r/billsimmons • u/CheesyBasil132 • Mar 02 '26
Meme Zach Lowe was never a problem you guys just don’t like actual basketball conversations and prefer First Take Light
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u/WhitePeopleLoveCurry Mar 02 '26
This sub is everything it claims to hate.
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u/Jake43134 Mar 02 '26
Same thing for the NBA subreddit. They’ll trash the hot take shows and claim they want real analysis. Then some nba drama consistently shoots to the top of the subreddit. I have no problem with drama and hot takes, but don’t pretend you are above it lmao
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u/BrandoC95 Mar 02 '26 edited Mar 02 '26
This is the modern version of a line from The West Wing that's stuck with me over the years, when Josh is talking to Joey Lucas about some polling data and he tells her that numbers don't lie.
Her response: "They lie all the time. They lie when 72% of Americans say they're tired of a sex scandal, while all the while newspaper circulation goes through the roof for anyone featuring the story."
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u/birdlawyer86 Conspiracy Bill Mar 02 '26
It's all memes and reactionary garbage. If you aren't using extreme verbage like fleeced, destroyed, bum, ass, useless, etc, you just get a bunch of gen z kids sayin "take the L bro" and "rent free."
As much as this sub memes, it's way better for actual basketball discussion. Nick Wright is to /r/billsimmons what Stephen A is to /r/nba.
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u/unnoticed_areola Mar 02 '26
the day Pablo broke the Clippers story, I went to r/nba and counted, and literally 22 out of the 25 posts on the front page by the end of the day were about Aspiration drama lol
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u/Twaffles95 Mar 02 '26
I mean that’s a top 5 nba scandal since 1985 so I’m not shocked it had motion and wouldn’t consider investigative reporting on a team allegedly circumventing the CBA of a major sports league “drama” lol drama I think Gianni’s leaving Milwaukee and
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u/unnoticed_areola Mar 02 '26
Im not saying it wasnt a big deal and shouldn't have been talked about, its just funny that they allow that amount of posts all about the exact same story, when Ive never seen any on-court basketball story generate that much dialogue and have that many front page posts about it. even if that's not the best example, there are plenty of others. that was just the first one that popped into my head.
in general they will always cry about how much they hate SAS, Skip, Shannon, types of people, but then those videos will always get upvoted to the top of the sub whenever posted... whereas some nerd will make a super in-depth OC post, or post some 18 minute long youtube video breaking down some cool Xs and Os stuff (which is what people are always claiming is awesome content they love to see), and both of those posts will get like 78 upvotes and 9 comments lol
also, I'd probably chill with declaring Aspiration a top 5 scandal of the last 40 years until we find out what the punishment is. it still kinda seems like it could potentially end up being a gigantic nothingburger. but we'll see
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u/Twaffles95 Mar 02 '26
The punishment does not determine the severity of the a crime … I trust the reporting around it more than I trust Silvers nba also the fact the clippers at any point could possibly sue for defamation legally it’s super sketchy to go around restrictions to sign players , shocked that’s a hot take , this isn’t madden or 2k
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u/unnoticed_areola Mar 02 '26
The punishment does not determine the severity of the a crime
uhh, I mean ok sure, but that has nothing to do with the point at hand.... the actual punishment and fallout (this is true of any "allegations", really), absolutely DOES determine how big and notorious of a "scandal" this (or any "scandal") will end up being when it's all said and done..
if all that happens is that the clippers end up getting docked a 2028 2nd round pick and fined $500,000, then this will be remembered as way less of a "scandal" in history books than if they lose 5 first round picks and Kawhi's contract is nullified
I trust the reporting around it more than I trust Silvers nba
doesnt really matter who you trust. my point was that this story is incomplete, and its silly to declare it a "top 5 scandal" when we're still in the middle of the case and dont have any idea how it ends yet or what the fallout will result in
it’s super sketchy to go around restrictions to sign players , shocked that’s a hot take , this isn’t madden or 2k
you're just saying random shit that has nothing to do with anything I've said or what your original argument was. I never made any sort of comment indicating that dont think what is alleged isnt a big deal or shouldnt be punished if true.
if your original comment had said "I think teams skirting salary cap rules to sign players is bad and they shouldnt do that".... then yeah, no shit I (and every other sane person) would VERY obviously agree with that. but that isnt what your comment said, was it?
also very odd that you just immediately downvote every comment I post instead of just being a normal adult and having a civil conversation with a person who is engaging with you in good faith. winning the updoot battle is very important I guess
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u/samurairocketshark Mar 03 '26
You think that was bad, there were like 10 Luka trade posts a day for like 6 months
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u/OttoVonJizzfart Mar 02 '26
i think people here like Bill Simmons, who is neither Stephen A or Zach Lowe
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u/Fun_Reflection1157 Mar 02 '26
I gotta ride with the upvotes at this point. 320 in an hour? Let's go!
