Deadspin
You might know this already, but in case you don't: Rick Reilly, late of Sports Illustrated and soon to be everywhere on ESPN to justify that enormous contract, is one of the co-writers of Leatherheads, that new George Clooney movie that's opening Friday. Supposedly Clooney had to dramatically rewrite the (old) script, but whatever: Let's see you write a George Clooney movie.
We kind of feel like we should do two separate Rick Reilly rankings. One for now, when we are remembering the SI Reilly, and one after he officially starts on ESPN, when he is filling our screens every minute of every day. We suspect the ESPN Reilly might be a different beast.
Alas: One man, one vote.
So, do you like the Rick Reilly? Do you not like the Rick Reilly?
Comments
that's a large disapproval rating. while he might not have his A-game anymore, he provided some great reads on the back page of SI. so...a tepid Approve.
The Chicago Bears have more has-beens then a "Dancing With The Stars" taping. But seriously, this one kid has cancer.
That is one creepy picture of him. I'm glad you can see both his hands.
Alas: One man, one vote.
That doesn't apply to us right? 'Cause I am in the Chicago area, so I voted more than once.
@Stev D: Brilliant. That was just brilliant. It's a 20-word summary of everything Reilly has written in at least the past five years. If not longer.
Full disclosure: I own The Life of Reilly, and even send out his column on boxer Billy Miske every Christmas (oh, that makes me cry each year!), but the Hate Mail book remains unpurchased. For good reason.
Also, I was totally annoyed when he bitched about ESPN stealing his columns to turn them into Emmy-winning segments, only to join the enemy. Dude, if it was always about the money, then don't say it was about the morals. Dick.
Doesn't everyone just love his use of sarcasm via rhetorical questions?
He's where he belongs. Had promise at SI, but is now on SAS's level of annoying. No thanks.
If I wrote a script for a George Clooney movie, it would essentially go like this:
George: "Katie, what was I thinking? You are obviously the love of my life, the best thing that's ever happened to me."
Me: "Oh, George. Don't speak. Our actions don't need words."
[steamy sex scene]
Yep. That's about it.
Let's see you write a George Clooney movie.
You mean a screenplay, Heidi?
Approve.
Growing up, he was the only reason to pick up an issue of SI that didn't involve Kathy Ireland.
The quality of his columns went down so far so fast that I have to give him a Disapprove. I don't get a whole lot of kick out of doing it, either.
Can't wait for a 2010 ESPN top 10 list of "Greatest Worldwide Leader Abortions" with Who's Now, Steve Phillips press conferences, and the Riffs of Reilly.
He was Simmons before Simmons was Simmons, disapprove.
The new Rick Reilly Hack Joke Generating Unit V. 4.0 was definitely not worth the money ESPN is spending.
@Raskolnikov: +1
He's trying to solve that thing over there.....in Africa so Sutcliffe approves.
Disapproving because I had to march 10 tours after I got caught skipping a talk he had at USAFA. Son of a biiiiiitch!
Rick Reilly's contract is the carrot for which I am the dinkey. Athlete money is right. One day...
@Stev D: Perfect.
haven't we seen for the most part that DS readers seem to only really approve of Erin Andrews? This should either be a message to old media that the need to change or to us that at the end of the day hot chicks always win.
Let's see you write a George Clooney movie.
Okay.
INT. FANCY JOINT.
CLOONEY'S CHARACTER enters and sits down at table across from GORGEOUS WOMAN IN EVENING DRESS
GWIED: You're late.
CLOONEY: [smirk, rakish answer]
GWIED: We need to talk about our situation.
CLOONEY: [scowl, arch eyebrows, speak increasingly louder to convey concern]
EXT. DAY. SOMEPLACE POLLUTED
CLOONEY: [give earnest speech that saves world]
FIN
i called him for some internship information and he told me "fuck off."
/disapprove
@shea_guevara: You left out Brad Pitt sitting next to him, smirking and eating a sandwich.
I wrote Ocen's 12 on the back of cocktail napkin. Ok, maybe not me but someone did.
I liked him better when he was Dan Jenkins.
Approved because I read his column years ago, and haven't heard of him since. So anything he did which warranted a disapprove is unknown to me.
@UkraineNotWeak:
Ocean's
Approve by a slim margin. He provided some nice whimsy in the back of SI when I was growing up. Memories > Contemporary
@Raskolnikov: +1 million
While some of his columns are throw away hack columns of one-liners, he was one of the few writers that looks at the big picture.
