Stephen A. Smith Denies Saying N-Word, Doesn’t Apologize, and ESPN Amazingly Seems Cool with That
Stephen A. Smith will not be reprimanded for saying the N-Word on First Take this morning, ESPN has determined. It appears the powers that be huddled for a couple hours this morning, and Stephen A. Smith convinced them that he didn’t say “Nigga please,” even though 99 percent of people who have seen the video. His non-apology denial is laughable. “I’m a New Yorker! I speak very, very fastly!” (He really said that.)
The first and obvious question: If he didn’t say it, why was the word scrubbed from subsequent airings of the show?
Reminder: This is the same network that suspended a Sportscenter host for saying “chink in his armor” when talking about Jeremy Lin earlier this year. That anchor, Max Bretos, was suspended for a month. It was almost universally agreed that ESPN made a terrible decision in that instance. I’m guessing here, but I think the opposite will be true on in regard to this Stephen A. Smith situation. And it wouldn’t surprise me if they changed their mind a put Stephen A. on the bench for a few days after the public sees his non-apology.
Related: Stephen A. Smith May Have Said, “N**ga Please” on First Take Today
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82 Responses to “Stephen A. Smith Denies Saying N-Word, Doesn’t Apologize, and ESPN Amazingly Seems Cool with That”
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October 25th, 2012 at 2:08 PM
The first and obvious question is, if he didn’t say it, WTF did he say?
October 25th, 2012 at 2:09 PM
“I’m a New Yorker! I speak very, very fastly!”
Oh, good Lawd. That is hilarious on a few differently levels.
I made it 19 seconds into that clip. Who in the hell watches this guy?
October 25th, 2012 at 2:10 PM
Breaking: Stephen A. Smith is full of shit.
October 25th, 2012 at 2:11 PM
ESPN is amazingly cool with it only because it wasn’t the Torg who dropped the N-word.
October 25th, 2012 at 2:11 PM
“Makhtar N’Diaye please!!
October 25th, 2012 at 2:12 PM
Note to self: do not write offensive words, only say them.
October 25th, 2012 at 2:12 PM
Who in the hell watches this guy?
TheBigLead.
October 25th, 2012 at 2:14 PM
TBL should do a Torgerson/SAS mash up.
/Oh god, that’s horribly racist….
October 25th, 2012 at 2:14 PM
“Ninny please”? “Nanu please”?
October 25th, 2012 at 2:14 PM
I heard “Knickerbocker please.”
October 25th, 2012 at 2:14 PM
I heard “Knickerbocker please.”
October 25th, 2012 at 2:15 PM
I heard “Knickerbocker please.”
October 25th, 2012 at 2:16 PM
Crystal clear to me… Ninja please.
/Cause Kobe is a ninja assassin.
October 25th, 2012 at 2:16 PM
Please ESPN, just fine and suspend Stephen A., just so we can do away with this faux outrage about White people not being able to say nigger all willy nilly in public anymore. Even if he didn’t say it.
October 25th, 2012 at 2:17 PM
Unconfirmable speculation leading to outrage – that never happens. Looks like you have a kung-fu grip on this. In the end, I hope no one gets social anxiety or is taken out by a sharpshooter.
October 25th, 2012 at 2:17 PM
even though 99 percent of people who have seen the audio.
I am a fan of this awful sentence fragment. Not just because it ends so abruptly, but also because it says people see audio.
October 25th, 2012 at 2:17 PM
I’m pretty sure he says “Freddy is a Devil”
October 25th, 2012 at 2:18 PM
obligatory.
October 25th, 2012 at 2:18 PM
This post is being discussed on The Big Show on WEEI right now.
October 25th, 2012 at 2:18 PM
Not just because it ends so abruptly, but also because it says people see audio.
Lots of us are on LSD today.
October 25th, 2012 at 2:18 PM
as a white male, i’m offended.
October 25th, 2012 at 2:19 PM
This post is being discussed on The Big Show on WEEI right now.
Is that the one with the fat guy that everyone makes fun of him about falling asleep and talking like he has an otter in his mouth?
October 25th, 2012 at 2:19 PM
Dammit, man, I had that sentence all copied and ready for pasting and I see Dirt beat me to it. I love that sentence. It’s the best thing in this site’s history.
