Are Bill Simmons and Nick Wright feuding? Or are we seeing early indications of a future collaboration?
Earlier this week, The Sports Guy made headlines when he took an unprovoked shot at the First Things First host during an episode of The Bill Simmons Podcast.
“I don’t want to do like the Nick Wright; I’m just throwing crazy takes out hoping to get aggregated,” Simmons said while attempting to reconcile his belief the Houston Texans could dethrone the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC. “Sorry, Nick.”
Simmons’ shade at Wright at right was curious as it seemingly came out of nowhere, but it’s also not uncommon to see The Ringer founder poke fun at other media members and their quirks. Earlier this year, Simmons ignited a feud with Pat McAfee by performing an impression of the former All-Pro punter’s football analysis, prompting a response from McAfee, with Simmons returning fire.
But lest you think the former Page 2 columnist’s sideswipe of Wright was random — maybe he had the FS1 host on his mind because he was talking about the Chiefs? — that clearly doesn’t appear to be the case. On the latest episode of his podcast, seemingly taped in the same sitting as the previous one, Simmons took yet another unprompted dig at Wright.
“Nick Wright is gonna be in awe of that,” Simmons said after Sal Iacono pointed out Bill took the under on the win totals for all four NFC South teams this season. “I can’t wait for Nick Wright’s feedback.”
That statement might not qualify as a full-on “shot,” but when paired with his previous comments about Wright—which again came in the same podcast recording session—it seems clear that something is going on here. For what it’s worth, Wright has already responded by inviting himself to appear on Simmons’ show, which would mark his debut on The Bill Simmons Podcast.
Nick Wright FIRES BACK at Bill Simmons after The Ringer founder accused Wright of “throwing out crazy takes just to get aggregated”
“What a shot in my ribs. That’s uncalled for and unfounded. He has to let me come on and defend myself, he has no choice there, it’s only right.” pic.twitter.com/hpo5Y3K9YO
— The r/BillSimmons Podcast 🎙️ (@rBillSimmonsPod) August 29, 2024
So, what exactly is happening here?
To steal a bit from Simmons and become “Conspiracy Ben,” it’s worth noting that Wright’s First Things First co-host is Simmons’ longtime friend, Kevin Wildes. And considering that Wright has already teased a future appearance on Simmons’ show, it’s fair to wonder if this is an attempt to build buzz for an on-air showdown.
Want to go even further down the rabbit hole? How about the fact that Simmons is reportedly in a contract year? Given Wright’s status as a rising star in sports media, the Book Of Basketball author could do worse than to attach himself to the Kansas City native.
While Simmons and Wright don’t appear to have legitimate bad blood, something is clearly happening here. And it’ll be interesting to see what happens in the days and weeks ahead, with their mutual connection to Wildes potentially standing out as the key to all of this.
