Stephen A. Smith Radio Show Update
ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith has been on a roll. Smith, 58, recently signed a $100 million deal to remain with ESPN, along with a multi-year deal to host two radio shows, one of which isn’t sports-related, on SiriusXM.
Smith has called out President Donald Trump and the Democratic Party; while suggesting he could be a more moderate politician if he were to make a Presidential run. Smith has been making headlines for the wrong reasons. Here’s the latest on the matter.
Stephen A. Smith’s Two Radio Shows
Stephen A. Smith has been doubling down with his media empire. Smith’s multi-year deal with SiriusXM came with two new radio shows, a sports talk show on Mad Dog Sports Radio (channel 82) and an upcoming weekly non-sports show focused on politics, pop culture, and social commentary on a separate SiriusXM channel.
Smith said on The Howard Stern Show, “To say that I’m excited would be an understatement … Reuniting with my guy, Mad Dog, is a beautiful thing. But having a platform to speak on riveting subjects in pop culture and politics? That’s next level.”
Smith Remains With ESPN
Stephen A. Smith has risked angering his bosses at ESPN, despite signing a $100 million deal in recent days. Back in 2014, ESPN suspended Smith for a week following his comments on former Baltimore Ravens star Ray Rice and domestic violence. To this day, Smith disagrees with ESPN’s suspension.
Awful Announcing recently reported that Smith said, “Everybody and their mother advises me, ‘Don’t revisit it. It’s a no-win situation.'”
“I know what I said. And what I did was utter the word ‘provoke.’ A former colleague at ESPN took it, ran with it, and it went ballistic on Twitter. The leadership at ESPN reacted to that. When the heat elevated, [they] said, ‘We have to suspend you.’ And that’s a blemish on my career I do not believe I deserve. I’ve been consistent in that position. I’m a father of two daughters. I know what I’ve never condoned or excused. Unfortunately, we live in an immature society where people are not deducing right from wrong and contextualizing things properly.”
Smith’s rant to the Rolling Stone might’ve sounded a bit bizarre. However, Smith wasn’t necessarily trying to excuse domestic violence. But, at the end of the day, ESPN did what they thought was best for them.
Final Thoughts
Without a doubt, Stephen A. Smith is the face of ESPN. Smith, however, appears to want to be the story and not just talk about the story, also known as the NBA Finals. Smith’s apparent antics are causing more media outlets treating him like a player at the Finals — and this is why many sports fans dislike Smith, citing drama.
Smith has a right to comment on politics. However, Smith’s comments on Memphis, Tennessee, on First Take were unacceptable, even though some players reportedly don’t want to play for the Memphis Grizzlies as a result. There’s a time and place for everything, and Smith might want to separate his sports journalism career from his potential Presidential run.
