I Listen So You Don't Have To: The B.S. Report with Michelle Beadle

Michelle Beadle and Bill Simmons talk some 'rasslin this week (among other things) Photo Credit: Getty Images

If you're new, here's the rundown: I listen to a handful of wrestling podcasts each week. Too many, probably, though certainly not all of them. In the interest of saving you time — in case you have the restraint to skip certain episodes — the plan is to give the bare bones of a given show and let you decide if it’s worth investing the time to hear the whole thing. There are better wrestling podcasts out there, of course, but these are the ones in my regular rotation that I feel best fit the category of hit or miss. If I can save other folks some time, I'm happy to do so.

Show: The B.S. Report
Episode: Sept. 8, 2014
Run Time: 1:17:09
Guest: Michelle Beadle

Summary:“Michelle Beadle joins Bill (Simmons) in studio to talk about her obsession with the WWE, thoughts on Ray Rice, and the importance of on-screen chemistry.” That’s the official episode description — in reality there’s about nine minutes of wrestling talk to open the show, then the WWE gets invoked again around minute 29 in relation to the NFL’s lingering issues with concussions and resulting brain disease.

Quote of the week:“I’ve been in relationships before where I almost had to hide my love of WWE in shame, and now I just wear it proudly.” — Beadle

Why you should listen: You love Michelle Beadle and everything she produces, especially her opinion of Randy Orton’s mic skills. You want to think about Roman Reigns as it relates to an ascendant Ultimate Warrior 25 years ago. You want to learn the identity of the “Let’s go Cena!” child from the SummerSlam audience.

Why you should skip it: Because there’s like ten minutes of wrestling talk in total, and none of it’s interesting. Because it angers you when celebrity “fans” get to sit ringside at major shows. Because you don’t care what the Sports Gal thinks about Simmons’ collection of WWE folding chairs. And you really, really don’t care about Beadle’s boyfriend.

Final thoughts: Both of these folks are legitimate WWE fans (Beadle has more current bona fides but Simmons has started experiencing wrestling through his children, which actually is an underrepresented viewpoint online), but this is by no means a wrestling podcast. If you’re surprised by anything they discuss, you’re not on Twitter. Beadle’s “Cheap Heat” appearance was far superior (she’d actually make a great David Shoemaker co-host) and hopefully once she gets her own Grantland podcast next week, she’ll be able to foster some legitimate WWE discussion. Until then… save your time.