The Bill Simmons Podcast
Talking NBA, March Madness, JuJu, MLB and 'The Bachelor' With Callie Curry, Tate Frazier, J. Kyle Mann, and Anthony Dabbundo
Tue, 25 Mar 2025
The Ringer's Bill Simmons is joined by Callie Curry to discuss some basketball updates about Seth Curry, Doc Rivers, and Stephen Curry (2:34), before discussing 'The Bachelor' franchise approaching an existential crisis, the fundamental problems with the show, potential fixes, and more (23:55). Next, Bill is joined by Tate Frazier and J. Kyle Mann to discuss the state of the NCAA tournament and NIL's rapid impact on college basketball's transfer portal (39:57), before Tate and Kyle give their five favorite storylines heading into the Sweet 16 (01:00:30). Finally, Bill talks with Anthony Dabbundo about his five favorite MLB futures, featuring the Yankees, Red Sox, Braves, Diamondbacks, and more (01:28:33). Host: Bill Simmons Guests: Tate Frazier, J. Kyle Mann, Anthony Dabbundo, and Callie Curry Producers: Kyle Crichton and Chia Hao Tat Order Michelob ULTRA today, available on Doordash! ENJOY RESPONSIBLY © 2025 ANHEUSER-BUSCH, MICHELOB ULTRA® LIGHT BEER, ST. LOUIS, MO. The Ringer is committed to responsible gaming. Please visit www.rg-help.com to learn more about the resources and helplines available. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Chapter 1: What updates are there on the NBA and Charlotte Hornets?
But, you know, it hasn't been a great season, but what would have been your Charlotte NBA impressions?
Bill, I just want to tell everyone, including the listeners, that before the season started, you texted me and said, am I crazy for thinking that Charlotte is a playoff team? I had a lot of injuries. And I said, no, you're not crazy. I think they're going to be better than people think this year. Yeah. They have a chance to get the number one pick if people are not aware.
Chapter 2: How is Seth Curry's career evolving?
So it didn't go the way that we thought, but I have never seen a team have more injuries. It's like player after player after player after player.
And that's it. Sometimes you just have the bad juju and then that's how it goes.
Yeah. Also, you know, they're super young. I just we'll see what it looks like next year. But I do think that they have good pieces.
So is Seth, he's officially in his like wise vet stage of his career. That's where we've landed.
Yeah. A hundred percent.
Like just taking young guys under his wing and telling them about the week.
Yeah. And, you know, just like this is, you know, how things work on most other teams. He's the oldest by a lot. He does not know the music played in the locker room for sure.
Oh, he got to that stage?
Yeah. Like a hundred... I mean, the average age on this team has to be like maybe 23, 24. Jesus. They're so young. Yeah. Well, that... He loves it. And he loves Charles Lee. Absolutely loves. I don't know anyone that doesn't like Charles Lee, to be honest with you. Loves Charles Lee. Loves the new management. Loves like he's enjoying it. He likes being back home. So he's super happy.
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Chapter 3: What is the current state of the NCAA Tournament?
Yeah. I was I was way more glass half full on it because I really thought Jimmy still had his fastball.
Yeah.
And was just kind of had it in his back pocket waiting for the right situation. But, you know, it's the dream on Jimmy piece was going to be the fun part. But it seems like they really clicked.
Yeah. So far, they seem to be doing just fine. I, what's crazy to me is like, what seed will they end up being, right?
Yeah.
Like, I would not want them in a first round. If I've won, like, if they end up like, let's say they end up like a five seed, six seed. Like, that sucks for whoever the third seed is. No question. Like, you won the whole year and you get them the first round.
I felt that way. I went to the Clippers OKC game on Sunday. And now Kawhi's healthy and who knows how long that's going to last. But he looks really, really good. And I was sitting there going, this would be a crazy eight seed. This team, they have two like Hall of Fame scorers slash players. Zubats is a top six center.
Out of his mind.
They have role guys all over the place. They have Norm Powell, who's like instant offense. They have one of the best coaching staffs and they have, they actually have a home court advantage finally, which is the craziest.
