In anticipation of SportsGrid, Mediaite’s upcoming sports baby (babies having babies!), and the crazy Power Grid-related arguing which will follow that launch we’ve decided to count down our list of the top 25 most influential sports bloggers, writers, and tweeters currently shaping the online sports narrative.

Last week, Bill Simmons had some harsh tweets for staffers (“deceitful scumbags”) at a Boston radio station that just so happens to be an ESPN partner. On Thursday, the network determined that he had violated their Twitter policy and suspended from its use for two weeks. The subsequent blog coverage was biting, as many jumped at the chance to compare Simmons to a child on timeout. Is ESPN cutting off their nose to spite their face?

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Bill Simmons is many things to many sports fans: a popular ESPN columnist, an influential Twitterer, and now, the author of a New York Times #1 bestselling book, The Book of Basketball.

Mediaite recently spoke to Simmons about the pressures of fame and bestsellerdom, his feelings about a fanboy named Will Leitch, and his plans to take over the Power Grid: