Allow me to preface this by saying that Bill Simmons’ interview with Larry David is one of the best podcasts I’ve heard in some time. It’s basically a 90-minute episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm in podcast form, where the primary topic is David’s life as a sports fan. While some may have accused Simmons of losing his fastball in recent years, this episode of The Bill Simmons Podcast was a clear reminder that The Sports Guy’s still got it.
(If I were Simmons, this is the part where I’d compare his vintage performance to Randy Johnson turning back the clock to throw a perfect game at the age of 40 or Mickey Rourke’s comeback effort in The Wrestler. Also if I were Simmons, I’d be a lot richer and more successful than I currently am.)
Now, having said that… there was one unintentionally funny part of the podcast worth poking fun at.
Toward the end of the interview, David was discussing his habit of taping his favorite team’s games and having to actively avoid conversations about them in order to ensure that the final result isn’t spoiled. If that sounds familiar, it’s likely because it was also the plot in the premiere episode of the other TV show David co-created, Seinfeld.
Yet despite spending a not insignificant portion of the interview bragging about his Seinfeld bonafides, that scene seemed to escape Simmons’ memory.
“I’m surprised that wasn’t a Curb plot — somebody ruining the game for you,” Simmons said of David’s game-watching habits.
“That was on the Seinfeld pilot,” David replied.
“Was it really?” Simmons asked. “I don’t remember that.”
“Kramer gave away, I think a Mets score on the Seinfeld pilot, David confirmed.
“Oh well you could have dipped back. It was 30 or 40 years ago,” Simmons insisted. “That could have been a whole Curb plot, somebody ruining Game 5 of the Knicks…”
“It’s too easy of a premise anyways,” David interrupted.
Under most circumstances, Simmons’ mistake would have been understandable — after all, there are only so many pop culture factoids, pro wrestling trivia and 1980s Boston Celtics memories one can store. But while Jerry taping the Mets game only to have the result spoiled by Kramer isn’t on the level of “The Soup Nazi” or “The Bet” in Seinfeld lore, it is a fairly memorable moment for most fans, let alone one who was just minutes removed from telling the show’s co-creator that he had recently re-watched the entirety of the series from the start.
Ultimately, David is right — it doesn’t make any sense to rehash a plotline on Curb that Seinfeld is already more famous for. But David appearing on a podcast where the host insists he’s a Seinfeld diehard, only to have forgotten one of the show’s most famous moments? Now there’s a storyline worth bringing Curb back for yet another season.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.