I couldn't decide where to post this, or where it would get the most intelligent responses, so I went with here. Mods, feel free to move it where you feel necessary.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/050303

I love most Simmons articles. I don't fully agree with his undying worship of U2. However, I did enjoy this portion:



Now, I have nothing against Nirvana, and I'm not sure they had necessarily been eclipsed, but Kurt's death sure did help skyrocket them. I also highly doubt Cobain would have been appearing in any reality shows. Anyways, I just found a lot of humor out of this article, especially with how strongly Bill supports U2. Seems to go along with my "everyone has their own tastes" opinion. Please move this where it will be most admired.

Would Jose Canseco be Motley Crue or Def Leppard?

U2 is easy to compare to a sports team. The Cardinals. They made a big splash in the 80's, had ONE great hit in the 90's, and they are making a decent shot at greatness in the 2000's.

'-- skip U2 and go right to a band like Van Halen. (They were Sugar Ray Leonard, but that's a whole other story.) '

heheheh

Kiss would be Michael Jordan....all those farewell tours

but also
The Beatles would be Michael Jordan. they were both the greatest.

alot of people in Boston have a hard on for U2, i argue with them
at work all the time..so frustrating

I dunno what's happened to Bill's columns. His most recent stuff has been pretty bland, in my opinion. All Super Bowl week he spent his time complaining about the city of Jacksonville, and now there's this ridiculous intern contest that's taking up all his time. I remember last summer I couldn't wait to read every one of his new articles (remember the Vengeance Scale?). And all his articles from the middle of the Red Sox season last year were great. But ever since October 17th Bill and I have been in a fight. That was the day he wrote, "A few seconds later, Varitek lined into a broken-bat double play. End of the inning. This was officially the point where I started to give up on the 2004 Red Sox season." Sure, I was just as down as Bill was at that point, but I literally began to yell at my computer screen. I couldn't believe he actually wrote that. So maybe it's my malice that makes me think his writing has taken a nosedive recently. But U2, Bill? Come on now. Gimme something I can work with.

Even as a Yanks fan, I think The Sports Guy's articles over the last few years have been awesome to read. His random pop culture references (to 90210 and what not) are what set him apart from most sports writers who think they are funny but aren't.

HOWEVER, I agree that since this past October Bill hasn't been funny, and it clearly has to do with the fact that his frustration level, which provides so much of his comedy, is simply not there. The Sox did the unthinkable and the Patriots are a football Dynasty. What's not to tbe happy about as a sports fan in New England (unless you care about the Bruins, I guess.) ?

No heartache = No good comedy from the Sports Guy.

I'm thinking U2 could be Mickey Mantle - superstar who stayed on the same team his whole career - drank like a fish - although Mick only dominated over 2 decades, not 3.

Also, doesn't the Edge always wear a #7 shirt? Hmmmm.

In my biased opinion, Patrick Roy is the U2 of sports. When he started out, he had a different style than a vast majority of his contemporaries (the butterfly style). He's won Stanley Cups and Conn Smythe trophies in the '80's, '90's and 2001. He finished his career with the most wins in league history, regular season and playoffs. Also, like U2, people either love him, hate him or kind of like him but find him annoyingly arrogant, yet nobody can really deny the talent.

I know most people won't agree with me just on the basis that he's a hockey player, but screw you. You're wrong.

That was a darn good post.

I don't mind Roy and I don't like U2.

I do agree with you though... well put.

roy does think he's the god of goalies, and bono thinks he's god, so i guess it works

You should email Bill Simmons. I'm sure he's gonna get a lot of emails from people telling him who they think the U2 of sports is, and he often posts many of them. Give it a shot.

That's quite the excellent comparison. I personally enjoy U2 and fucking hate Roy, but as you said, I can't deny his talent. I'd agree that you should write Simmons, but since he pretty much ignores hockey altogether, I wouldn't expect anything to come of it.

i agree that simmons has lost a little something with the boston sports teams doing so well... plus, he used to just be like any other rabid sports fan, a "sports guy"...

but now he goes to superbowls (AND COMPLAINS ABOUT BEING THERE), and he gets to play shaq in h-o-r-s-e... i'm finding it a lot harder to enjoy him these days...

Give Billy a break. Not everyone is dead-on all the time. I'm sure he'll be back doing what we love soon. I'm glad he brought back the ramblings and I want more mailbags, those are the best.

I'd like to see a new movie review.

U2 = Detroit Tigers

U2 is the Brett Favre of rock music. Incredible early stuff, the best at their peak,
now just hanging around, collecting a check, taking face time away from players worthy of the accolades.
U2 is teh suck.


U2 should have faded into obscurity and sold their instruments to fund AIDS testing, or the IRA, or the ozone layer before I was over.
love,
1991