Because of this:
[www.nothingbutnets.net]
I approve.
Seems to me that the answer to most of these people is, "ten years ago, yes, but today, disapprove."
@sassydeerrun:
Ladies.
@Le Kangourou de Kataroo is the REAL white lobster.: Don't bother writing it from scratch. You could probably do a nice treatment from my wife's first draft.
@Al Czerviks Ride to Denver via Albany: I agree. I don't see anything in here mentioning what i thought of him 10 years ago. Emphatically disapprove today.
I'm surprised at the disapproval rate. Back when I subscribed to SI, his back page column was always the first thing I turned to. My "approve" rating might change once he hits ESPN though. Like Simmons, he doesn't seem to be a natural TV/radio personality.
@The Fan's Attic: i may have spoke too soon. the approval rating has closed the gap significantly.
pro: one of the earlier writers to openly take long potshot at Barry Bonds--not for the obvious 'roid use, but just for being a clubhouse prima donna and asshole.
con: in doing so, inadvertently generated unwarranted sympathy for probably larger asshole, Jeff Kent.
redemption pro: may have inspired Pearlman to write Love me, Hate Me.
approve on balance.
I know I disapprove of the ever-growing collection of gay pictures of him that are being posted.
@asliceofbacon: what a scumbag
"Who's Your Caddy?" was a fun read. Hate the oversized RL Polo though...approved nonetheless.
Begrudgingly, for some reason, approved.
@Le Kangourou de Kataroo is the REAL white lobster.: George filmed part of Leatherheads here in the upstate. Naturally, he charmed the pants off everyone and drank a lot of beer.
Like him for the charity work.
Major dislike because he is friends with Dan Patrick
I approve because I can't predict the future, but I have a bad feeling about this.
Nothing But Not Approving
"Riffs of Reilly" was the worst name for anything ever. It's what a terrible stand-up comedian would call his "improv" humour.
Still, approve.
/wraps self in mosquito netting
/IMPORTANT Threadjack
If you are around a TV, WGN is replaying the Hank Aaron tribute to Ernie Banks from this morning...
I don't know the guy, but SI is a rag - sooooo
Mild Disaproval
How'd you find a picture of Reilly stabbing Monica Seles in the back?
Disapprove, mainly because you forgot the silent P when spelling his name.
Nice fucking shirt.
@ghostsoftheSCupcountry: Goddammit, Stephen A. Smith does not get to be "SAS." The San Antonio Spurs had it first.
Meh.
@Le Kangourou de Kataroo is the REAL white lobster.: If I wrote a script for George Clooney, it would go like this:
(George Clooney enters the room in a perfect tux with a glass of scotch in his left hand and a Swedish supermodel draped on the right.)
George: "Evening. Can I be any more awesome?"
(Suddenly, The Diesel walks in and stabs him in the leg.)
The Diesel: "THAT'S for being so handsome AND accepting a batsuit with nipples."
end scene.
How'd you find a picture of Reilly stabbing Monica Seles in the back?
He's in the Angry Pirate position. Just waiting for the victim to turn around.
@The Diesel: +1 lol
actualy, that goofy smile makes you think he just finished doing something on her back and he can't wait for her to find out.
@The Diesel: If I wrote a script for George Clooney, it would go like this:
(George Clooney enters the room in a perfect tux with a glass of scotch in his left hand and Le Kangourou de Kataroo draped on the right.)
George: "Evening. Can I be any more awesome?"
(Suddenly, The Diesel walks in and stabs him in the leg.)
The Diesel: "THAT'S for being so handsome AND accepting a batsuit with nipples."
end scene.
/fixed.
@ClueHeywood: @Stev D: Nice.
Good friend of mine in sports journalism has worked at a number of events in close proximity to RR(Olympics, etc). Predictably, he shits creme brulee which feeds starving orphans, and he has a Cuban-esque billion dollar dong.
Thumbs down.
Is relieving himself down her back?
Disapprove. He's devolved to the presidency of the Mitch Albom School of Sanctimonious Sportswriting.
Lets be honest, the only reason people read his column in SI was that its perfect shitter length.
I met Rick Reilly, and had the pleasure of heckling him at a reading. He is a supremely nice guy and very funny dude. He could seriously do stand-up.
Even if his video spots for SI were kind of lame, I still approve.