Sports writer Bill Simmons announced the details of his new website, The Ringer, which will also feature the work of several former Grantland writers.
Simmons previously wrote at ESPN, where he co-founded the site Grantland. In May 2015, the network announced that it would not renew his contract and shut down Grantland in October. In July 2015, Simmons signed a deal to host a show and appear on HBO Sports programs, beginning this year.
While Simmons has already started a new podcast, it wasn’t until today that he officially announced how he would distribute his writing. The site is called The Ringer and, according to CNNMoney, will include work by former Grantland journalists Craig Gaines, Bryan Curtis, Ryan O'Hanlon, Danny Chau, Riley McAtee, Joe Fuentes, and Tate Frazier. Former Glamour writer Amanda Dobbins was hired as deputy editor for the site’s culture coverage. Editor in chief Sean Fennessey is also a Grantland alum.
The Ringer will begin with just a newsletter starting in mid-March. A spokesman told CNN that the actual site will not go live until later this spring or early summer.
Simmons left ESPN after several clashes with the network and was once suspended for calling NFL commissioner Roger Goodell a liar. He still hates ESPN, as you can see by this tweet: