Stephen A. Smith's Caps Lock To Get A Well-Deserved Break

You might have wondered, with STEPHEN A. SMITH'S!!!!! frequent outside-of-the-newspaper endeavors (screaming on "SportsCenter," screaming on "General Hospital," screaming at Skip Bayless, screaming at Cheesy Doodles), what his Philadelphia Inquirer editors thought of his output, considering the guy is famous for tapping out columns from his Blackberry. Well, now you have your answer: They're taking away his column.

Sources believe Smith's column has been in the cross-hairs for some time. "There was a time when the powers that be were just happy to have somebody that's on ESPN on the masthead," says a source who spoke on condition of anonymity. "But I think the new leadership has been asking itself for a while now whether or not the columns [he] was turning in were justifying his [reportedly generous] salary. And I think they decided he wasn't bringing his A-game."

Our favorite part of this: They've given Smith the option of staying on as General Assignment Reporter. Oh, he's just gonna love that. Do you think a man of STEPHEN A. SMITH'S STATURE is going to be satisfied writing human interest stories on backup kickers for the Philadelphia Sol? Please. The man is a superstar. The good news is that no longer will Stephen A. Smith be weighed down by the burdens of, you know, sportswriting.

Stephen A. Smith Stripped Of Column [Phawker]

(By the way, Lil SAS is back.)