Stephen A. Smith took some time to respond to those that said he went after FS1 at a recent ESPN Media Day event in Bristol. Both Smtih and Pat McAfee took shots at the media and the things are covered during the event. McAfee talked about his show getting a lot of negative press while Smith talked about his show not getting enough positive press.
McAfee went in depth on his criticism, specifically calling out certain outlets. Smith talked about all of this during the most recent episode of his podcast, The Stephen A. Smith Show.
At first, Smith spoke on what McAfee said, saying, “You can debate delivery, presentation, whatever. What you can’t debate is that he made some very valid points because people have been coming at him from day one. They have been blaming him and they have been trying to malign the show. And him speaking up for himself, I don’t blame him one damn bit. He was right to do so.”
As far as those that said Smith went after his competition and, Smith explained he was asked a question and he answered it.
“I don’t throw shade on my colleagues and contemporaries,” he said. “I don’t do that. I was asked a question about the competition…I’m constantly working towards being the best and I think that gives me an edge. But for the most part, what I say to people is ‘I’m number one.’ You know why I say that I’m number one and I never hesitate to remind people of that? Because y’all never hesitated to remind me that I wasn’t when I got fired.”
Smith then talked about some of his specific competitors.
“To Emmanuel Acho and the crew, you’ll never hear me speak against them,” Smith said. “They know how much I love them. They know I don’t want them to beat me. I’m gonna try to beat them, but that don’t mean I’m wishing for them to fail. Just like I was never wishing for Skip to fail. I hope Skip Bayless lands on his feet. I hope that brother got big time opportunities coming his way. I hope his career will span as long as he wants it to…I’m gonna always try to beat my competition. I will never root against people that I got love for and I care about. I just root to win. I don’t root for other people to lose. You see the difference? I hope y’all can comprehend that and understand that.
Smith then said all of his colleagues know he is there for them and can call on him anytime they need to. He mentioned some names and then talked about a couple people specifically including Mike Greenberg and Elle Duncan. Smith raved about how good of a job Greenberg does at hosting and then added he thinks so fondly of Elle Duncan, he has added her to the rotation of guests on First Take.
“Elle Duncan is a star in the making,” he said. “I’m adding Elle Duncan to the roster on First Take. Look for her on Fridays for this upcoming season.”
Smith then concluded talking about the ESPN talent roster wanting to win across the board and that it isn’t just Smith who wants to win.
“We are trying to win collectively,” he said. “I’m not trying to hurt anybody but be clear. I ain’t gonna apologize for winning and I’m not gonna apologize for prioritizing winning. That doesn’t mean I want you to plummet and fall on your damn face. It just means that when all is said and done, I want be the top-rated dog. That’s all, nothing more, nothing less.
“That’s how it’s gonna be. That’s how it’s been. And that’s how the hell it’s gonna stay.”
