Adrian Wojnarowski sent shockwaves throughout sports media when he announced his retirement from being an NBA insider on Wednesday. And while some praised his decision, others were critical of the way his departure was portrayed. Adam Schefter’s comments, suggesting that Wojnarowski was leaving for a better quality of life despite substantial financial incentives, drew particular ire from Bill Simmons.
While NBA fans might be surprised by Wojnarowski’s willingness to walk away from nearly $20 million owed to him by ESPN, his insider colleagues seemed almost envious of his newfound freedom from the job.
“He wanted his life back. He didn’t want to have to work on holidays. He didn’t want to be away from more family gatherings. He didn’t want to have to…take a shower with your phone up against the shower door so you can see a text that’s coming in, or take your phone with you to… pic.twitter.com/mfSavmOKTi
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) September 18, 2024
“He wanted his life back,” Schefter told NBA Today host Malika Andrews. “He didn’t want to have to work on holidays. He didn’t want to be away from more family gatherings. He didn’t want to have to…take a shower with your phone up against the shower door so you can see a text that’s coming in or take your phone with you to the urinal and hold it in one hand while you take care of your business in the other. That’s the life that we live. And that was the life that we chose not to do any longer because it takes over your life.”
The Sports Guy took great issue with Schefter’s portrayal of Wojnarowski’s retirement. Simmons had a pretty legendary transition, as he talked about how you can’t overreact to Thursday Night Football results (His beloved New England Patriots got shellacked by the New York Jets, 24-3) just like Schefter shouldn’t overreact to Wojnarowski leaving the profession to become the general manager of his alma mater’s basketball team.
“You can’t overreact over a Thursday night game; you can’t overreact after Adrian Wojnarowski either, like Adam Schefter did,” Simmons said on the latest installation of The Bill Simmons Podcast. “‘He wanted his life back. He didn’t want to have to work on holidays. He didn’t want to have to be away for more family gatherings. He didn’t want to take a shower with your phone up against the shower door, so you can see a text that’s coming in. Or take your phone with you to the urinal and hold it in one hand, while you take care of your business in the other. That’s the life we live!’
“This is the thing that Adam Schefter said on television. Adrian Wojnarowski, was he an ER doctor during COVID? I wasn’t sure…’Oh my gosh, the Charlotte GM’s texted me; I gotta hold this piss.’ What happened yesterday? What was that?”
Bill Simmons LASHES OUT at Woj and BERATES Adam Schefter for his coverage of Woj’s retirement
“Was Woj an ER doctor during COVID, I wasn’t sure!” pic.twitter.com/KOa5acMrqY
— The r/BillSimmons Podcast 🎙️ (@rBillSimmonsPod) September 20, 2024
Tell us how you really feel, Bill!
He cut straight to the heart of the matter. And for Simmons, the idea that sports insiders should be praised for sacrificing their personal lives seemed out of touch. In his view, Woj’s exit wasn’t a heroic escape from an unbearable life but a simple, pragmatic decision.
