Grantland
ESPN announced the creation of Grantland in early 2011. The site officially launched on the 8th of June 2011 under the leadership of Bill Simmons. He served as editor-in-chief until May 2015. This venture aimed to bring long-form journalism to a digital audience accustomed to quick hits. Traditional magazines were adapting to the internet age, but few sports organizations had tried this approach before. Simmons envisioned a platform that allowed for deep analysis and storytelling similar to print media. The project drew contributions from established writers like Chuck Klosterman and Malcolm Gladwell alongside new voices. Early reception praised the fresh approach to covering both sports and pop culture topics.
Grantland operated with considerable autonomy despite being backed by ESPN. The site featured diverse content ranging from long-form articles to multimedia podcasts. A significant section called The Triangle focused on basketball analysis led directly by Simmons. Another notable feature was the Grantland Quarterly print publication which compiled top stories from the website. Writers included names like Zach Lowe, Molly Lambert, and Charles P. Pierce who explored wide-ranging subjects. Stephen Carter from the Chicago Tribune described the work as sportswriting for grownups. These pieces often included data visualization representations pulled from sites like Football Outsiders or Baseball Prospectus. The editorial structure allowed staff to explore complex narratives without strict corporate oversight typical of other divisions.
An article written by Caleb Hannan appeared on the Grantland website in January 2014. It discussed the Oracle GXI golf putter and its creator Essay Anne Vanderbilt known as Dr V. The piece treated Vanderbilt's transgender identity alongside her fraudulent scientific qualifications suggesting they were equally untruthful. Before the article published Vanderbilt committed suicide. This event triggered considerable criticism from the transgender community and media observers. Bill Simmons later acknowledged errors made by himself and his writer including the outing of Vanderbilt to an investor. He admitted a collective ignorance about issues facing the transgender community before considering running the piece. A Rolling Stone profile published in April 2014 lambasted him at length over the matter while incorporating his defenses against harsher criticisms.
ESPN officially announced the shutdown of Grantland on the 30th of October 2015. John Skipper told The New York Times that ESPN would not be renewing Simmons' contract earlier that May. Chris Connelly was then named interim editor-in-chief. The decision came after Grantland received 6 million unique visitors in March 2015. Some believed this number could not support a staff of 50 writers editors and IT personnel. In September 2015 ESPN laid off 300 employees representing approximately 5% of its workforce. Reports indicated ESPN lost 3.2 million subscribers due to consumers abandoning traditional cable packages. Skipper stated the closure was not financial but rather because ESPN did not see value in spending time necessary to continue excellence. Former editor-in-chief Bill Simmons called the shutdown simply appalling.
Simmons started a new media venture called The Ringer in 2016. It focused on sports and pop culture similar to its predecessor. A number of former Grantland employees joined the new venture including Sean Fennessey Chris Ryan and Mallory Rubin. Others like Shea Serrano Jason Concepcion and Bryan Curtis also moved to the platform. Simmons launched a podcasting network featuring shows repurposed from the Grantland network. These included The Watch with Ryan and his own podcast The Bill Simmons Podcast. He debuted a weekly show on HBO titled Any Given Wednesday with Bill Simmons on the 22nd of June 2016 which ran for one season. Ryan and Greenwald hosted a Game of Thrones recap show on HBO modeled after their Grantland podcast Watch the Thrones produced by Simmons.
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Common questions
When did ESPN announce the creation of Grantland?
ESPN announced the creation of Grantland in early 2011. The site officially launched on the 8th of June 2011 under the leadership of Bill Simmons.
Who served as editor-in-chief for Grantland and until when?
Bill Simmons served as editor-in-chief until May 2015. He led the venture which aimed to bring long-form journalism to a digital audience accustomed to quick hits.
What happened after an article about Essay Anne Vanderbilt appeared on Grantland in January 2014?
Vanderbilt committed suicide before the article published and this event triggered considerable criticism from the transgender community and media observers. Bill Simmons later acknowledged errors made by himself and his writer including the outing of Vanderbilt to an investor.
On what date did ESPN officially announce the shutdown of Grantland?
ESPN officially announced the shutdown of Grantland on the 30th of October 2015. John Skipper told The New York Times that ESPN would not be renewing Simmons' contract earlier that May.
When did Bill Simmons start his new media venture called The Ringer?
Simmons started a new media venture called The Ringer in 2016. It focused on sports and pop culture similar to its predecessor with former Grantland employees joining the new venture.