Shots fired Stephen A. eviscerates Jason Whitlock in expletive-filled rant as bitter feud escalates: 'Fat piece of s–t'

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Stephen A. Smith eviscerates Jason Whitlock to escalate bitter feud: ‘Fat piece of s–t’​

By
Social Links forChristian Arnold
Published Jan. 10, 2024, 11:35 p.m. ET
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MORE ON:SPORTS MEDIA​

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The feud between Aaron Rodgers and Jimmy Kimmel looks tame compared to the one between Stephen A. Smith and Jason Whitlock.
The ESPN “First Take” member went on a no-holds-barred 40-minute diatribe on the “Stephen A. Smith Show” on Wednesday to air his grievances with Whitlock after he recently called into question claims made in Smith’s memoir.
Whitlock called out Smith’s book “Straight Shooter: A Memoir of Second Chances and First Takes,” saying Smith wrote lies and exaggerations — including about his basketball career — and going as far as to call the ESPN personality Stephen A. Myth.

In response, Smith u
nleashed a fiery tirade with a slew of expletives toward Whitlock.
He also told a number of behind-the-scenes stories and eviscerated Whitlock, who had two stints at ESPN and now works for Blaze Media, as someone who burns bridges everywhere he goes.




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Smith prefaced the rant by saying he called his pastor and emailed his bosses at ESPN, asking them for forgiveness in advance.
Warning: explicit language

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Stephen A. Smith went on an extended rant about Jason Whitlock.The Stephen A. Smith Show
“I mean it from my soul when I say this is the worst human being I’ve ever known,” Smith said. “I don’t know of another human being worse than Jason Whitlock. He is a piece of s–t. He’s the dude that’s going to have a funeral and ain’t going to be no pallbearers.”
Smith called Whitlock a “fat bastard” on multiple occasions during the episode and claimed that Whitlock was taking aim at him because he was jealous of Smith’s accomplishments.
The longtime ESPN personality defended his high school and college basketball credentials mentioned in the book during the diatribe before recalling a 2015 Deadspin article by Greg Howard that covered Whitlock’s less-than-stellar time running The Undefeated at ESPN, now known as Andscape.

“While you were on Blaze TV spewing that bulls–t to people, did you tell them that? Did you tell them how you stood outside of ‘First Take’ begging me to talk to you?” Smith said. “Did you tell them that once this same article in Deadspin came out, weeks later you wrote a lengthy apology to me in an e-mail begging me to forgive you? Pointing out how you were betrayed by this particular writer so you know how I must feel that you betrayed me? Did you tell the folks that? You bitch. Did you tell them? You fat piece of s–t.”
Jemele Hill, a former ESPN colleague and current journalist at the Atlantic, said she agreed with what Smith had to say.
“Stephen A Smith told the truth,” she said on X. “Ole Boy tried to recruit a bunch of us to do some work for what was then the Undefeated and we did not want to work with him.”
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Jason Whitlock recently called out Stephen A. Smith’s memoir.Jason Whitlock/YouTube
But perhaps one of the more astonishing comments from Smith came when he called Whitlock a person who was “worse than white supremacist.”
“You see what he does is, he’s the one that puts himself in front of white folks. The white folks, not all white folks, not most white folks, but the white folks that dare we say may have a problem with black folks,” Smith said.
“He says ‘I’m your man.’ That’s what he does. You think I’m lying? Ask ESPN. Ask Fox. Ask the Kansas City Star. Ask them all. I could not imagine, as a black man, knowing our history, anything worse than a white supremacist. That is until Jason Whitlock came along. He’s worse than them. He is the worst, most despicable, lying, no-good, fat-ass human being I have ever known in my life.”
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Stephen A. Smith said he has a stipulation in his ESPN contract that he will not work with Whitlock.The Stephen A. Smith Show
Smith also added that he has in his ESPN contract that he will never work with Whitlock.
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What do you think? Post a comment.
Whitlock took to X after the rant went viral.
“I knew Stephen A was limited. I didn’t know he was this limited. I’m starting to feel sorry for him. I beat up a baby seal,” he wrote in one post.

 

[DC_Dude]

Tuned In: Stephen A. Smith Could Command $20M in Free Agency​

BY MICHAEL MCCARTHY
UPDATED JANUARY 22, 2024 | 06:01 PM

• “He could do anything he wants,” says Will Cain, the former 'First Take' guest debater.
• Smith has said he wants to be ESPN’s highest-paid talent.

