Welcome to Episode #133! We bring on Benjamin and first react to Max Kellerman's appearance on the BS Pod - what made Max so good, and more broadly, what makes for a great BS Pod guest? We then talk about Bill's improved content since Russillo left - did he hook himself up to the Rejuvenation Machine? After chatting some Russillo, Benjamin gives his take on the missing element of Ringer NBA pods. We finish up talking The Ringer's changing place in the sports and pop culture landscape.

Check out Benjamin's site at section220.com

Welcome to the latest episode! Netflix has agreed to buy Warner Bros. - we break it all down! Enjoy

Welcome to Episode #131! In today's pod I break down the state of play of the Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) sale process. Why are they looking to be sold, which company that submitted bids (Paramount, Netflix, NBC) has the best chance of winning, why is each company interested in buying WBD, and will WBD even sell itself or proceed with their planned split of the Cable TV and Streaming & Studio businesses? Enjoy!

Welcome to Episode #130! We bring on recurring guest Chris (#93, #95, #100) to cover all the angles of Ryen Russillo leaving Bill Simmons & The Ringer.

We first hit on what we think Russillo should do at Barstool, including utilizing the talent there and adding some variety into his show; so far we're modestly disappointed he seems to be doing the exact same podcast. What will his new company look like - will he hire people and develop more talent?

We next get into which side needed eachother more and which side has more to prove. Can Russillo truly be a #1 guy? How much was his weekly Bill podcast contributing to his popularity? How does Bill replace Russillo, especially on Sunday nights? Can Bill use Russillo's cap space to better fill out The Ringer's depth?

We next give our theories on why Russillo left: was it money, IP, Zach Lowe, or Ryen getting tired of Bill? And was the split acrimonious? Why haven’t either of them mentioned it yet; when's the next time (if ever) they'll pod together? Was Ryen leaving more of a Bill or Spotify decision?

We finish up assessing how, in the future, we'll judge which side truly won the break-up. Enjoy!

Welcome to Episode #129! We bring back Gracie (#121) to discuss an entertaining variety of r/BS Pod topics. First, we assess how NBC & Amazon are doing so far covering the NBA. We break down their studio shows, presentation and announcers, and contrast it with ESPN, who has been putting out a terrible NBA product for decades now. Plus, how is Inside the NBA doing on ESPN, and are they finally improving their own NBA coverage? (0:00-40:45)

Next, we hit on the latest in Russillo world. What do we make of Russillo potentially pairing up with SVP for the 5pm Around the Horn slot - did he make the right call going to Barstool? We also break down his first podcast episode; can we expect more funny shots at Bill like his 2026 NBA Re-Draft comment? Plus, is the Rich Paul & Max Kellerman pod really the replacement for Ryen. We aren't enthused. (40:45-57:45)

We then hit on Bill's weak reaction to the NBA Gambling Scandal - while we're not asking for a return to fiery mid-2000s Bill railing against the establishment, he certainly could've done more than essentially brushing it off as nothing. (57:45-1:03:00)

We finish up with Gracie telling us about her experience attending the recent Big Picture live show, before getting into Bill's One Battle After Another takes and The Big Picture's coverage of the movie, including their episode with Van. (1:03:00-end) Enjoy!

Welcome to Episode 128! We bring on Evan to discuss a wide variety of Bill Simmons topics, starting with the shocking news of the day - Sir Rudy & Nephew Kyle are joining Russillo's new venture. We then hit on why we think Bill's pod has declined significantly, including the guest list, Guess the Lines issues and too much gambling talk. We next compare and contrast Bill's career with Russillo's and Cowherd's, and preview how Russillo will do at Barstool. We then hit on the bizarre and sad decline of ESPN, before highlighting The Ringer's hits and misses. Enjoy!

Welcome to Episode #127! We bring back recurring guest Imperial Twilight (#115 & #117) for a deep analysis into The Rewatchables podcast. Imperial's been on a Rewatchables kick over the last few months and shares his thoughts on a variety of topics, including:

• How Rewatchables Bill is the old, Page 2-esque Bill we all loved
• The negatives of 2025 Bill on sports don't show up on Rewatchables
• Assessing what CR & Sean, Mallory, and Van & Wes bring to the show
• The comedy of how Bill acts/talks differently when he has on non-CR & Sean guests
• What movies they should do, and why Bill hasn't done them yet
• Laughing at an outrageous mid-2000s Heat take by Bill

Then, at 1:10:25 we unveil a Ryen Russillo Fake Movie Pitch that should go down as a Top 7 Top 3, Pantheon-level r/BS Pod moment. Enjoy!

Welcome to Episode 126! We bring on Andy (@adplacksports) for a classic r/BS Pod show. We start off talking Guess the Lines - why has it dropped off so much, and is it redeemable? We assess what made the show great and how it lost its luster.

We then hit on Bill as Ringer GM and discuss the current Ringer roster including strengths and weaknesses.

We finish up the show predicting what Bill will (or won't!) say about the recent Jimmy Kimmel news. Enjoy!

Ryen Russillo is leaving The Ringer to form an independent digital media company which will sign a multi-year partnership with Barstool and receive investments from Barstool and Dave Portnoy. We break down this sports media news of the century - enjoy!

Welcome to Episode #124! We bring on recurring guest and sports media specialist JF for a highly informative show on the r/BS Pod topic of the day (Russillo's free agency) and the hottest non-Russillo sports media story (ESPN's Direct to Consumer app launching).

To start off the pod, JF makes the case that Barstool should be even odds with The Ringer to nab Russillo, a contrast to some of our recent r/BS Pod discussions. JF argues that Russillo is both a better cultural and financial fit at Barstool. We explore some content Russillo could generate at Barstool while also discussing why Barstool's financial model and less stringent IP demands could be of interest to Ryen. We also hit on why The Volume, and their ability to offer Russillo equity, may be more in play than some are thinking. Plus, we get into podcasteconomics, contrasting The Ringer vs. Barstool, and JF questions a few moves Bill is making with some Ringer shows.

After we finish up with Russillo, we talk ESPN's new streaming app. For $30, you can now buy all of ESPN standalone, instead of only being able to access the network via a cable TV bundle like YouTube TV. Will this be a success? We don't think so. And, we admonish ESPN for squandering a decade where they've developed no talent and continued putting together weak studio shows - there's no creative vision at the network. We finish up the pod going more in-depth on cable TV andESPN economics, and why the network developed such hubris while diminishing their brand.