Bill Simmons Breaks Silence on Viral Pickleball Fight: Bill Simmons, the founder of The Ringer and former ESPN columnist, has denied being part of a viral pickleball fight that has been circulating online. The video showed a gray-haired man involved in a heated pickleball argument, which led some to wonder if it was Simmons. He firmly denied playing pickleball or hitting anyone with a paddle.
Oh, Bill Simmons, not like this. pic.twitter.com/nJtMBpldzi
— GEORGE PETRIE FOREVER (@LonelyTalegater) May 23, 2025
Clarifying the Confusion
On a recent episode of The Bill Simmons Podcast, co-host Ryen Russillo asked Simmons about the incident, saying, “You hit that guy right in the head.” Simmons quickly replied, “What is it? I don’t play pickleball.”
When Russillo joked, “That’s what I would tell a jury,” Simmons doubled down, insisting he has never played pickleball or assaulted anyone with a paddle. He called pickleball “reprehensible” and said, “I swear on the lives of my kids that I’ve never played pickleball.”
Although Simmons admitted the man in the video “does look like me,” he maintained his innocence. He expressed surprise at the attention the video received, saying, “Thank you for clearing that up. I didn’t know this was a thing. This is amazing.”
We need to talk about this pickleball incident.@BillSimmons @ryenarussillo pic.twitter.com/foSj5FZ4QJ
— The Ringer (@ringer) May 26, 2025
Simmons’ Views on Pickleball
Beyond denying involvement in the fight, Simmons shared his personal opinion of the sport. He described pickleball as “one of the worst things that’s happened in the last 10 years from a competitive sports standpoint.”
He criticized the noise, the injuries it causes, and the kind of people who play it. Despite his harsh views, Simmons joked that if someone sees a person who looks like him on a pickleball court, they might want to stay away.
This story shows how quickly videos can cause mistaken identity online. Simmons’ clear statement helps set the record straight but also highlights the growing attention—and debate—around pickleball.
News in Brief: Bill Simmons Breaks Silence on Viral Pickleball Fight
Bill Simmons denied being in a viral pickleball fight video. He said he doesn’t play pickleball and called the sport “reprehensible.” Though the man in the video looked like him, Simmons confirmed he was not involved and cleared up the misunderstanding on his podcast.
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