Wednesday, September 22, 2010
HAPPY TIME, PEOPLE? Bill Simmons is occupying Mike Wilbon's chair for the remainder of the week on PTI. Yesterday was a bit stilted; let's hope he feels more relaxed on-air as the week progresses because right now he's really making clear just how good Kornheiser and Wilbon are at communicating that in-the-moment passion and thoughtfulness.
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Probably has a lot do with my being a life-long Laker fan, but I don't get Simmons' popularity. I couldn't get through his book and thought he was an exteremely poor fit yesterday. That show is about energy, and he had none.
ReplyDeleteAm I the only one who thinks the best PTI player, regular or guest, is Dan LeBatard?
ReplyDeleteEven if Simmons gets over his stiltedness, he's probably too mellow for the format, a problem exacerbated because he seemed afraid to challenge Kornheiser when TK said something stupid for fear of losing the gig. Also, his humor isn't really soundbite humor, which is what the format requires.
I haven't watched PTI regularly in a good while, but LeBatard was one of the few guest hosts who I could stomach because he was willing to play along with the "hatable" schtick and was fast on his feet, Part of what makes the Kornheiser/Wilbon pairing work so well is that they've known each other for so long and know how to push each other's buttons--subs throw that off.
ReplyDeleteMost of my familiarity with Simmons comes from his podcasts with Sepinwall, and while I've enjoyed those, they show why he's not terribly effective for a PTI format--they're almost methodical.
The link reminds me that Kornheiser didn't get Simmons's deadpan sarcasm about Steinbrenner. Awkward!
ReplyDeleteMaybe I just had really low expectations, but I thought Simmons did okay yesterday. His personality isn't quite the right fit for this format, which was really clear when compared with the emotion of Kornheiser (lots of transitions from Bill softly talking about something to Tony's bombast). There were a couple times Bill seemed too concerned about getting his funny line into the segment - if he relaxes a bit and goes with the flow, he could really make it work. Also, live TV is hard, so I give him credit for trying something as challenging as PTI probably is.
ReplyDeleteI liked it, and I'm not terribly familiar with Simmons in any format. I like Kornheiser getting bigger and bigger and more and more Kornheisery and Simmons just plugging glibly and respectfully along. I'd expect him to be less deferential as he gets more comfortable, and to enjoy the contrast even more.
ReplyDeleteLet me be clear that I like Kornheiser on PTI, even though I hated, hated, hated him on MNF and beat him up a bit in this space for making me choose between my mute button and an aching jaw. PTI is a different environment, his native environment, and I enjoy him there. The Bald Brotherhood is a thing of beauty. So I'm not looking for Simmons to show him up but merely suggesting that there is the potential for an amusing dynamic here where Tony gets some buttons pushed without even realizing it, in contrast to his more practiced dance with Wilbon..
Better show today, I thought, although Simmons still a little too low-key, and some attempts at humor fell flat. I agree LeBetard is outstanding guest host, he has come a long way since the Miami Herald days.....
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