CBS, NBC Showing Little Interest In Bill Simmons; Fox Keeping Door Open

It sounds like CBS Sports and NBC Sports have little interest in courting Bill Simmons, while Fox Sports is keeping a door open to negotiate a deal for him. At an early morning panel at the Paley Center in N.Y, Fox Sports President Eric Shanks said he has met Simmons “once or twice” over the past several years. As to whether Fox Sports has an interest in hiring Simmons, Shanks said, "We’ll have to wait and see.” On the same panel, NBC Sports Group Chair Mark Lazarus and CBS Sports Chair Sean McManus both said the popular columnist is not part of their plans right now. Lazarus: "I’ve never met the man. We don’t have a reason to do business right now.” McManus: "I would agree with Mark.” Nearly two weeks have passed since ESPN announced that it would not renew Simmons’ deal, which ends this fall. Simmons will not appear on ESPN or Grantland platforms again.