It has been a whirlwind of a time in the sports world lately. Somehow, all of the energy that Stephen A. Smith’s commentary has conjured seems to be quieted briefly due to the FBI arrests of NBA notables. However, that doesn’t mean I won’t speak on what I’ve been peeping on the Stephen A. Smith press run still.
The truth is, since I last wrote about Smith, much of the Black online world has shared my sentiment. That’s that the “Straight Shooter’s” legacy is on the line as it pertains to how Black people will remember him in this moment. Smith has caught on to this, and it’s interesting to see how he’s seeking to adjust.
A full court media press
Last week, the face of ESPN’s First Take appeared on two prominent Black podcasts. Appearing on both 7PM in Brooklyn and The Pivot, Smith tackled some of his most recent career headlines. This goes from his brief sideline altercation with LeBron James and a brief exchange with Serena Williams’ husband, Alexis Ohanian. Both scenarios dealt with Smith speaking on issues involving those men’s families in one way or another. But Smith’s appearances on both of these shows were also in the wake of his criticisms of Black women like former Vice President Kamala Harris and Rep. Jasmine Crockett.
Now, there’s no way for me to prove when these appearances were scheduled. It is completely possible that his appearances were always scheduled as they were to be on these shows. However, it feels like those appearances were scheduled in fortuitous fashion. These are just my guesses. But with Smith launching his Straight Shooter radio show with SiriusXM recently, he knew what his positions were. And I believe that he sees value in not only patronizing young Black men getting their feet wet in the media game, but also having proximity to the cool.
Stephen A. Smith’s identity crisis
You see, Smith, all on his lonesome, is not really a cool guy. At one time, in a specific era? Sure. But contemporary cool? Not at all. But he sees value in the optics of having proximity to cool. So, when he receives backlash for taking positions on his politics show, much of which stems from criticism that his views don’t align with what’s good for Black people, these other Black pods serve as safe havens. That’s my opinion. Other Black shows or guests give the optics of “Nah, he can’t be against us, so-and-so messes with him.” Those are the optics.
So, I wish some of these other shows could see how that can be construed. But the other element at play is that people will more than likely check out the episode of Smith that is on. It makes for interesting content, but on the issues that really can impact our people, they won’t really be hashed out on those shows. They shouldn’t necessarily have to be either. But I would love for Smith to be in environments where his political ideals were challenged more often.
Journalist Roland Martin recently put out a video where he debunks many of the false claims that Smith has made recently in his criticisms of the Democratic Party. He has even been a guest on Smith’s show in the past. I wish he was able to be on there more or vice versa.
Is it too little too late for Stephen A. Smith?
Although I can respect Smith’s own recognition that he was wilding, it just isn’t enough. He’s still very likely to say more troubling things. That stems from not having beyond surface-level knowledge of the issues at hand. It’s your duty to have that knowledge if you’re disseminating information to the masses, especially our people.
Smith will certainly move on and try to make the most of this endeavor, but the masses will no longer be fooled by his pseudo-proximity to contemporary culture. It won’t nullify how he has decided to approach this era of his media career. But the people will also decide how esteemed he is remembered during a time where we need to demand better from our own with substantial platforms. Shoot wisely.