Sports columnist, TV host and analyst Bill Simmons has signed a new multi-year overall deal with HBO that will include a weekly talk show and digital opportunities, the cable network announced Wednesday.
The deal, which begins in October, will include all of HBO"s platforms and will give the native New Englander a weekly talk show to air on HBO and HBO Go that is described as "topical and spontaneous," featuring stories and guests from sports and popular culture. Simmons also has a production deal to create content such as video podcasts for HBO, and to develop series and documentaries under HBO Sports.
"It"s no secret that HBO is the single best place for creative people in the entire media landscape," Simmons said in a statement. "From the moment I started talking to Michael [Lombardo, President of HBO programming] and Richard [Plepler, HBO chairman and CEO] it was hard to imagine being anywhere else."
Keith Olbermann and ESPN are parting ways
Simmons marked the news on Twitter with a video of the old HBO intro.
http://t.co/u9vEN0Ey05
- Bill Simmons (@BillSimmons) July 22, 2015
A move for Simmons has been rumored to be in the works since he and ESPN split back in the spring, ending his successful decade-and-a-half run at the network. Simmons was also the founding editor of ESPN.com"s sister site Grantland, and was behind the network"s 30 for 30 documentary series, where he was an executive producer.
He has also had success hosting his podcast The B.S. Report, which ranked as the No. 1 sports podcast on iTunes in 2014.
Are you looking forward to seeing Bill Simmons on TV again?
TODAY"S VIDEO: Melissa Joan hart has an insane story about Jennifer Love Hewitt
Robin Williams, left, and his daughter, Zelda at the premiere of "Happy Feet Two" on Nov. 13, 2011 in Los Angeles.
Robin Williams" daughter Zelda Williams is going on hiatus from social media as the first anniversary of her father"s death draws near.
The actress, 25, posted a picture of clouds illuminated by sunshine Monday, a day ahead of what would have been the beloved comedian"s 64th birthday.
"I will be taking a break from social media in the coming weeks," she captioned the pic. "It"s a time better served away from the opinions or sentiments of others, and I appreciate your understanding."
In her absence she asks those wishing to leave messages about her father to "please attempt to be respectful and kind to one another in the process, both because I will not be here to delete or mediate trolling, and because kindness is in short supply these days anyhow."
On Twitter Tuesday she thanked users for their kind thoughts before adding, "Taking a break for a bit. Don"t burn the place down while I"m gone!"
Williams also broke from social media briefly in the wake of her father"s suicide on August 11 after accusing Instagram users of "mining our accounts for photos of dad," and calling out Twitter users for reportedly sending her upsetting images.
Six months after his passing, Williams told NBC"s Kate Snow thatlife without her father is hard but she continues to try and move forward. "Its going to take a lot of work to allow myself to have the sort of fun, happy life that I had, but that"s important. Anybody who has ever lost anyone works very hard to continue that memory in a positive way."
Of his death she said she doesn"t dwell on what led the"Mork & Mindy" star to commit suicide. "I dont think theres a point. Its not important to ask."
In early Junea San Francisco superior court judge set a July 29 deadline for Williams widow Susan and his children from previous marriages Zachary, Zelda and Cody, to reach an agreement on how the late actors possessions will be divided and howmuch money Susan will receive to keep up the Tiburon, Calif. home the couple shared.
If you live in one of Houston"s nicer neighborhoods and you"ve noticed that one member of that seemingly happily-married couple next door has been acting a little nervous lately, there"s a survey that might offer an explanation why (though we really wouldn"t recommend confronting said neighbor or their spouse especially the spouse with the following survey information).
According to a 2015 national survey of adultery in America conducted by recently-hacked adulterers-only dating website AshleyMadison.com, Houston is the eighth most adulterous city in the country, with 187,000 Houstonians signed up for Ashley Madison accounts. And a more specific Ashley Madison survey says that those members are distributed somewhat evenly throughout Houston"s ritziest neighborhoods, with Sugar Land and West University rounding out the top two. That shouldn"t really come as a surprise.
Now, finishing eighth here isn"t too outrageous, considering Houston is the fourth largest city in the country. But despite the low-when-placed-in-proper-context numbers, there are almost definitely at least 187,000 faithful spouses who would still vehemently argue that Houston has about 187,000 too many adulterers.
