Like you, I’d guess, until recently, I confess that I had never heard of Grantland Rice. In the past, before attempting to bedazzle you with my own brilliant insights about Rice and his legacy, I would spend a paragraph or so introducing him and attempting to convey his significance, a perfunctory convention writers have employed for hundreds of years to help readers wade into unfamiliar waters. But this being the Internet era, instead of wasting your time and mine, I can link to Grantland Rice’s Wikipedia page,  or you can simply search Google, and you can learn as much or as little about him as you’d like.

That dichotomy between what readers needed in the past and what they need today typifies what I find fascinating and perplexing about the announcement of Grantland, the soon-to-be-launched sports and pop culture website helmed by ESPN’s Bill Simmons.

(C) ESPN 2011

ESPN and Simmons deserve credit for trying something bold. It is typically hard to get established companies to take chances, so it should be noted that the Worldwide Leader is investing the time, money and resources necessary to foster Simmons’ grand experiment. Here, like with its 30 for 30 documentary series, ESPN, for all its flaws, is proving is committed to finding new vehicles to create compelling content. Not all publishers share this committment.

Similarly, I’m excited that Simmons has found an endeavour that has seemingly reignited his creative fire. For the better part of the last decade, I counted myself among those who looked forward to clicking over to ESPN.com in hope that I would find a new Simmons column waiting for me. I and many thousands of other readers embraced him over the years because his writing conveyed a special passion for sports that few others have been willing to so nakedly reveal. As a fellow Boston sports fan, it has always been easy to share his jubilation and his heartbreak, but it’s not a leap to suggest that the majority of his readership isn’t plugged into the Beantown sports matrix, yet still felt a bond with him because his unabashed love for sports and the culture of sport fans has been truly endearing. That’s why it’s been so disappointing that in recent years Simmons’ frequent columns have largely given way in favor of a pair of Brittanica-sized books and his semi-regular podcasts, the latter falling short of the cherished columns he frequently churned out in the last decade. Not to say these more recent departures haven’t been enjoyable, but even Simmons would likely agree that he hasn’t brought forth the same passion for his craft as he did when his focus was strictly columns. Putting the subjective aside, podcasts and books can’t be consumed in the same way as a written column, and escaping into Simmons’ world for 10 or 20 minutes at a stretch (or longer, if he happened to be writing about the NBA) was always time well-spent.

Yet I’m troubled about what we know about the plan for Grantland because the Internet has already laid waste to Web initiatives seeking to combine elements of pop culture and sports, such as AOL Fanhouse and TMZ Sports. The fundamental conflict, in this author’s opinion, is that while there is a sizable audience of people who do enjoy reading about both pop culture and sports, there are fewer who are interested in the intersection of the two. “You will never know what to expect when you come to the site – in a good way,” Simmons said recently about his brainchild. “That’s our ultimate goal.” Yet on some level, readers visit specific sites regularly for the fundamental reason that on some level they know what genre or kind of content they’re going to get. Taking that premise away, a website faces a more difficult challenge to grow and sustain a loyal audience.

Not to say there isn’t a large following who flock to whatever Simmons cooks up, and rightly so; he’s proven he can deliver the goods. But there’s a sort of pretentious, too-cool-for-school vibe that the Grantland moniker subtly conveys, almost as if to say that what we enjoy today from sports and pop culture media is inferior to the creativity and purity of purpose of what’s to come. There are a handful of truly special contemporary writers who have unique talents for engaging readers like Simmons, Chuck Klosterman, Katie Baker, and others. They embody Rice’s legacy of applying enthralling, Hemmingway-esque prose to the world of sports, and if this site is dedicated to simply allowing special people to thrive on their own terms, then it will undoubtedly succeed.

But as the New York Times, Newsweek and other dead-tree publications are learning the hard way, the public no longer needs to be spoon-fed a daily agenda of what stories matter, what topics matter, and which writers matter. Today’s media-savvy consumers are able to discern all that for themselves. It is when ESPN attempts to serve in loco parentis – seeking to explain why Lebron James is the best ever, why the Patriots had a terrible draft and why Brett Favre will retire for the eighth time –  that it becomes unbearable. So for its own sake, Grantland can’t be a vehicle to show us what we already see, tell us what we already know, or hype what we’ve already accepted or rejected. Its writers should strive to see the world of sports with us, not for us.

Finally, as for Simmons, he’s always been at his best when he was more like Rice and less like Dick Schaap: the wide-eyed outsider marveling at the sports world through a distant fan’s eyes versus the insider inebriated with southern California weather, Hollywood celebrities and Baron Davis’s mansion. If Grantland does nothing else other than to inspire Simmons to rediscover his passion for column writing, sports and the glory of fandom, that would be just fine. If it becomes a place where we all can do the same, then Simmons will indeed leave a lasting legacy of which Rice would surely be proud.

Paul Gammons, a columnist for PaulGammons.com, confesses to still occasionally watching The Sports Reporters.

