stephenasmith Page 3 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

Stephen A. Smith reminds new co-host Shannon Sharpe that he's not Skip Bayless
Stephen A. Smith and Skip Bayless will forever be linked to each other because of their success on ESPN’s First Take. Even after seven years apart, the sports world still flashes back to when they made sports media debate shows the hottest ticket in the industry. Smith and Bayless are connected at t...

Skip Bayless’ new <em>Undisputed</em> bombs in Week 1
Week 1 of the new and “improved” Undisputed with Skip Bayless on FS1 proved to be anything but an improvement, according to most. The numbers don’t lie either, as the season debut last Monday peaked at 131,000 viewers and has only gotten worse from there. By day three on Wednesday, Undisputed was ch...

Ben Simmons is dreaming of taking his street clothes back to Philly
It’s that time of year when we get these Ben Simmons workout videos where he’s in the gym shooting baskets, lifting weights, knocking down three-point shots, and performing like an actual NBA star. But once the regular season rolls around (if he even plays), he morphs back into the guy who can’t see...

Skip Bayless’ new <i>Undisputed</i> co-hosts mean more ex-athletes replacing journalists
Screaming and arguing are in. Context and nuance are out. And over at FS1, the decibel levels just got louder, while the conversations just got dumber....

Shannon Sharpe partnering with Colin Cowherd's The Volume is sure to make some noise
NFL Hall of Fame tight end Shannon Sharpe is taking his talents to….The Volume. Sharpe made the announcement via social media Wednesday morning that he’s entered a partnership with Colin Cowherd and The Volume to bring his podcast, “Club Shay Shay,” to the network. So, now we’ve got Sharpe and Draym...

Skip Bayless’ reign may finally be coming to an end
Skip Bayless is viewed as the godfather of this “embrace debate” culture that has consumed sports media over the past 15 years. The FS1 Undisputed host has been around to lend his disconcerting commentary style to some of the most significant events in sports for the better part of five decades. How...

Dan Orlovsky is drunk on New York Jets green Kool-Aid
Former NFL quarterback Dan Orlovsky has become one of Stephen A. Smith’s regular adversaries on First Take over the past few years. He’s become well known for some of his hot takes on the show, but Orlovsky is best known for running out of the back of his own end zone while playing for the Detroit L...

James Harden's agent thinks we aren't paying attention
The James Harden-Philadelphia 76ers soap opera is becoming the biggest NBA storyline of the summer that looks like it’ll carry over into the 2023-24 regular season. Now, Harden’s agent, Troy Payne, is trying to sell folks on the prospects of James climbing back up the mountain to league MVP status....

10 NFL players, team units everyone thinks will be bad this season, but won't be
Assumptions can be a dangerous thing. Take the preseason conversation surrounding Tua Tagovailoa last season. There were signs that the Miami Dolphins’ third-year quarterback was about to make a quantum leap, but he was mostly ignored in lieu of cheapshots at his arm strength. The same is true for 2...

Stephen A. Smith has all the juice at ESPN
Sports media members are no more forthcoming with their career deals than the players whom we cover, and many times even less so. We are far more replaceable than people who are 6-foot-8 with 35-inch vertical leaps. Therefore most of us wait until the press release comes out before making any public...

Fred Toucher interrupts Jets talk to call Mike Greenberg a 'no-talent pr*ck'
Mike Greenberg has been a staple of ESPN for nearly three decades. He’s famously known as one half of the Mike & Mike morning radio show, which aired on ESPN networks from 2000-17. Greeny, as he’s affectionately known by many, has never been the rah-rah, flashy, over-the-top type of personality like...

It’s time to get over it: LeBron James isn't the GOAT
It isn’t often that I agree with Stephen A. Smith. But this time, I must admit he’s right in his assessment of LeBron James and his camp. Smith appeared on Paul George’s Podcast P show and told a story about an interaction with James’ agent/business partner/friend, Rich Paul. SAS says Paul gives him...

Stephen A. Smith reaches new low with Joe Rogan-level conspiracy theories
Just because you’re rich and famous, doesn’t mean you’re smart. That’s never been clearer in society (hi Elon, never been a fan). Pretty sure that’s what Good Charlotte was singing about. In today’s edition of showing your celebrity ass, mostly figurative, sometimes literal, welcome to the party Ste...

Skip and Rich are Undisputed, it could work
If Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez can share a set together then why not Richard Sherman and Skip Bayless? That was a one-time viral social media beef 10 years ago. Bayless is several controversies removed from that one. That A-Rod and Jeter beef stewed for decades, much of it with them next to each ...

Dan Le Batard was right — ‘Embrace Debate’ has destroyed sports television
Too much of anything is bad for you. Excessive amounts can be catastrophic. Dan Le Batard hinted at this a few months ago. And after the reported cancellation of Bomani Jones’ Game Theory on HBO, it’s become quite clear — “embrace debate” killed sports television shows. ...

If schadenfreude is Damian Lillard’s last gift to Trail Blazer fans, so be it
Seemingly the entire world of sports media is screaming at Damian Lillard to pick up his basketball and go to a contender. It’s demand-a-trade season, we do it every summer, and Dame is off galavanting with Veronica Corningstone, while a bevy of Champ Kinds pine for his musk. Brian Windhorst, Stephe...

There’s less shame in porn than on the set of <i>First Take</i>
The easiest way to get clicks for the past week or so hasn’t been Victor Wembanyama content, or Damian Lillard trade destinations. No, if you really wanted to gin up page views and subscribers, put Zion Williamson and Moriah Mills in a headline. It’s the reason why Stephen A. Smith has repeatedly go...

What the hell is holding back Damian Lillard?
Welcome to Deadspin’s The Sports Nihilist, where all is for naught and we are but accidental jolts of electrified meat stuck to the surface of a rock in an indifferent universe. Fuck you....

Stephen A. Smith’s political takes are beyond concerning — they’re dangerous
Another day, another bad take from Stephen A. Smith. But, this isn’t about how he hilariously thought the Miami Heat would lose to the New York Knicks in the playoffs, wrongly implied that the late Dwayne Haskins was “more of a runner than a thrower,” or falsely assumed that Alabama State University...

Here's who could end up yelling at Skip Bayless if Shannon Sharpe leaves <i>Undisputed</i>
After years of sitting opposite Skip Bayless on Fox Sports’ Undisputed desk, Shannon Sharpe is reportedly departing the show soon after the NBA Finals’ conclusion. As enticing as it would be for Skip Bayless to host a one-man show, I think that would be too much for even his most ardent supporters. ...