Stephen A. Smith Questions Criticism Of Jay-Z Amidst New NFL Deal

BYAlexander Cole10.2K Views
Link Copied to Clipboard!
Mitchell Leff/BIG3/Getty Images
Stephen A. Smith
Smith believes this is what Colin Kaepernick should have wanted all along.

Just a few days ago, it was revealed that Jay Z had signed an "entertainment and social justice" partnership with the NFL that would have both sides work to fix some of the issues within the league when it comes to the treatment of players. Many people rushed to criticize Jay Z as they felt as though he was choosing the side of the oppressor as opposed to the side of those fighting for equality. Jay Z has proclaimed his support for Colin Kaepernick in the past and with Kap nowhere to be found in this deal, some have taken issue. One of the people who had some hard words for Hov was Caroline Panthers safety Eric Reid, who is clearly not a fan of the whole thing.

Stephen A. Smith hopped on ESPN's First Take today where he talked about Reid criticism of Jay Z and how he felt about it all. As you can see from the clip below, Smith feels as though the criticism is a bit unfair.

Essentially, Smith feels as though Kaepernick's goal was to get the league to address his concerns and by partnering with Jay Z, they would be doing just that. Smith thinks players like Kap and Reid should actually embrace the deal instead of being so quick to be negative about it.

It's certainly a complicated issue that seems to be quite polarizing within the NFL these days. Ever since Kaepernick was essentially blackballed for kneeling during the anthem, there has been an increased sensitivity to the way the league handles issues of social justice.


About The Author
Alexander Cole is the current editor-in-chief of HotNewHipHop. He started at HotNewHipHop back in 2018 where he began as a Sports and Sneakers writer. It was here where he began to hone his craft, putting his journalism degree from Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec, to good use. Since that time, he has documented some of the biggest stories in the hip-hop world. From the Kendrick Lamar and Drake beef to the disturbing allegations against Diddy, Alex has helped HotNewHipHop navigate large-scale stories as they happen. In 2021, he went to the Bahamas for the Big 3's Championship Game. It was here where he got to interview legendary figures like Ice Cube, Clyde Drexler, and Stephen Jackson. He has also interviewed other superstar athletes such as Antonio Brown, Damian Lillard, and Paul Pierce. This is in addition to conversations with social media provocateurs like Jake Paul, and younger respected artists like Kaycyy, Lil Tecca, and Jeleel!
...