The Real Story Behind Stephen A.'s Piss Break

Earlier this week, we directed you to the BenMaller.com report that Stephen A. Smith brought two bodyguards with him into the press box (and the press box bathroom) at the UCLA-USC game last Saturday. At the time, we gave Stephen A. the benefit of the doubt; celebrity is a funny thing, and you just never know if the guy has received a specific threat, or whatever.

Well, OK, now you know. Smith spoke to The New York Post:

"You never know, especially when you are in an environment like that, how people will act; especially when people are drinking beer and doing all that stuff, preparing themselves for game time. So I went up to the press box because I had to use the bathroom and I was starving. So I went up to the bathroom and the officers were like, 'We were instructed to go wherever y'all go.' Since a bunch of us went to the press box, they came up to the press box."

So, in other words, no specific threat. Just a need to keep Stephen A. away from the fan riff-raff. Got it. Understood.

Andrew Marchand Column [NY Post] (second item) Keeping Stephen A. Safe [Deadspin]