Andrew Marchand is a senior writer for ESPNNewYork. He also regularly contributes to SportsCenter, Baseball Tonight, ESPNews, ESPN New York 98.7 FM and ESPN Radio. He joined ESPN in 2007 after nine years at the New York Post. Follow Andrew on Twitter
NEW YORK -- It would be managerial malpractice not to start Chris Young against every lefty the rest of the way. Young"s OPS vs. lefties is 1.101, which is a number Barry Bonds would approach when he was going his best. Meanwhile, Carlos Beltran"s OPS against lefties is .710.
So it really should not surprise anyone that, just as it has been most of the season, Young will be in there when a lefty is on the mound.
"I would think against every lefty we face he will be in there," Girardi said.
"I would think against every lefty we face he will be in there," Joe Girardi said of Chris Young.Thomas B. Shea/USA TODAY Sports
Girardi, who always likes to misdirect when he can, painted it less as a decision about Beltran and more about the fact the Young will fill-in for all of the Yankees outfielders.
"I"m not saying it is going to be a platoon," Girardi said of right field.
The discussion of Young"s playing time has been muted for much of the year because of injuries to Beltran and Jacoby Ellsbury.
Giardi went out of his way to say that when Young plays that it won"t only be Beltran that will sit.
"We are going to see a number of lefties on this next long stretch," Girardi said. "I"ll be able to give Jake a day off. I"ll be able to give Gardy [Brett Gardner] a day off. I just chose to do it with Carlos today."
The thing is, though, if the Yankees make the playoffs and a lefty starts for the opponent, Young would likely replace Beltran on that night. So, going forward, it stands to reason -- if everyone stays healthy -- Young will probably be in right the most of any of the outfield positions.
Beltran said that, while Girardi hasn"t really explained the situation to him, he understands how well Young has hit.
"I just have to deal with it," Beltran said.
Brett "White Shoes" Gardner retires: MLB and the Yankees made it clear that he should not wear his white cleats he sported Sunday again.
"I won"t be wearing them again," Gardner said.
Gardner said the only reason he did was because of Sunday starter CC Sabathia. After the All-Star break, Sabathia saw the shoes in Gardner"s locker and liked them. On Sunday, 45 minutes before Sabathia"s start, Sabathia walked by Gardner"s locker and said, "If you don"t have those white shoes on you can keep your little [behind] inside."
Gardner wore them. He wasn"t fined by the league, but if he had been fined Sabathia told Gardner he would have paid it. Gardner said he thought he would be docked some money (the fine is around $1,000 or so) if he wore the white shoes again. He says he will not.
Tarzan The Ape Man Trailer 1981 Bo Derek Miles O"Keeffe Photo: Alan Band/Keystone/Getty Images
When Kylie Jenners cornrows inspired this week"s conversation about cultural appropriation, several people invoked the name Bo Derek the original white woman in cornrows as reference, or maybe justification. (Most publicly, Laverne c*x, who discussed the feud onAndy Cohens Watch What Happens Live.)
Since she ran down that beach, hair braided, in the 1979 movie 10, Bo Derek probably gets more credit for popularizing cornrows than anyone. A 1980 People article cited Derek as the catalyst for making cornrows a cross-cultural craze and a beauty store bonanza." As a result, the hairstyle"s origins in African-American culture have sometimes been overlooked as inthis Los Angeles Times debacle from earlier this year. So when New York caught up with the actress at the premiere of FXs s*x&Drugs&Rock&Roll,we asked what she thought of the hairstyle, cultural appropriation, and whether shed ever considered her role in it all.
Her answers were minimal.
She remarked that, like Andy Cohen, she found the Jenner controversy stupid, and noted that race never came up around discussions of her 10 cornrows. Its a hairdo! Thats all it is, she exclaimed.
When asked about the hairdo"s origins (in the same People piece a black woman named Ann Collins gets credit as 10s official braider), Derek responded that she knew where it came from, but that had nothing to do with doing it.
