Pop CulturePop Culture

The NBA’s Vaccine Battle, 20 Years of ‘PTI,’ and Billy Crudup

Bill is joined by Bryan Curtis and Derek Thompson to discuss vaccine hesitancy in the NBA, the importance of on-air chemistry in television, and more

By Bill Simmons, Bryan CurtisSept. 29, 2021, 4:17 am UTC • 1 min

The Ringer’s Bill Simmons is joined by Bryan Curtis and The Atlantic’s Derek Thompson to discuss NBA media day and vaccine hesitancy among some NBA players. They discuss how certain local mandates can prevent unvaccinated players from playing, the NBA and NBPA, media coverage of the pandemic, and more (3:20). Then Bill and Bryan Curtis discuss the upcoming 20th anniversary of ESPN’s Pardon the Interruption, how PTI revolutionized the argument show, and the importance of on-air chemistry (36:05). Finally Bill talks with actor Billy Crudup about his career, including training for his portrayal of long-distance runner Steve Prefontaine in Without Limits, becoming a rock star for Almost Famous, as well as his character in the AppleTV+ show The Morning Show (57:30).

Host: Bill Simmons
Guests: Billy Crudup, Bryan Curtis, and Derek Thompson
Producer: Kyle Crichton

Subscribe: Spotify / Apple Podcasts / Stitcher / RSS

Bill Simmons

Bill Simmons

Bill Simmons is the founder and managing director of The Ringer, which he launched in 2016. He hosts ‘The Bill Simmons Podcast’ and ‘The Rewatchables,’ and also serves as head of podcast innovation and monetization for Spotify.

Bryan Curtis

Bryan Curtis

Bryan Curtis is the editor-at-large of The Ringer and cohost of ‘The Press Box’ podcast. A native of Fort Worth, Texas, he’s written for The New Republic, Slate, Play, and Grantland. He plays a deejay in a movie about the end of the world.