Bill Simmons, in his prime

I've talked about Bill Simmons in glowing light. He's a long-winded, online friend to many of us. Like that college friend, you haven't seen in a decade, you still know him and know well. To his core, because you both developed your cores together and at the same time.

Simmons is Mr. Interactive Media right now, and in his prime. I can't read his ESPN and Grantland columns -- they're too long and oh-so-specific. especially about NBA minutea. But Simmons and I still share our sweet spots: the NFL, some Olympics, video games.

I'm reveling in Simmons' podcasts now. He is rolling in fifth gear and who knows how long he can extend his prime. This year, he's had sit-downs with Barack Obama, Larry Bird, Mark Cuban, Magic Johnson. His Eric Mangini interview was tolerable (!)