Stephen A. Smith has always been someone who is incredibly defensive about his own craft. Although he tends to get a lot of criticism for the way he approaches sports commentary, he stands his ground. Moreover, he is a huge reason for ESPN's success right now. Without him, it would be very difficult for the network to see much hope. At the end of the day, Smith is helping to keep the lights on. Consequently, he gets a whole lot more leeway than many of the other personalities that have been fed through the system.
That said, Stephen A. Smith has found himself at the center of more criticism. This time, it has come from the likes of Jackie Long. Long is the co-host of Paul George's new podcast, Podcast P. During a recent episode. Long questioned Smith's credentials and whether or not he should actually comment on sports at all. Overall, it was your typical line of attack at Smith. It is something he has heard before, although that did not stop him from clapping back on his own podcast. In fact, he did so in a brutal fashion.
Stephen A. Smith Goes Off
“You’re an actor and talk sports. How the hell do you get to sit next to Paul George and talk sports?” Smith said. “But I can’t talk about sports? [...] “Jackie Long, my brother, they describe you as a B-list actor. I didn’t know this about you. I wish you nothing but the best, I hope you become an A-list actor. If you become a star, I hope all of your dreams come true.” Overall, this was a pretty brutal diss that did not go unnoticed by the internet. Many immediately began commenting on the clip and eventually, Smith found himself going viral, yet again.
Ultimately, it is pretty easy to get Stephen A. to clap back at you. However, you never want to be on the receiving end of this kind of diss. Needless to say, we might not see Jackie Long try something like this again. Either way, Podcast P remains a successful endeavor, which is enough for people to continue listening. Let us know whose side you are on, in the comments section below.