Grantland.com has "brought several goodies" in its first week, and "so far, so good" for the new joint project from ESPN and Bill Simmons, according to Neil Best of NEWSDAY. The "beauty of being ESPN is that it has the power and resources to try different things, even things as retro" as Grantland. Its roster of writers "is deep, and its intentions are noble." ESPN Exec VP/Content John Skipper said, "We have enough platforms that we can do a very literary, smart site, but with some attitude and style. I think people are going to like it" (NEWSDAY.com, 6/10). Grantland Deputy Editor Dan Fierman said, "We are trying something new in a bright spotlight." Fierman believes that there is "room for the style of journalism they aim to deliver" at Grantland. He said, "There's an audience for serious -- and not-so serious -- pieces that take time to produce. And it takes real writers with real paychecks." Fierman and Simmons both "concede the site is still a work in progress" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 6/12). The COLUMBIA JOURNALISM REVIEW's Sam Eifling wrote that Simmons "had the good sense and gall to brand Grantland as far away from ESPN as possible," which "fueled hope among readers and writers." Last Wednesday's debut "both justified this optimism and pointed to the risks of the solipsistic Simmons running without a leash." Grantland "likely will rise or fall on the appeal of its guiding persona." Eifling: "At best, Grantland so far is jaunty revelry for the sporting life and for culture at large. At worst, it threatens to go down as the Manhattan Project of navel-gazing." From a visual standpoint, the site "looks wonderful: Grantland’s design is a triumph of clean display and minimal advertising; the sponsors haven’t slathered the page in blinking, blipping signage" (CJR.org, 6/10).
