Stephen A. Smith is someone who gets paid a whole lot of money to speak out about the wide world of sports. Typically, Smith has been known to give some pretty out-there hot takes. However, this is ultimately what makes him entertaining. Smith is well aware of how sports entertainment works, and he always does his best to be interesting. This has ultimately allowed him to enjoy a ton of success at ESPN. At this point, one could even say that Smith runs that network.
Over the past few weeks, Smith has been talking a lot about Tom Brady. This is because the legendary quarterback has decided to retire from the sport of football. Subsequently, many are debating his standing as the greatest player in the history of the NFL. Additionally, some are trying to debate whether or not he was a top-tier athlete. Of course, athleticism and talent are two very different things, and sometimes, they are conflated. During an appearance on Andrew Schultz Flagrant podcast, Smith had to navigate this conflation.
Stephen A. Speaks
In the clip up above, Smith was asked whether or not he thinks Brady is the greatest athlete of all-time. Immediately, Smith said no. Overall, he believes that you can't really consider Brady to be a top-tier athlete. At the end of the day, he was never truly athletic. Instead, he was just someone who knew how to throw the football well, while also possessing a fantastic mind for the game. Consequently, Stephen A. was asked who he believes are the most athletic athletes of all-time. Smith went on to say that it would have to be Bo Jackson and Deion Sanders as they played both football and baseball at the highest level.
Jackson and Sanders are two people who have always found themselves on top of these lists. They both showcased incredible abilities in their respective sports, so it should come as no surprise that Stephen A. would pick them. As for Brady, he's probably not too upset with Smith. Even Tom Brady would be the first to admit that he isn't the most athletic guy in the world. Let us know what you think of Smith's take, in the comments below.
[Via]