• I’m happy for the Brits. They hadn’t caught a break since Elton John left.
• William’s fake smile tried to say: “I’m just happy to be here.”
• William’s fake smile really said: “I’d like to pull a William Wallace on every one of these reporters.”
• Kate looked amazing. I’d also like to know what meds she was on.
• One word: Pippa!

And moving on…

• I think Ricky Romero and LL Cool J were separated at birth.
• It’s not gonna matter how many pitchers Philadelphia has if nobody can hit.
• I’m still trying to figure out if I like Jade McCarthy. I don’t think that’s a good sign.
• Hey JD Drew: Probably not a good plan to watch strike three go by to end a one-run game.
• What’s the difference between men who like Katy Perry and women who like Katy Perry? The men know she can’t sing.
• After 2011, we’re going to find out who Derek Jeter really is based on whether he goes out with class, or sticks around for the cash.
• Norm MacDonald has helped me realize that if I ever completely lose all my talent and want to mail it in for a paycheck, I can always get a half-hour show on Comedy Central.
• The Barry Bonds jury should instantly be found guilty of obstruction of justice.
• Hey Tony LaRussa, if Britney Spears can beat schizophrenia, so can you.
• From a marketing perspective, the only problem with ChardonClay and CabernAce is that you’d have to already be drunk to buy wine called ChardonClay and CabernAce.
• If I’m Eddie Cibrian, I think I’m getting off the LeAnn Rimes train, like, yesterday.
• Don’t you just hate the Braves for pulling Jonny Venters and Craig Kimbrel seemingly out of thin air?
• I’ve got a bad feeling that we may never see the RemDawg again.
• If Andre Ethier can hit like this amid all this Dodgers turmoil, think how good he can be when he doesn’t have to dodge bullets in the parking lot.
• Guys who are for real: Jose Bautista, Joey Votto, Jeff Francoeur, Trevor Cahill, Drew Storen, SEAL Team 6.
• Guys destined to crash harder than Russell Brand: Lance Berkman, Bartolo Colon, Michael Pineda, Sal DiMasi.
• Hey Madonna, if you’re looking for your playbook, Lady GaGa has it.
• Close call on who’s been the bigger fraud: Greg Mortenson or Daisuke Matzuzaka.
• I never thought I’d admit it, but I miss the “old” WEEI. Damn you, Felger!
• Finally, three words for Paul McCartney: DON’T DO IT!

Paul Gammons, a columnist for SearchFantasyBaseball, thinks it’d be nice if Matthew Berry actually knew something about fantasy sports.

Anyhow, let’s start with something that doesn’t require a whole lot of work: a poll question!

The team’s biggest power threat was immediately placed on the 60-day DL, making Los Gomos Extranos an even bigger underdog to Jon’s WonTons.

by Paul Gammons

After a wait that was nearly as epic as Playboy‘s wait for Linsday Lohan, the 2009 SearchFantasyBaseball playoffs are finally here. It was a wild ride though, with no playoff spots clinched early this year. Just a handful of points separated the top six competitors heading into the final week of the regular season, meaning those precious first-round byes were very much up for grabs.

Congratulations to Mimosox and Chamiqua for earning the week off; we’ll get to them next week. And condolences to Cavemen (122-115-27) and Woman Juice (126-117-21), as this was the first time in memory that SFB had two above-.500 teams fail to make the playoffs (that’s what happens when the really, really bad teams stink as much as they did this year).

But now we’ve got a pair of tremendous matchups, so let’s get right to ‘em.

(4) Jon’s WonTons (135-111-18)
(5) Los Gomos Extranos (128-109-27)

Chad Pennington must’ve learned the art of the comeback from Jon’s WonTons. Each year, the squad seems to flounder until August, then suddenly pulls an Artie Lange (minus the freebasing and DUIs) on the league and barrels its way into the playoffs. This year was no different, going 24-12 to finish off the year before a 7-4 loss to Chamiqua in the season’s final week.  

Like the Swine Flu, Los Gomos Extranos just won’t stop unleashing its tirade of Mexican fury on the league. As I noted in my last column, Gomes has been the hottest team heading into the playoffs, winning eight of its last nine matchups, despite the season-ending injury to ace Johan Santana.

The season series between the two foes was a split (5-4 Tons in week 3; 7-5 Gomes in week 14), pointing to a Gosselin-like battle for the ages in this first-round duel. I give Gomes a fighting chance, as Ryan Zimmermann is displaying why he’s a franchise cornerstone, and Carlos Pena is once again going on a post-break tear looks to be the 2009 AL home run king. But the Tons have an offense that makes opponents feel like Tila Tequila at Shawne Merriman’s house, and starters like C.C. Sabathia, Clayton Kershaw and Feliz Hernandez have been lights-out since the break.

Prediction: 7-4 Jon’s WonTons

Here’s our other matchup:

(3) Jack’s Survivors (135-107-22)
(6) Parizona Carollas (128-112-24)

The defending champs look strong heading into the post-season. Jack’s Survivors have won four of its last five, and are undefeated in its last seven.