Her final comment: No, seriously, of all the important racial and cultural issues we have right now, people are going to focus on a hairstyle? No, no. Ill save my efforts toward important racial and cultural issues.
Have you read lately that Bo Derek hates aging? I guess it"s big news! You can read about her feelings here or here. I am shocked that anyone would say this especially someone with the looks that she once had. I just wonder why Bo Derek hates aging but I love it
Let"s take a look at her when she was in the movie Ten. She is one fine looking woman. Even adjusting for make up, lighting and filters, she won the genetics lottery.
As a result of her stunning good looks she got the part in the movie Ten. Based just on her looks, I don"t think that anyone would argue that she was hired for her acting abilities. (In fact she has been nominated for two Raspberry awards for worst acting in a film.)
Now let"s take a look at her today. She is 3 years younger than me or as she puts it, 58 and a half. Still a good looking woman.
Not a s*x symbol any more, but a nice looking woman. But she hates it. She misses her skin. She thinks it isn"t easy.
When she was 16, she dropped out of high school and ran away to Europe with John Derek, a man 30 years her senior. They returned and married when she was of a legal age. You can read more about her life here.
She lives on a ranch with her boyfriend John Corbett and their horses. You can even tour it here.And she is in the upcoming Sharknado 3.
I personally don"t really care about her but boy, it bothers me when a person who has had a pretty charmed life complains. Her skin isn"t what it once was? Boo hoo!
I think aging is hard on people who don"t value their minds as much as their looks and bodies. Bo has made the startling discovery that beauty fades. Ya think?
I suggest she take some classes, finish high school even. Work for more charities, help other people who have had really rough lives.
And quilt! Yep, I think the quilters I know are pretty positive people because they have a wonderful activity which keeps their mind and hands busy. They think about others and help them out.
I am so very glad I have children and grandchildren to keep my mind off my aging body. I am very glad I had a satisfying career helping others although I readily admit, being a s*x symbol was never in the cards for me.
I love aging because I can slow down and take my time. I can read, sew, talk and heck, nap. I can value all I have in life.
And quite frankly I love being alive. Still. Not all of my family or friends were able to see their 60"s.
Bo should be darn grateful for what she has, that she is still alive and in good health. She has a companion and a great place to live. Fine, she"s not a quilter but into each life some rain must fall.
Maybe that rain will help her with her skin.
Sew happy!
Want to see what else I think and dream about? Check out my Facebook page. Like the page, check the get notifications and join the conversation! If you want to keep reading my blog, you can subscribe. To do so, type your email address in the box and click the "create subscription" button. You will receive a verification email. My list is completely spam free, and you can opt out at any time.
I"ve written some similar rants before. You can read them here and here. You can also skip Sharknado 3, I plan to.
2006 British Open Championship golf Sunday The Short List: Emotional British Open; Cuban Embassy re-opens; cheaters" exposed
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Out of the loop today? We"ve got what you missed.(Photo: Peter Morrison, AP)
British Open: One tearful winner, another golfer a shot short of history, and an amateur"s wild ride
It was a day full of emotion at this year"s British Open. The winner (Zach Johnson) fought back tears in an interview. One of the greatest golfers on the planet (Jordan Spieth) went down fighting in his march toward history. And an amateur (Paul Dunne) started the day leading one of the most prestigious golf tournaments in the world, before falling apart. The winner: Johnson, who says he"s just an ordinary guy from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, took home the Claret Jug. "I can"t. I"m at a loss for words," Johnson, with tears in his eyes, said in a TV interview moments after the playoff. Golf"s No. 2-ranked player: History was hovering above Spieth all week, but in the end, he choked on one hole under the pressure of a grand slam. Here"s the moment it all came to an end. "Today was a really tough day. ... I just wish I had given myself a little better opportunity," Spieth said. Golf fans felt the magnitude of the loss. The amateur: Dunne looked incredibly nervous during the final round, which is to be expected. After all, imagine yourself at 22 on the leaderboard. See how he fell apart.