ESPN IMAGES
Will Cain pioneered the guest debater role that has become popular on Stephen A. Smith’s First Take. The host of The Will Cain Show doesn’t hesitate when asked if Smith should be the highest-paid talent at ESPN.
“He is the most valuable name and personality in sports media,” says Cain, who just launched his new podcast on Fox News after co-hosting Fox & Friends Weekends for the past three years. “I think ESPN needs Stephen A. Smith. The question is: Will Stephen A. Smith need ESPN?”
A few years ago, Smith was believed to be the company’s highest-paid talent, at $12 million annually. But he’s been leapfrogged by the Monday Night Football duo of Troy Aikman ($18 million) and Joe Buck ($15 million). Not to mention Pat McAfee ($15 million), who licenses his eponymous afternoon show to ESPN.
Smith has been a good soldier about it. So far. As his former First Take mentor Skip Bayless has learned to his chagrin, Smith is fiercely competitive and likes to be No. 1 in everything he does. With his contract up in less than 18 months, Smith made it clear to Clay Travis of OutKick that he wants to be ESPN’s highest-paid talent, too.
“Hell, yes, that’s absolutely true,” Smith said. “I’ve mastered my own business in the world of sports television, Clay Travis, I’ve been No. 1 for 12 years. April 1 will mark 12 consecutive years I’ve been No. 1. Not only have I been No. 1 every year, I’ve been No. 1 every week in every month of every year for the last 12 years. You don’t get to say that about too many people.”
With his multiple roles on First Take and NBA Countdown, nobody works harder than the 56-year-old Smith—and his negotiating leverage continues to increase. Smith’s recruitment of Shannon Sharpe, Bayless’s ex-Undisputed sparring partner, has helped drive First Take’s TV numbers to new heights. With 1.5 million viewers on Martin Luther King Day, the weekday morning show drew the biggest audience in its 16-year history. (That was five times the audience for Bayless’s Undisputed on FS1.) Buoyed by Smith humorously trolling Dallas Cowboys fans, First Take posted its most-watched January ever.
But Smith has also talked openly about eventually leaving ESPN for late-night TV, entertainment, or politics. With his own production company and YouTube show, he has the platform. Smith’s eponymous podcast on YouTube—in which he delves into plenty of non-sports topics, including politics, social issues and even his personal life—now boasts 524,000 subscribers.
Put it all together and Smith’s negotiation with ESPN will be the most closely followed talent deal of the year. If the four letters don’t make an offer of at least $20 million annually, they could risk losing the face and voice of the network.

Smith remained friends with Cain after he left for Fox in 2020. Smith appeared on the first episode of Cain’s new podcast, to tease him about the Dallas Cowboys’ playoff loss. As Cain tells me: “[Smith] could do anything he wants. It seems to me he has desires beyond just being in sports media. Which I can appreciate. I did the same thing.”

Ready for Kelce-Cast? ​

Travis and Jason Kelce have become breakout media stars, with Travis dating Taylor Swift and the brothers collaborating on their New Heights podcast. Could their next move be a ManningCast-like alternative telecast?
That’s the prediction of former NBC Sports Sunday Night Football sideline reporter Michele Tafoya. She told Marc Ryan of CBS Sports Radio that she believes Travis Kelce will follow his older brother, Jason, into retirement, then follow the Mannings into alt-casting.
“I could totally see those two pulling a Peyton and Eli Manning sort of gig, maybe on Peacock. To be the companion piece to Sunday Night Football,” said Tafoya. “You’ve got the Peyton and Eli-cast on ESPN2 for Monday Night Football, why doesn’t Peacock do that with the Kelce brothers on Sunday Night Football?”
Jason Kelce’s media skills have already drawn the attention of network executives, sources say. Even with Swift in attendance, he was one of the stars of CBS Sports’ Kansas City Chiefs-Buffalo Bills coverage, chugging beers with the Bills Mafia in the parking lot and lifting up a little girl so she could see Swift. “Jason Kelce: Man of the People,” tweeted New Heights on Monday, along with footage of the center at a Bills tailgate.
As one network executive tells me about the Philadelphia Eagles center: “He’s obviously a star in the making and knows how to handle himself with a microphone.”

Mike Drops​

CBS Sports announcer Jim Nantz nailed his play-by-play call of Bills kicker Tyler Bass missing the potential game-tying 44-yard field goal against the Chiefs. Nantz took viewers back to the franchise’s worst moment, when Bills kicker Scott Norwood missed the potential game-winner against the New York Giants in Super Bowl XXV in 1991. Like Norwood’s 47-yarder, Bass’ kick sailed “wide right.” The two most dreaded words in Buffalo have surfaced again,” said Nantz. … The NFL continues to post monstrous playoff TV numbers. In its first-ever divisional playoff telecast, ESPN averaged 31.8 million viewers for the Baltimore Ravens’ win over the Houston Texans, making it the network’s most-watched telecast ever dating back to 1987. Meanwhile, Fox Sports averaged 37.5 million viewers for the San Francisco 49ers’ win over the Green Bay Packers. It was the most-watched Saturday telecast—of any kind—since the 1994 Winter Olympics. CBS is due to release TV numbers for Chiefs-Bills on Tuesday. It should be a monster.
—Michael McCarthy’s “Tuned In” column is at your fingertips every week with the latest insights and ongoings around sports media. If he hears it, you will too.