Bill Simmons formerly of Grantland and ESPN has new show coming out on HBO called “Any Given Wednesday.”
In February Simmons started a new website called “The Ringer” he hired several former Grantland staff to work with him on the new website.
Recently Simmons gave some insight into how they came picked the name The Ringer.
Here is an excerpt:
"We spent 10 solid weeks batting around names before finally settling on www.theringer.com.
The Ringer?
The Ringer. Easy to spell. Easy to say. Easy to remember. It frightened us for only two reasons:
1. A whopping total of zero websites have succeeded after using the same name as a failed Johnny Knoxville comedy about the Special Olympics.
2. If you look at theringer.com too fast, it looks like a Santa Barbara wine called Theringer.
Then again, “The Ringer” worked way better than other names we were considering. Sean Fennessey liked “Klique,” which sounds like Kanye’s ill-fated answer to Tidal. Chris Ryan pushed for “Klaxon,” which sounds like a new fiber cereal that might blow out your colon. I liked “Watershed,” which sounds like a financial-planning service that might advertise on my podcast. Eventually, I pivoted to “Heat Check,” then “Channel 33,” then “Chase the Night” — which I’ve loved ever since overhearing Worldwide Wes tell a young NBA player to go home instead of a strip joint because “you can’t chase the night.” What does this have to do with a website? I have no freaking idea.
But that’s what happens when you write a bunch of dumb names on a whiteboard and stare at them for hours on end. “The Intrepid”? (Sounds like a boat.) “Rational Confidence”? (Sounds like a failed college band.) “The Rafters”? (Sounds like a sports bar.) “Upper Echelon”? (Sounds like a hedge fund.) “Barnstorm”? (Sounds like a horse that would be favored to win the Kentucky Derby.) “Side Two”? (Too insider.) “Grantworld”? (Too ludicrous.) “Fuck Off, ESPN”? (Too easy.)
https://theringer.com/welcome-to-the-ringer-f1da4df7d937#.7o3nwwmv4
The complete story is shared here
In February Simmons started a new website called “The Ringer” he hired several former Grantland staff to work with him on the new website.
Recently Simmons gave some insight into how they came picked the name The Ringer.
Here is an excerpt:
"We spent 10 solid weeks batting around names before finally settling on www.theringer.com.
The Ringer?
The Ringer. Easy to spell. Easy to say. Easy to remember. It frightened us for only two reasons:
1. A whopping total of zero websites have succeeded after using the same name as a failed Johnny Knoxville comedy about the Special Olympics.
2. If you look at theringer.com too fast, it looks like a Santa Barbara wine called Theringer.
Then again, “The Ringer” worked way better than other names we were considering. Sean Fennessey liked “Klique,” which sounds like Kanye’s ill-fated answer to Tidal. Chris Ryan pushed for “Klaxon,” which sounds like a new fiber cereal that might blow out your colon. I liked “Watershed,” which sounds like a financial-planning service that might advertise on my podcast. Eventually, I pivoted to “Heat Check,” then “Channel 33,” then “Chase the Night” — which I’ve loved ever since overhearing Worldwide Wes tell a young NBA player to go home instead of a strip joint because “you can’t chase the night.” What does this have to do with a website? I have no freaking idea.
But that’s what happens when you write a bunch of dumb names on a whiteboard and stare at them for hours on end. “The Intrepid”? (Sounds like a boat.) “Rational Confidence”? (Sounds like a failed college band.) “The Rafters”? (Sounds like a sports bar.) “Upper Echelon”? (Sounds like a hedge fund.) “Barnstorm”? (Sounds like a horse that would be favored to win the Kentucky Derby.) “Side Two”? (Too insider.) “Grantworld”? (Too ludicrous.) “Fuck Off, ESPN”? (Too easy.)
https://theringer.com/welcome-to-the-ringer-f1da4df7d937#.7o3nwwmv4
The complete story is shared here