USA TODAY Sports" Christine Brennan breaks down Zach Johnson"s dramatic playoff win in the 2015 British Open at Royal St Andrews in Scotland. USA TODAY Sports
The U.S. and Cuba do some more making up
The U.S. and Cuba got one step closer on Monday toward normalizing relations by re-opening the Cuban Embassy in Washington, D.C. It was the first time Cuba"s blue, red and white-starred flag was flown there since the U.S. broke off diplomatic relations with the communist country 54 years ago. President Obama and Cuban President Ral Castro announced in December the two countries would end their five-decade diplomatic freeze. The ceremony drew pro- and anti-Cuban protests. Pro-Cuban demonstrators said relations should never have been broken off to begin with. Anti-Cuban demonstrators said the U.S. needs to force human rights changes in Cuba, not get cozy with Castro. One of the next big questions for the U.S.: Whether to repeal economic sanctions.
Cuba raises national flag at embassy in Washington, D.C. USA TODAY
Millions of married cheaters today are feeling really betrayed
If you"re an Ashley Madison member, get your divorce lawyer on speed-dial. The dating website, which shamelessly targets married people, was breached by hackers. Millions use the site to start affairs. We don"t know exactly what data werecompromised in the breach, but personal information of some users was posted online. The site owner, Toronto-based Avid Life Media, told everyone things are secure now, and it"s working with law enforcement to investigate this "criminal act." No mention of morality.
Miranda and Blake just became the saddest line in your favorite country song
Country royalty Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert are splitting up. (OK, OK, deep breaths.) The singers announced their divorce Monday in a statement to the Associated Press. (You can do it, in and out, in and out.) The two met 10 years ago when they performed together at a CMT concert taping. Shelton proposed in 2010, and they got hitched the following year in Texas. The marriage made them country music"s highest-profile couple, though they were plagued with rumors of relationship trouble. In 2013, after a tabloid magazine questioned the stability of the marriage, Shelton tweeted Lambert, saying, "I just read in a tabloid that our marriage is falling apart!" Lambert tweeted back: "Oh no! Can"t wait to read if we make it or not." (Yes, it"s OK to sob through the irony.) We can"t help but wonder which one will be out first with an epic breakup ballad.
"We are alive. We are intelligent. We must know."
Don"t adjust that radio dial. Orson Welles isn"t around to fool us anymore. A search for real extraterrestrials will be underway soon. World-renowned scientist Stephen Hawking and entrepreneur Yuri Milner announced the launch of a $100 million project aimed at finding whether intelligent life exists in our universe. "Somewhere in the cosmos, perhaps, intelligent life may be watching these lights of ours, aware of what they mean," Hawking said. The 10-year project will use the powerful Green Bank Telescope in West Virginia and the Parkes Telescope in New South Wales, Australia, to survey the million stars closest to Earth. This covers 10 times more sky than previous projects. Hawking says there"s no bigger question than whether there is life beyond Earth. "We are alive. We are intelligent. We must know."
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Stephen Hawking and entrepreneur Yuri Milner announced Monday an unprecedented $100 million project to find intelligent life elsewhere in the universe. USA TODAY"s Shannon Rae Green speaks with science reporter Doyle about the project. Doyle Rice, Shannon Rae Green, USA TODAY
If you only read one thing tonight, read this: Untested rape kit policies get a fresh look
A USA TODAY/TEGNA joint investigation finds thousands of untested rape kits sitting in police department evidence rooms across the country. Rape victims, politicians and police are speaking out, hoping to change that. USA TODAY
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Extra Bites:
Gisele turned 35 today. Swipe through 35 of her stunning looks. Or don"t and go eat a doughnut.
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Have you seen it? People are good.
A little girl who is fighting Leukemia walked down the aisle recently, and "married" her favorite nurse. Watch the video to see their special ceremony. VPC
This could be one of the coolest things you"ve ever donated to: Kickstarter campaign starts to save Neil Armstrong"s spacesuit.
We all need a little distraction at some point during the day (what else are smartphones for?), so add DISTRACTME on the YO app. It"ll be fun, we promise.
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This is a compilation of stories from across USA TODAY.
Contributing: Brett Molina, Brian Mansfield, Oren Dorell, Jane Onyanga-Omara, USA TODAY; Steve DiMeglio, USA TODAY Sports; Luke Kerr-Dineen, Nick Schwartz, For the Win; Associated Press
