Stephen A. Smith just proved some of his critics right without even knowing it. On Monday night, the ESPN First Take executive producer and lead talent spent over an hour taking shots like the “straight shooter” he claims to be. An hour filled with research, hints of sabotage, and a me-versus-you cavalier approach toward former colleagues’ words about his persona.
It’s impossible to play victim and yet have a God complex. That was the essence of Smith’s Monday night performance.
What he showed was not just expected—it was disappointing. I’d like to expect different, but unfortunately it’s impossible. For someone who stands by his record and the salary it commands, why worry about punching down when everyone else is punching up?
Reaching Smith’s level of success isn’t easy. He’s the face of an all-sports network without ever playing professional ball. He’s a writer, columnist, pundit, producer, author, host, and, occasionally, an actor. He has consistently taken on every role or opportunity presented—and kept asking for more.
His resume speaks for itself, and his checking account proves it.
Climbing to the top is hard. Staying there is harder. You become a target for contemporaries, critics, and fans alike, amplified by social media. Being a public figure is challenging, yet desirable. Achieving Smith’s success as a public figure is rare.
Smith slipped up during his hour-plus commentary, responding to recent remarks by former ESPN commentators Michelle Beadle and Cari Champion.
Bashing Beadle
Regarding Beadle, who last week said she is “praying” for Smith’s downfall after Smith’s latest “ambassadorship” with Papaya Gaming—a mobile gaming company that’s currently embroiled in a federal lawsuit accusing it of falsely marketing “games of skill” that were using unbeatable bots.
This wasn’t the first time Beadle shared her criticisms of Smith. She was critical in 2014 following Smith’s controversial commentary on domestic violence in the wake of Ray Rice’s assault of his now-wife, saying “I’ll never feel clean again” and “I’m now aware that I can provoke my own beating” following Smith’s comments.
For the record, Smith apologized for his remarks and served a one-week suspension for his comments on ESPN. Beadle told Front Office Sports that her feelings toward Smith date back to those comments, and she’s never forgotten them.
Since those comments, Smith’s star has risen at ESPN while Beadle took a buyout in 2019 from the network. She’s bounced from ESPN to several other networks to her most recent stop at SiriusXM Mad Dog Radio, where she was let go from the network after news surfaced her daypart would be replaced by… you guessed it. Stephen A. Smith.
Is it fair for Beadle to have those feelings toward Smith? Sure. We all have feelings toward people in our own lives for one reason or another. Beadle has just been more public than many others in sharing her thoughts. People are allowed to have opinions shaped by how they feel about another’s actions. That’s life.
Straight Shootin’
That’s where Smith errored in his commentary. At first, stating that he doesn’t know Beadle and has no personal or professional relationship with her at all, Smith said that Beadle is trifling, meaning unimportant.
If that’s the case, and using logic, any random podcaster could have said what Beadle said and would have gotten the same response from Smith.
The flex of Smith comparing his resume to Beadle’s doesn’t make Smith look any better either, stating he knows why Beadle is no longer with ESPN and knows why she hasn’t returned to ESPN or any other network since. He claimed ignorance in not knowing his time slot at SiriusXM would be taking over hers and then proclaimed her attitude on air at SiriusXM led to her firing from the company.
Smith is no executive. He has never hired or fired Beadle. Publicly claiming he “knows” put him—and his superiors—in a bad spot.
Is this the image ESPN wants from its top talent? A straight shooter who can’t keep the gun in the holster?
You can’t attempt to play victim by defending your work ethic and standing, then showcasing your God complex by peacocking your resume as a belief in your own superiority over someone else.
It didn’t stop with Beadle. The next twenty minutes of Smith’s tirade were dedicated to his former First Take teammate Cari Champion. The former ESPN host called out Smith for “not having the same smoke” for Michelle Beadle that she felt he showed toward herself and other women such as Michelle Obama or Jemele Hill.
Smith didn’t understand where Champion’s commentary was rooted but went on to take credit for her hire at ESPN from the Tennis Channel. Claiming he “stopped” Skip Bayless or “someone else” from interfering. What could have been a private conversation sounded like a king chastising a servant. Smith expects loyalty when he feels it’s deserved, asserting he was responsible for Champion’s success—not her. His comments stated as much.
Again, is this what ESPN wants from its top talent? Someone who can’t gauge when to hold back?
Stephen A. Smith didn’t just misstep on Monday night—he reminded everyone exactly why criticism follows him wherever he goes. Talent and success don’t exempt anyone (including Smith) from criticism, and no resume, salary, or airtime can shield you from looking small when ego overshadows judgment.
Smith acted when bigger men walk away and continue their mission towards success.
In the court of public opinion, the higher you climb, the harder the fall—and Monday night proved even a giant can stumble when pride takes the mic.
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John Mamola is Barrett Media’s sports editor and daily sports columnist. He brings over two decades of experience (Chicago, Tampa/St Petersburg) in the broadcast industry with expertise in brand management, sales, promotions, producing, imaging, hosting, talent coaching, talent development, web development, social media strategy and design, video production, creative writing, partnership building, communication/networking with a long track record of growth and success. He is a five-time recognized top 20 program director in a major market via Barrett Medi’s Top 20 series and has been honored internally multiple times as station/brand of the year (Tampa, FL) and employee of the month (Tampa, FL) by iHeartMedia. Connect with John by email at John@BarrettMedia.com.
That’s a fantastic follow up question. WHAT WILL ESPN DO NEXT
Is that who they want to be in the fore front….
What ever happened to the ESPN where the reporting was King, and the people who brought the news on Sports Center genuinely loved the game and had passionate BUT NUANCED, substantial opinion?
ESPN has fallen so far the only chance they have to make a turn back to relevance, is to do sports betting insights the way CNBC and Bloomberg talk about the financial markets.
ultimately pun intended, I bet ESPN don’t see themselves as the latter anymore. They won’t be afraid of any other media competing against them, whether it’s barstool or NBC CBS Fox, the little guy podcasters, etc… I think ESPN want showmen like Pat McAfee and Stephen A and they’ll fall on that sword for the unforeseeable future.