Stephen A. Smith, the successful and exuberantly outspoken ESPN sports commentator, has a message for those who wonder why he was spared the axe in ESPN’s first round of famous name layoffs, a housecleaning that left longtime contributors like veteran basketball gurus Jalen Rose and Jeff Van Gundy outside the ropes.
Smith doesn’t care for the speculation among those “in the industry” who think Smith might have (should have?) been among those dumped dozens. Smith says there are people at the network making more money that he is, and asks why aren’t their names on the lips of the gossips and speculators?
After all, Smith asserts in dropping his truth on the haters, those people who rank above him in salary — peoplewho aren’t mentioned as being on the chopping block — “don’t have the #1 show. They don’t have the top ratings. They don’t bring in more revenue” than Smith’s work at ESPN does.
A quick message to the haters out there pic.twitter.com/17txXHouv0
— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) July 5, 2023
Smith says he’s talking to the critics, including those he disparages as “wannabe media in the blogosphere and the websites that never went through the terrain of being official members of the fourth estate.”
Smith insinuates it may be a race issue, saying of the unmentioned names: “And by the way, none of them are Black.” Smith also notes in speaking his truth that he is not only top rated, but an executive producer on the top rated show. That’s more power than just being the talent.
That’s not to say that Smith believes he’s immune to the axe. He said earlier, after the media uproar following the first big dismissals: “This ain’t the end. More is coming. And yes, ladies and gentlemen, I could be next.”
Smith is in the habit of speaking his truth and he doesn’t shy away from complicated issues. See below as he talks passionately about an issue that he says is beyond mere “politics,” but is instead, as Smith puts it, about “life and death.”
We need to stop killing one another.
— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) July 4, 2023
I will not shut up about this. It is too important. pic.twitter.com/fZwisUg4yW
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