

The Bill Simmons Podcast
The Ringer
HBO and The Ringer's Bill Simmons hosts the most downloaded sports podcast of all time, with a rotating crew of celebrities, athletes, and media staples, as well as mainstays like Cousin Sal, Joe House, and a slew of other friends and family members who always happen to be suspiciously available.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Aug 4, 2017 • 1h 50min
Smart-Guy Friday: Cycle CEO/Founder Jason Stein and Bill's Dad on 'Game of Thrones' (Ep. 244)
HBO and The Ringer's Bill Simmons is joined by Cycle CEO/founder Jason Stein to discuss the evolution of branded content (5:00), Joel Embiid's Twitter personality (11:00), Facebook curating content (21:00), the YouTube generation (32:30), the reinvention of sports (42:00), monetizing Twitter (52:00), the Rock's social media dominance (1:01:00), and the chances of Amazon one day owning the NFL (1:07:00). Then, Bill's dad joins to talk about the Red Sox's resurgence (1:27:00) and his best guesses for what's next on 'Game of Thrones' (1:30:00).
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Aug 1, 2017 • 1h 26min
Mayor Eric Garcetti and Casey Wasserman on Landing the 2028 Summer Olympics (Ep. 243)
HBO and The Ringer's Bill Simmons is joined by Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and sports media mogul Casey Wasserman to discuss L.A.'s Olympic bid (5:00), modernizing the Coliseum (11:00), the biggest Olympic concerns (17:00), L.A.'s underdog status with the IOC (25:00), Trump's involvement in the bid (34:00), connected car-share technology (40:00), and L.A.'s Olympics legacy (44:00). Then, The Ringer's Jason Concepcion joins to give his thoughts on Kyrie's trade request (1:01:00) and NBA players determining their own destinies (1:11:00).
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Jul 27, 2017 • 1h 9min
Charlize Theron on Becoming an Action Hero, Avoiding Rom-Coms, and 15 Minutes With De Niro (Ep. 242)
HBO and The Ringer's Bill Simmons is joined by Oscar-winning actress Charlize Theron to discuss her new action film 'Atomic Blonde' (5:00), auditioning with a poor English accent (11:00), Johnny Depp’s presence (16:00), Tobey Maguire's gambling (22:00), chatting with De Niro (33:00), consulting Patty Jenkins on 'Monster' (39:00), overcoming a neck injury (47:00), working with Seth MacFarlane (54:00), and the loss of irony (1:02:00).
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Jul 24, 2017 • 1h 18min
Kyrie-LeBron Fallout and Carmelo-to-OKC With Kevin O'Connor and Joe House (Ep. 241)
HBO and The Ringer's Bill Simmons is joined by The Ringer's Kevin O'Connor and Joe House to discuss Carmelo Anthony potentially going to OKC (5:00), Kyrie Irving's decision to demand a trade (14:00), the importance of All-NBA honors (18:00), John Wall vs. Kyrie (25:00), LeBron's blindsided act (35:00), David Griffin's best moves (43:00), Dan Gilbert's dysfunction (50:00), potential trades for Kyrie (56:00), LeBron's media strategy (1:03:00), and the big-picture move for LeBron (1:12:00).
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Jul 21, 2017 • 1h 18min
Smart-Guy Friday: Nathan Hubbard on Zombie Bands, Ticket Trends, and Twitter Comebacks (Ep. 240)
HBO and The Ringer's Bill Simmons brings on former Ticketmaster CEO and House Eats 3 judge Nathan Hubbard to discuss the booming business of nostalgia-rock concerts (5:00), James Dolan's desire to improve acoustics in arenas (18:00), the best bets for future Super Bowl performances (27:00), Taylor Swift's chance to perform at the 2018 Super Bowl (32:00), Dave Matthews Band and the emphasis on touring (37:00), the real reason season tickets exist (46:00), the impact of adding more arenas in Los Angeles (56:00), and how Twitter owns the moment (1:07:00).
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Jul 19, 2017 • 1h 17min
JackO on 'Mike and the Mad Dog,' and Shea Serrano on the Best Worst Movie Dunks (Ep. 239)
HBO and The Ringer's Bill Simmons brings on old buddy JackO to discuss Aaron Judge's slump after the home run derby (7:00), the Yankees' trade for Todd Frazier (12:00), the scariest hitters in the Yankees–Red Sox rivalry (26:30), and the genius behind 'Mike and the Mad Dog' (34:00). Then, The Ringer's Shea Serrano joins to break down the Best Worst Movie Dunks of all time (49:00) and explain what's going on with the Spurs (1:03:00).
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Jul 18, 2017 • 1h 50min
Jimmy Butler on the Bulls, Jordan, and L.A. Pick-up Games (Ep. 238)
HBO and The Ringer's Bill Simmons brings on NBA All-Star Jimmy Butler to give his thoughts on his exit from the Bulls (4:00), D-Wade's impact (11:00), tampering in the NBA offseason (18:00), idolizing the Jordan brand (26:00), Karl-Anthony Towns's unique skill set (31:00), his return to Chicago next season (37:00), Thibs's love for basketball (43:00), secret pick-up games in L.A. (53:00), and D-Rose's next destination (1:05:00). Then, The Ringer's Mallory Rubin joins to discuss the long-awaited return of 'Game of Thrones' (1:15:00).
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Jul 12, 2017 • 1h 27min
Inside the Evolution of ESPN With Jim Miller and Bryan Curtis (Ep. 237)
HBO and The Ringer's Bill Simmons sits down with editor-at-large Bryan Curtis and New York Times best-selling author Jim Miller to discuss the shake-ups at ESPN (02:30), whether there is a business problem or a content problem (05:30), how the network has approached digital content (14:00), the deals with the NBA, MLB, and the NFL (25:30), the acquisition of Adrian Wojnarowski (40:30), 30 for 30 (54:30), and the demise of Grantland (66:00).
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Jul 11, 2017 • 1h 26min
NBA Summer Mailbag Special (Ep. 236)
HBO and The Ringer's Bill Simmons answers the most pressing NBA summer mailbag questions. Topics include: LeBron on the Lakers (4:00), the best championship parade moment (12:30), CP3's Ewing Theory potential (16:00), Rookie of the Year odds (20:30), Paul George's trade value (30:40), Jamal Crawford's decline (35:00), Sidney Crosby's connection with Tim Duncan (46:00), the famous Monte Carlo scrimmage (51:00), Rob Pelinka's rise (1:01:00), San Diego's attractiveness to the NBA (1:13:00), and Russell Westbrook's style of play changing next season (1:20:00).
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Jul 7, 2017 • 1h 31min
John McEnroe on the Knicks, the Greatest Match Ever Played, and Improving Tennis (Ep. 235)
HBO and The Ringer's Bill Simmons is joined by John McEnroe to discuss the current state of the New York Knicks (5:00), the parallels between basketball and tennis (11:14), tennis at the collegiate level (24:44), McEnroe's first Wimbledon (27:03), the infamous tantrums (35:25), growing the game of tennis (49:40), and the 1980 Wimbledon men's singles final (1:05:05).
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