The Parizona Carollas have a lot in common with Adam Carolla: it can never seem to get anything going. The team has only had one winning streak of more than two weeks all season, and when it finally started getting momentum heading into the playoffs, it tripped on the hairy feet of the Cavemen.

Parizona took the week eight matchup 7-4, but the Vivors came back with a 10-1 bitch slap in week 19, Parizona’s worst loss of the season.

On paper, this one looks pretty lopsided. Parizona’s best hitter in the past month has been rookie Garrett Jones, while veterans like Alex Rodriguez and Jimmy Rollins have struggled to find consistency all season. Upstart rookie starters Mat Latos and Chris Tillman were providing the team with a big lift, but Latos was shut down Saturday night and Tillman clearly looks fatigued. Meanwhile, the Survivors’ Joe Mauer and Evan Longoria are both in the MVP discussion, while the rest of the lineup has been scoring and driving in runs almost as quickly as the Van Jones era came and went. However, among its starters, only Tommy Hanson has truly been excellent as of late, and the Carollas have a superior slate of closers, meaning a brilliant pitching performance by Parizona could be enough to end the champs’ reign.

Prediction: 6-5 Parizona

Paul Gammons, a columnist for PaulGammons.com, says Curt Schilling for senate is a change he can believe in.

It’s hard to believe that in just a few short weeks, the 2009 SearchFantasyBaseball playoffs will be upon us. While I’ve been mourning the death of the King of Pop, there’s nothing like fantasy playoffs to revive the spirit — when six months of preparation and execution can come down to a final Sunday night start, when rivalries are born and renewed, and when the Cavemen inevitably run out of roster moves.

In anticipation of what’s expected to be another riveting run to the SFB title, here’s my countdown of the top five storylines heading toward the postseason:

No. 5 – Is fate finally on Chamiqua’s side? The RuPaul of SFB dominated the regular season both last year and the year before, only to fall short in the playoffs. This year, like Barney at a Miley Cyrus concert, Chamiqua is quietly lurking nearby, just six games back of the leader.

While it hasn’t been a dominant season, Chamiqua team captain Roy Halladay says the mood in the locker room is upbeat. “We haven’t been able to put a consistent stretch of wins together for a while,” Halladay said, noting the team’s inconsistency since the halfway point, “but nobody else has either.” Well, that’s true, except for…

No. 4 – Does Gomes have yet another remarkable stretch run in store? After breaking all natural laws to take the SFB title a couple years ago, Los Gomos Extranos has fired off a league-best 35-15 run during the past five weeks. Plus Gomes has a soft schedule the rest of the way, facing two of the league’s three worst teams in the regular season’s final four weeks. So is the hype justified, or has Gomes already dumped Kate Major, so to speak? With Ryan Zimmerman, Adam Jones and Jason Kubel leading a suddenly potent offense and Johan Santana anchoring a solid rotation, Gomes might sneak into the playoffs once again, and from there, anything can happen. Unfortunately.

No. 3 – Have the bad teams ever stunk this much? Smell those rotting corpses? Then you must be checking out the bottom of the SFB standings. Ortiz’s Taint(ed), Watergates and Bums v2.4 have been sucking pond water all year long. Even all of Billy Mays’ drugs couldn’t console this sad group, which sit 27.5, 40.5 and 42 games back, respectively. It’s futility unlike that which we’ve ever seen in SFB. Well, at least since The Huntress left.

No. 2 - Which bubble teams will be on the outside looking in? An epic battle is underway for the last few playoff spots, as six teams from 4th to 9th in the standings are all within eight points of each other. In fact, as many as three above-.500 teams may miss the playoffs, something that’s never happened in the history of SFB head-to-head competition. (Insert your own dramatic pause here. Go ahead, I’ll wait.)

No. 1 – Can the MimoSox avoid an epic collapse? After looking dominant all season long, the Mimosox’s wire-to-wire run atop the standings is in jeopardy. Currently in the midst of its only multi-week losing streak of the season, the MimoSox have been outscored 5-17 in the fortnight. Albert Pujols and Mark Reynolds have been huge as of late, but the starting pitching looks as vulnerable as it has at any point in 2009. Not unlike Eddie Cibrian. With Parizona and Chamiqua both just a half dozen games back, the MimoSox’s first-round bye could be hanging in the balance. (Optional dramatic pause here. Only if you want to.)

Paul Gammons, a columnist for PaulGammons.com, will probably be back later this week with his annual (or when he feels like it) “three deals that need to happen now” feature in advance of this weekend’s SFB trading deadline.

Courtesy Deadspin.

(For those of you just joining us.)

…On Thursday, at the clubhouse table where McLouth used to play cards with relievers Sean Burnett and Jesse Chavez, a candle bearing McLouth’s uniform No. 13 was lit, along with a photo of him in uniform, the Post-Gazette reported. “We’ll miss him,” Burnett said.

Pirates GM Neal Huntington may want to call Red Sox GM Theo Epstein to see if he still has that gorilla suit handy.