Bill Simmons and ESPN haven't always seen eye-to-eye. Just last year, The Worldwide Leader in Sports suspended Simmons for three weeks after he made some negative comments about NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. But because Simmons made his mark on the sports world while working for ESPN—he currently heads up the Grantland site and helped ESPN create and launch their popular 30 for 30 documentary series—we didn't think we'd ever see the day where he didn't work there anymore. But it sounds like that day is coming soon.
A short time ago, ESPN president John Skipper released a statement acknowledging that ESPN and Simmons could not agree to a new contract:
I decided today that we are not going to renew Bill Simmons' contract. We have been in negotiations and it was clear it was time to move on. ESPN's relationship with Bill has been mutually beneficial - he has produced great content for us for many years and ESPN has provided him many new opportunities to spread his wings. We wish Bill continued success as he plans his next chapter. ESPN remains committed to Grantland and we have a strong team in place.
Simmons' contract will be up in the fall. He hasn't said anything about Skipper's statement yet. But we'll be sure to keep you updated on the situation.
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[via New York Times]