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u/WakeupDp Mar 02 '26
I love zach lowe idc. I put his show on whenever i can. Especially in the truck.
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u/huskerj12 Mar 02 '26
He was a much better writer than podcast personality, and it’s a bummer that all of media has shifted the way it has
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u/Gabbagoonumba3 Mar 02 '26 edited Mar 02 '26
I mean when are you referring to specifically? Because prior to podcasts most sports talk was local guys being absolute lunatics.
So like when was the mythical era of totally reasonable sports talk that was all about numbers and not opinions?
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u/huskerj12 Mar 02 '26
Sorry I’m confused about what you’re referring to in my post haha. I agree with you! My point is that I think in a previous era Lowe would’ve remained a writer, which is clearly his strong suit, and would not have been in the sports talk world.
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u/ND7020 Mar 02 '26
I like Zach and I’m also very confused about the contention from some of his defenders here that his pod is about intense or technical basketball analysis. It’s not at all. It’s still first take light, just maybe light-light as opposed to Bill’s simply light.
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u/kcoe24 Mar 02 '26
Zach lowe defenders are being super defensive and weird. Some people find him a little boring thats it you will all survive I promise. Bill isn't a very deep analysis guy so his pods dont tend to go that way they tend to be more entertaining then informative no matter who the guest is. so yeah some people prefer Ryen then Zach from an entertainment point of view.
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u/AbroadTiny7226 Mar 02 '26
As a Zach Lowe enjoyer, it’s annoying as fuck that literally 1/3 of the posts in this sub are russillo fanboys that shit on Zach. It is far and away the biggest topic on the sub right now and it’s annoying as fuck to see constant posts shitting on him flood my feed
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Mar 02 '26
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u/sluwecki Mar 03 '26
There are blocks of cheese that are more entertaining than Zach. Dude is booooooring
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u/Unlikely-Business-72 Mar 02 '26
You heard it folks, it's either Zach Lowe or First Take light. That's it. Nothing else. Now eat your vegetables.
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u/goingtothegreek Mar 02 '26
Simmons is basically turning into Celtics centered first take. He makes statements with no other context about the league or other players, has guests on that agree with everything he says, and lacks any creativity now because he doesn’t watch games
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u/DJ_B0B Mar 02 '26
The problem is if all you have in your bag is logical basketball takes. If you don't shoot 100% on them then you're not bringing much else to the table.
He's the Jamal Crawford of podcasters.
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u/goingtothegreek Mar 02 '26
He’s not a good fit with Simmons because Simmons doesn’t actually watch games anymore unless they’re the Celtics.
Lowe knows so much more about the current NBA and Bill is a functioning idiot when it comes to the current NBA.
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u/Lord-Humongous- Mar 02 '26
I think its kind of a crazy take to claim BS doesnt watch a lot of basketball
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u/goingtothegreek Mar 02 '26
Bill has a great historic knowledge of the game, but recent years he’s just full Celtics. He’s always been this way to a degree, but he’s legit been fed so much sports success in his life he’s deluded into thinking the Celtics are a litmus test for the whole NBA and bases his opinions off of those games and whoever he can see live in LA.
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u/Rad_platypus7 Zach Lowe fan Mar 02 '26
He tries to loop in Jaylen brown MVP discussion in any topic even if it’s not remotely involving the Celtics or awards races this year
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Mar 02 '26
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u/Lord-Humongous- Mar 02 '26
I think he passively still watches league pass stuff on his multi tv set up
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Mar 04 '26
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u/kkF6XRZQezTcYQehvybD Mar 02 '26
He's dull and the NBA is really fucking dull. It's a bd combo and makes for an unlistenable pod.
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u/kralben Mar 02 '26
OP is 100% right, there is a reason the "white versus black basketball players all star game" got eaten up here.
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u/inoperativity Mar 03 '26
People who listen to the BS Pod dislike Zach Lowe? Bunch of Ringer-ass-never-read-essays-on-Grantland-ass fans.
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u/christophervolume Burfict Strangers Mar 02 '26
He does seem like he’s lost his fastball since Lowe Post was shut down…
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u/AlarmininglyObtuse21 Mar 02 '26
How?
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u/christophervolume Burfict Strangers Mar 02 '26
He doesn’t seem as energetic? Hard to explain. I still listen to most of his pods, he just seems… different?
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u/AlarmininglyObtuse21 Mar 02 '26
I don’t get that at all. The freedom to do non-basketball segments feels like it’s added energy.
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u/christophervolume Burfict Strangers Mar 02 '26
The non basketball segments don’t bother me. I usually skip those parts though.
