ESPN viewers called out TV personality Stephen A Smith for criticizing the sports media landscape that fans believe he played a significant role in creating.
The former newspaper columnist isn’t happy that ‘everyone has the freedom to have a voice’ now that anyone can start a podcast or offer their opinion on social media.
Smith, who produced the new ESPN+ series Up for Debate, also appeared to take issue with athletes accepting high-paying media gigs that previously would have been offered to traditional journalists.
‘Everybody has the freedom to have a voice, but you can say anything; you can almost get away with anything. That wasn’t what the world was like,’ he went on.
Smith explained that in the early days of his career, sports reporters had to earn their ‘license’ to offer an opinion.
‘In 2003, when I was named a general sports columnist for the Philadelphia Inquirer, I was the 21st African American in this nation’s history to become a general sports columnist,’ he said.
‘Now, anybody can have an opinion. I came up at a time where you had to earn your stripes and earn the right just to express yourself.’
Elsewhere in the discussion, he referenced personalities that have become ‘incredibly popular,’ and mentioned former NFL player, Shannon Sharpe, who is ‘making more money’ as a commentator than he did as an athlete.
‘The level of discourse that you’re witnessing right now, you don’t know where it’s coming from a lot of the time,’ he said
‘No one knows where the hell [the sports media industry] is going. Nobody is policing anything. You got out there, you have a voice, it resonates. What is this industry turning into? What has it transformed into?
Fans were quick to slam the NBA pundit for apparent hypocrisy.
‘SAS is what’s wrong with sports media. Any idiot can scream their opinion,’ one person commented on the ESPN clip.
‘The pot calling the kettle black,’ a second person wrote, while another echoed the sentiment, writing, ‘YOU ARE THE PROBLEM WITH SPORTS MEDIA’
A fourth fan commented, ‘Stephen A is indicative of the problem with sports media. People just love hearing the sound of their own voice…and they rarely say anything of value,’ while another theorized, ‘The mainstream media is jealous that retired athletes and rappers are more entertaining talking about sports than they are.’
News
NFL Sideline Reporter Jane Slater Had Shocking Reaction To Shannon Sharpe’s Leaked S*x Video
Shannon Sharpe and Jane Slater (Photos via Getty Images and janeashleyslater/Instagram) Shannon Sharpe has claimed that his Instagram was hacked on Wednesday after a s3xually explicit video was posted to his account. A woman can be heard moaning in the…
PHOTOS: Social Media Detectives Are Convinced They’ve Identified The Woman Shannon Sharpe Was Having L0UD INTERC0URSE With In Leaked Video
Shannon Sharpe (Photo via shannonsharpe84/IG) Social media detectives reckon they’ve identified the woman Shannon Sharpe was having intercourse with after a raunchy video was accidentally streamed via Instagram Live on Wednesday. Sharpe, also known as “Unc,” accidentally broadcast audio of…
Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift live in fear after potential attacks, ask each other for more personal security
Kelce urges Swift to boost security after thwarted terror plot Travis Kelce (left) is worried about Taylor Swift’s security.LAPRESSE Travis Kelce is really worried about Taylor Swift’s safety after three people tried to carry out a terror attack at one of…
Angel Reese suffers because of Teresa Weatherspoon: Calls grow for her dismissal from Chicago Sky
The Chicago Sky (11-19) are going through a rough patch, having lost four consecutive games and five of their first six matchups after the Olympic break. This has left fans increasingly frustrated and vocal about their concerns. Wednesday’s 74-70 loss to…
Olivia Dunne Fires Back At Fan Who Brought Up The “Hawk Tuah” Girl In Comments Section Of Her Romantic Photo With Boyfriend Paul Skenes
Hawk Tuah Girl and Olivia Dunne (Photos via Twitter & Instagram) Olivia Dunne just wants Haliey Welch aka the “Hawk Tuah” girl to be given a break. Dunne recently posted a few stunning bikini pictures while enjoying a boat ride with her boyfriend, Pittsburgh…
Caitlin Clark shows how good she really is with brutal treatment of Maya Caldwell…
Caitlin Clark shows how good she really is with brutal treatment of Maya Caldwell Caitlin Clark shined with a highlight behind-the-back play that resulted in an easy layup in the Indiana Fever’s 84-79 win over the Atlanta Dream Caitlin Clark…
End of content
No more pages to load