radio show to pull an interview out of context from another ESPN Radio show, then play the moral authority card, is disgusting. Have the balls to call me to discuss it on the show. Don't pull it out of context just because you need fodder for a segment. Pathetic."
Around 4 p.m. Central on Thursday, Golic took to Twitter himself to say the issue had been broached. "Spoke to Bill, all is good. I will discuss on show," Golic tweeted.
ESPN previously suspended Simmons for calling NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell a "liar" during a podcast while discussing former Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice's situation. The network has not commented on Simmons' disagreement with Golic.
Huge haul
Free agent first baseman Adam LaRoche is an avid hunter and he recently bagged quite a trophy kill.
LaRoche tweeted a picture Wednesday of himself and a gigantic 12-point Rocky Mountain elk.
The official Instagram account for Buck Commander, which LaRoche co-founded, uploaded the same picture. The post claims the first baseman bagged the elk in the woods of Wyoming.
"Adam LaRoche is on the board with a GIANT bull taken in the back country of WY! Congrats brother!" according to the caption.
"Enjoy getting that kill out of the woods, LaRoche," Dan Carson of bleacherreport.com wrote. "Dinner always tastes better when you have to haul about 700 pounds of it down a narrow trail to the truck.
"I'd suggest a vehicle with heavy suspension and technology and stuff."
Sports quiz
Name the two major-league baseball teams to draft Adam LaRoche.
Answer
LaRoche was drafted by the Florida Marlins in both 1998 and 1999, but he refused to sign. He ultimately signed with the Atlanta Braves when they drafted him in 2000.
Sports on 11/07/2014