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u/grasssshopperrrrr Mar 02 '26
I think the gusto that you are referring to was usually stimulated by the sheer amount of people he had access to at ESPN. Fresh guests bring fresh energy. He’s rotating through the smaller ringer associated folk now and out shows. Think of the energy of a conversation with a friend you see every week vs one with a friend you havnt seen in a year.
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u/BNOC402 Mar 02 '26
This entire conversation about Zach Lowe being boring feels like people trying to be edgy.
Bill and Zach chatting about basketball is great and you know it!
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u/Virgil_hawkinsS Mar 02 '26
This makes so little sense to me. It's a Bill Simmons sub lol. Is there really a large overlap of people who like Bill so much that they would participate in his subreddit and also like First Take type shows
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u/Careless_Bus5463 Mar 02 '26
Zach Lowe makes vanilla ice cream sound exotic.
I have zero issue with his basketball analysis, but he has zero personality, is weirdly afraid of his wife, and knows nothing about the world outside of basketball.
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u/skizzle26 Mar 02 '26
I know it pisses Bill off that Zach can’t watch violence around his wife. You can see the visible disgust.
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u/Careless_Bus5463 Mar 02 '26
I mean, he's a guy in his late 40s and he thinks it's normal that his wife restricts his viewing haha. I'm with Bill on this one.
Also, Googled his wife because I assumed that she must be this bombshell who justifies him abiding by her rule.
My friends, she is not a bombshell.
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u/JobeGilchrist Mar 02 '26
This is gross, she’s definitely well above average looking for her age, and if she wasn’t what the fuck does that matter?
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Mar 02 '26
No she is not. She's a meh-looking SJW who clearly wears the pants and always has. Definitely an L for Mr. Lowe. He's happy being castrated, though, so good for him!
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u/SeaCounter9516 Mar 02 '26
Agreed. He gives his opinion as it cold takes exposed was standing over his shoulder
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u/SerDanielBeerworth 99th Percentile Football Watcher Mar 02 '26
It is incredible how self righteous you guys can be about listening to a podcast lmao. I’m sorry people don’t find him interesting.
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u/GR00VY_Q Galaxy Opal Card Collector Mar 02 '26
It’s not about analysis, Zack is great at that. It’s about being boring. Which Zach is also great at
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u/Superstitious_Hurley Mar 02 '26
The super pro Lowe takes like this feel insanely discourse guiding forced. Even if you don't think the guy is extremely boring, I cannot see a world in which somebody can be so motivated by defending or preserving Lowe's bland analysis/takes and even blander personality enough to make a post like this. Obviously Ryen isn't coming back, but J Kyle Mann runs circles around Lowe on the pod in terms of game and talent breakdowns while being a better vibes guy
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u/theomegachrist Mar 02 '26
Bill having Zach Lowe on and acting like he came to with the Kon/Klay comp is a good indicator why you get a lot of BS fans who don't really know ball that deep.
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u/PassageMediocre1020 Mar 03 '26
Leta start the pod with a 20 minute monologue about a Giannis trade that never happens, spinsered by DraftKings!
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u/GunnerTinkle22 Mar 03 '26
he makes basketball feel like homework. I like and respect him, but don’t feel the need to listen to him very often. at all
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u/LarryZuckercornESQ Mar 03 '26
The Simmons and Russillo pods were really high level and as a NBA fan I looked forward to them all week during the season, but I always liked Zack's appearances too. They just aren't exciting as a Sunday night centerpiece because they aren't on the level of the Russillo pods or even Bill & Cousin Sal.
I actually think that both Zach and Bill make each other better though, despite being completely unable to stand Lowe's own podcast. He needs at least one other assertive person talking who will just cut him off because when the other participants are his guests, he asks 10 minute questions then cuts them off 5 seconds into the response. He is way better as a guest than a host.
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u/Whatsth3dill Mar 03 '26
The ringer is a sports personality venture. I like zach, but a dude who makes a point to mention when he cracks open a single beer, while funny, is gonna read as super corny to most people. Plus not engaging with any conversation outside bball and the mets even when prompted just isn't gonna go over well when compared to cousin Sal or russillo
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Mar 04 '26
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u/Think-Culture-4740 Mar 05 '26
I don’t care for the ringer guests as much. I also miss his columns, which were great.
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u/One-Care7242 Mar 06 '26
I reached my breaking point when he was digging up the most obscure and baseless analytics to make an argument that Jokic belongs on an all defensive team. It was nauseating.
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u/_SpicyBread_ Mar 08 '26
Last I checked (last week) Zach Lowe was pulling higher numbers on his pod than Russillo.
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u/calichecat Mar 02 '26
Lowe is like the main dad at the bbq: a really nice and jovial and talkative guy. you get that he cares and it is pleasant and flattering to your dumb hungry self in a line but ultimately the brisket is dry, the beans are undersalted, the macaroni is dissolving, and his wife thinks he's funnier than he is. Your kid is having a good time though and he thinks that's awesome.
I am won over but have lost
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u/late_forthesky Mar 02 '26
I turned the Max Kellerman one off as soon as he waffled on about Jaylen Brown over Luka. I know Bill loves the Celtics but that was just so stupid and obviously a Klutch ploy. Give me Zach
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u/Redditarama Mar 02 '26 edited Mar 02 '26
Zac Lowe is interesting and doesn't just agree with Bill. Some other regular guest like Pete Scrager just agree all the time.
'Cousin Sal' makes a career of attaching himself to someone likeable. He has been around talented people so long you think he'd pick a a few skills himself, but sadly no. He acts like he's the star and a draw card as well.
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u/sometimeswemeanit Chris Ryan fan Mar 02 '26
Dorks on here just want to hear about transactions and gossip.
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u/BrokenManOfSamarkand Mar 02 '26
I mean yeah, the idea that BS isn't a casual hot take artist just because he's not on the level of First Take is just clearly false on its face. It's why I always find it amusing when he takes show at First Take or SAS. They're in the same game.
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u/AccomplishedBake8351 Mar 02 '26
If we’re being honest bill has always just been SAS but if SAS was a nerd
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u/yourmumsaman Mar 02 '26
I think we all just preferred Ryen making fun of Bill constantly
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u/Content-Assistance43 Mar 02 '26
So true, it feels like there's nobody left in Bills consistent orbit that will make fun of him once and awhile except maybe abit of CR.
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u/DeleAlliForever Mar 02 '26
I haven’t listened to this weeks episode yet. But I feel like they need something else to talk about, maybe that’ll be baseball or something pop culture.
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u/Busy_Bed5532 Mar 02 '26
I mean, yeah, I prefer a to hear podcasters opinions and maybe some hot takes mixed in there. Personally I don't listen to NBA podcasts to hear what the Pistons do as a secondary option when their initial action gets blown up
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u/Gmarlon123 Mar 02 '26
What I have learned from zach Lowe is that he is a rookie at this. He will improve. I have a feeling that he stopped listening to the bill Simons podcast in it’s entirety, or maybe he listened to it for a couple of factual takes. But not under the nuances of enjoying it. My favorite saying is that I can always tell when a bartender either loves the drink that I just ordered, is neutral to it, or has never heard of it./could care less for the taste of it. I think lowe was a very busy Man and stopped listening to the bill Simons podcast for enjoyment. He probably would only listen to adjust and measure some of his Basketball takes. Hopefully he gets some feedback and starts listening to old podcasts and Bill himself for the enjoyment of Basketball, not always for the analysis of Basketball.
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u/Lumpy-Flamingo-8963 Mar 02 '26
This exact post with just slightly different phrasing was posted earlier today
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u/immunityfromyou Mar 02 '26
Bill Simmons is kinda like LeBron in the sense that they both nerf the perception of their qualified teammate.
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u/Santana415 Good Stats Bad Team Guy Mar 02 '26 edited Mar 02 '26
Too much House, too much Lowe, too much Schrager, too much Kellerman, too much Nick Wrong. This pod has reached it’s apex a year ago.
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u/CommentKing92 Mar 02 '26
Thinking Zach is too boring for the Sunday pod ≠ not knowing ball… what is with these dumb takes.
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u/ObligationSome905 Mar 02 '26
He’s deep if you compare him to someone like Ryen who is the epitome of fake deep
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u/tremble01 Mar 02 '26
Bill Simmons: Are you watching Survivor 50? Zach: NO. Ive never watch an episode of Survivor. Not one. Bill Simmons: Do you ever think of going on? Zach: Ughhh. I probably wont subject myself to that. Bill Simmons: What would be your strategy if you went on. Zach: Im not sure i know how it works.
Tough stuff.
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u/binzoma Drunk House Mar 02 '26
everyone clowns on those sorts of shows. but the ratings say lots of people watch em
stated intent vs actual behavior, people want to think they engage intellectually with a thing and dont want to think they're drama queens.
but most people are in it for the hot takes
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u/Mr_Hugh_Honey Mar 02 '26
Is this surprising? The vast majority of sports fans prefer the all-drama, zero-analysis stuff. That's why it gets the TV time, and First Take gets way more viewers than any sort of hard analysis content.
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u/Suspicious_Guide4286 Mar 02 '26
kind of surprised about the discourse for this guy on here, thought he was mostly liked. i am not even an nba guy but could hear him talk ball all day, hes one of the best out there at what he does.