Bill Simmons Twitter Suspension: ESPN.com Writer Reportedly Suspended For Two Weeks

ESPN has punished Bill Simmons for writing tweets critical of Boston sports radio station WEEI. ESPN.com editor-in-chief Rob King wrote a blog post to confirm the news, writing that "we've taken appropriate measures."

ESPN Radio and WEEI announced a partnership on October 7, and Simmons has criticized the Boston station on his Twitter account at least twice since then. On October 26, Simmons tweeted: "WEEI's 'The Big Show' was apparently ripping me today. Good to get feedback from 2 washed-up athletes and a 60 yr-old fat guy with no neck."

On November 10, Simmons knocked WEEI once more: "Hey WEEI: You were wrong, I did a Boston interview today. With your competition. Rather give them ratings over deceitful scumbags like you."

While King's post does not specify the terms of the punishment, The Big Lead reports that Simmons told a fan at a book signing that he had been suspended from Twitter for two weeks, with an exception for tweets about his book tour.

Comments

[rmct]

01:01 PM on 11/23/2009

I listen to the big show. I like the Big show on WEEI. They say worst than what Bill Simmons says. Come on ABC stop the censorship

[opprobrious]

02:12 PM on 11/22/2009

Suspending someone's Twitter account for two weeks? Is that like grounding your kid for missing their curfew?

[DylanOwen]

11:58 AM on 11/22/2009

Ok he gets suspended for defending himself from these guys... but nothing happens to them for attacking him?

[Brandon Cruz]

06:20 PM on 11/22/2009

totally and anyways he's known as a guy who says whatever's on his mind that's why people like him and ESPN hired him

[bookon]

10:42 AM on 11/22/2009

I moved from the Boston area in the mid-nineti­es and used to listen to WEEI all the time when I lived there. I go back regularly and the whole station has gone to pot. Odd how as the teams got better, the sports talk got worse.

[John Zorabedian]

09:22 AM on 11/22/2009

The morning show on WEEI could pass for a Rush Limbaugh syndicatio­n - nothing but right winger paranoia and hate.

[Okieborn]

09:11 AM on 11/22/2009

One might say WEEI is so unfair that even I see the shame !!!

[marchamlin]

03:41 AM on 11/22/2009

Twitter is for re-tards

[FantasticFourFan]

11:33 PM on 11/21/2009

The guy is entitled ot his opinon. Can they even legally do that?

[marchamlin]

03:40 AM on 11/22/2009

Yes, legally they can.

[ibivi]

09:14 AM on 11/23/2009

Many employers have rules against speaking or writing about them which make them look bad in public. He should read the fine print of his contract.

[MrGovtCheese]

11:31 PM on 11/21/2009

Suspended from Twitter for two weeks as punishment­? Hmmm, I don't have a Twitter account. I'm I really missing something?

[Ari Winkleman]

10:58 PM on 11/21/2009

WEEI: the same guys who want Curt Schilling to run for Senator...­.

Good job Bill! I actually replied to one of those tweets giving praise.

[jasonfebery]

10:58 PM on 11/21/2009

I think those tweets are quite funny, personally­.

http://jas­onfebery.w­ordpress.c­om/2009/11­/21/fear-t­actics/

[Vishous]

10:01 PM on 11/21/2009

Rock on Bill. I couldn't agree with you more. I can't stand listening to WEEI. They spend so much time spewing right wing nonsense that I stopped listening to them a long time ago. I'm a huge sports fan and I' so grateful I can listen to 98.5 the Sports Hub now. Bill Simmons is a must read every week. Keep up the great work and keep speaking the truth.

[JimR]

02:29 PM on 11/22/2009

I used to like reading Simmons. But he's become a real whiney little girl, a la Shaughness­y.

[balancedsolution]

09:20 PM on 11/21/2009

the horrah!

unable to tweet?

how horrible!

[sb250guy]

09:29 PM on 11/21/2009

You've got that right.

[LeonBNJ]

06:51 PM on 11/21/2009

I believe that ESPN-Disne­y has a strict contractio­nal policy that does not allow for critizism of ESPN or other network's on air personal including ESPN and other networks (tv and radio) play-by-pl­ay announcers or other commentato­rs. He apparently stepped over that line and is penalized for that transgress­ion.

[Rudderman]

04:33 PM on 11/21/2009

I still remember listening to WEEI the day after Palin's speech at the RNC convention­. They were stepping all over each other with their glowing praise. I knew they were largely a bunch of blowhards. I just never realized they were a bunch of total right wing blowhards as well.
I don't think people outside of MA realize how many raging, liberal-ha­ting conservati­ves we're stuck with up here in the Northeast.

[JimR]

02:28 PM on 11/22/2009

That had to be the morning show. Yeah, Dennis and Callahan are pretty far right.