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Chapter 4: What are the favorite storylines heading into the Sweet 16?
one I would say the fans are better than you'd think for where they are yeah I've been to some other arenas when their team is about the same place as Charlotte is and it's like awful to go to those games but If the game is tight, the fans are up and cheering. And they're essentially playing for nothing right now, right? So you wouldn't think that fans would care that much.
They did just redo the arena, so it's nicer. Oh, that's good.
Yeah.
But it is weird. The Knicks played everyone. Obviously, Jalen Brunson's out. And they won by 20 because of what you're saying. I'm sure the Knicks rolled in their automatic dub. But Charlotte's whole team is a bunch of 19-year-olds that have all the energy in the world. So if they get up and you're not taking them seriously, they will steal a win.
They've beat teams that you're like, how are they beating these teams? And then they'll lose to the Wizards.
right they're feisty offensively yeah you don't know what you're gonna get and if LaMelo is playing and hitting the most outrageous shots in the world like it is fun and Miles Bridges post playoffs has been amazing yeah post all-star break yeah oh yeah post all-star yeah so is LaMelo is he as talented as you thought he was or is he even more talented I think he's way more talented than I thought he was before we got here
What is it specifically?
His offense is the things that he does, the shots that he makes that look like... These are circus shots. But he makes a decent percentage of them. So it's kind of like, you got to let him have it, I guess. And he can see things. He is so talented. I'm hoping... that everyone gets healthy and next season they have a chance because I'd love to see him like on a good team.
I don't like to judge like that talented of a player. Like people will be like, oh, but the team's always bad. I'm like, but yeah, that's not his fault.
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Chapter 5: Which MLB futures are worth watching this season?
So I never had SC winning the tournament.
But I think... By the way, I didn't either because her usage rate was too high. You can stop that over the course of a tournament.
Yeah. It'll be interesting though because they have other players that are good. So it'll be interesting to see how they... They're good enough, I think, that they might still win at least one more game. Kiki's great. Yeah. The other point guard that came from Oregon State, I'm blanking on her name right now. She's pretty good. So I think that they'll be okay. UCLA has so much size.
I just think it's impossible to bet against South Carolina. How many times do you have to do it?
I'd go UCLA. You have UCLA? I think I'd pick UCLA now. I like their team. And I like that they have real size. Real size.
I don't know. They're feisty. I think that they had one of the tougher schedules and won again and again and again, except for against USC. And now USC is not going to be in the picture. Sleeper team, I guess, would be, which is not that big of a sleeper because they were number two seed. But Notre Dame is really good.
I'm looking at the odds right now just so we know what they are. National champion, UConn's plus 155. Yeah, UCLA is 7-1. I like that as like a long shot bet.
Yeah.
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Chapter 6: What challenges does 'The Bachelor' franchise face?
Interesting, because they probably spend way more time just chilling and hanging.
Way more time. Also, it's not like they're forced to only have their eyes on one person. They get to be introduced to 10 people and pick who they want out of those 10 people. And you're both choosing each other instead of here's the one guy, fall in love with him.
It's been interesting to watch the franchise evolve over the... Or not evolve... Over the 20 years. Because like Survivor was in some of the same boat where it's like they have this game. Here's the premise. And then people are like, okay, I'm kind of used to this. And then they would tweak certain things and do the tribes differently. And they were always trying to innovate.
You can't really innovate with The Bachelor. And I think... And you think like how many shows have passed it from around, like even Temptation Island on Netflix. Did you watch that? My wife dove in. I watched it too. And she thought it was good. And I might have seen a couple episodes myself, but it was just, it's like a smarter version of the same kind of idea.
And it just, The Bachelor feels like it's out of like the 1980s at this point.
I agree with you. The problem is The Bachelor still gets like over a million views, which is more than what these other shows get. I just think that the other shows have so much more like cultural relevancy.
Yeah. No, no question.
So how do you stop? It's the lowest production, how much money they put into the production versus how much money they make off of it. It still makes sense for them to make the show. It's just not... I agree with you. It's not a great show. I think Bachelor in Paradise could be great. But Bachelor and Bachelorette, I think they're pretty rough. And...
So you wouldn't try to blow it up and try to actually change the show in some way. Because we should mention the biggest thing that's changed is in the last seven, eight years with all these reality shows, it used to be one of those things where they're like, it would be awesome if somebody just got drunk and then got mad at somebody else and they just started screaming at each other.
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