Deadspin Commits Blogicide

As much as we claim to be brilliant, self inspired and otherwise amazing, we do have some humble roots from Deadspin. They have featured our articles in the past, have provided countless voices in their comments, and even spawned sites such as the amazing Kissing Suzy Kolber.

As such, it is with a very heavy heart that I see posts like this, pushing away the remaining members of the crowd in a post-Leitch era. The best content on Deadspin has always been the stories generated by the audience. Sure, you can pull together a staff and try to stay on top of things, but the best way to get information and traffic is from tips and comments.

I don't know whether or not this decision comes from Daulerio or Gawker Media, but I do know that it continues a trend of pushing away other content (Weekly Blogdome has been smashed, linkouts have been kept to a minimum...etc). I fear that this latest step may be the final nail in the coffin.

Thoughts? Post them - unfiltered - in the comments.

What The Hell Happened To: Dickey Simpkins

I think I'll pass to someone talented...

LuBara Dixon Simpkins, AKA "Dickey," was a reinvention of the NBA 6th man -- he was twice the player of any Ben Gordon. Why? He was, essentially, the 12th man.

Dickey played for the Bulls from 1994-1997, and amassed only 513 points in 167 games. He was left off of the playoff rosters for both the '96 and '97 championship years (although, much like Jack Haley, he did get the rings). After the 1997 season, the Bulls traded him to the Warriors for Scott Burrell, but were able to re-sign him for the 1998 season after the Warriors cut him.

Dickey stuck with the Bulls from 1998-2000, but it was only after 1999 that he really decided to shine. After getting rid of those "roadblocks" Pippen, Jordan, Rodman, and Longley, Simpkins was able to move into the role of a part-time starter. You take four starters out of the equation and you still don't get a starting job? Ouch. He's also apparently a really good Dad, "or my name isn't Dickey Simpkins."

In 2000, Simpkins was let go and went to play in Europe.

What the hell happened to Dickey Simpkins?

Dickey got around more than the village bicycle, playing for over 13 teams in 6 years. He only made it back to the NBA once (in 2002) for a brief one-game stint with the Hawks, but mostly spent those six years hopping around in Europe. His final game was played in 2006 for the Bramberg (Germany) Brose Brackets. He was seen shooting around at the Bulls facility in 2006 (sparking news of a Chicago comeback), but nothing came of it.

With professional NBA play behind him, Dickey decided to open his own training facility, called "Next Level Performance." The big D himself serves as head trainer, and has four facilities in various parts of Illinois. He currently lives in Buffalo Grove, IL, where he gets in touch with his glory days by putting on his old shorts and sitting on the bench.