October 25th, 2012 at 2:19 PM
That would make work more interesting today
October 25th, 2012 at 2:20 PM
Stephen A. Smith will not be reprimanded for saying the N-Word on First Take this morning, ESPN has determined.
Not reprimanded. Whew. Must be a load off his mind. That shit goes in your file.
October 25th, 2012 at 2:20 PM
I was also a fan of the 99% claim…which probably means he got a couple of “smh” and “wow” tweets.
/and a “!” from Hernia
October 25th, 2012 at 2:20 PM
HIGHLIGHT EVERYTHING.
October 25th, 2012 at 2:20 PM
This post is being discussed on The Big Show on WEEI right now.
/fixes hair so that I don’t look fat on radio
October 25th, 2012 at 2:20 PM
Honky please.
October 25th, 2012 at 2:21 PM
Stephen A. makes money for the network. Like it or not, people tune in to watch him and suspending them will damage the bottom line. It’s a business.
October 25th, 2012 at 2:21 PM
please what?
/gives pre-emptive thank you and completely unncessary apology
October 25th, 2012 at 2:22 PM
Dammit. I need to read and respond quicker.
October 25th, 2012 at 2:22 PM
Dammit, man, I had that sentence all copied and ready for pasting and I see Dirt beat me to it. I love that sentence. It’s the best thing in this site’s history.
I was really hurrying, because I wanted to own it. In my distant past, I was also the first guy to make fun (at least on this website) of Dan Gilbert’s font choice for his post-Decision letter.
October 25th, 2012 at 2:22 PM
On the other hand, HTH, what if they suspend him and then have a primetime special to welcome him back where he talks about all the horrors that he has seen while not being on ESPN for the last 3 weeks? $$$$$$$$$$$
October 25th, 2012 at 2:23 PM
Stephen A. makes money for the network. Like it or not, people tune in to watch him and suspending them will damage the bottom line. It’s a business.
First Take gets a .3 in the key demo.
/Did not look up the ratings for First Take
//Not sure Stephen A. is even on First Take
///Know Quite Frankly was canceled
October 25th, 2012 at 2:23 PM
Cracker ass cracker
October 25th, 2012 at 2:24 PM
Lots of us are on LSD today.
are you also naked in front of a hotel room window?
October 25th, 2012 at 2:24 PM
I don’t look fat on radio
Well done, Stark. You don’t look fat from where I’m sitting.
October 25th, 2012 at 2:24 PM
First Take gets a .3 in the key demo.
ESPN shows almost nothing but Life Alert commercials during Monday Night Football. I’m not sure their audience is the key demo.
I like how that one old lady would cut back on beer, wine, or bread before she’d give up life alert
October 25th, 2012 at 2:25 PM
Someone once posted the viewership numbers on this site. I was surprised at how many people tuned in to see Skip and Stephen A.
October 25th, 2012 at 2:26 PM
i thought it was cold pizza. huh…howbout that.
October 25th, 2012 at 2:27 PM
please what?
/gives pre-emptive thank you and completely unncessary apology
aren’t you the pink and beige one?
all look alike
October 25th, 2012 at 2:27 PM
Mark ass mark.
October 25th, 2012 at 2:29 PM
We know you said it, you white honky.
/did i do that right?
October 25th, 2012 at 2:30 PM
well this is some double standard bullshit.
October 25th, 2012 at 2:31 PM
Looks at this disoriented hoolie hoo.
October 25th, 2012 at 2:31 PM
van pelt needs to say the same thing asap and see what happens.
October 25th, 2012 at 2:32 PM
+1 I know, I thought the same thing.
October 25th, 2012 at 2:32 PM
I bet Stephen A is the kind of guy who would get offended if he was in the back seat of my car while I was singing along to Jay-Z.
October 25th, 2012 at 2:33 PM
David Stern retiring Feb 2014. Why wait?
October 25th, 2012 at 2:34 PM
id be offended too. you don’t have anything…you know…good?
October 25th, 2012 at 2:35 PM
Well you know as a white dude just change the N to a W and you’re good.
October 25th, 2012 at 2:35 PM
He has a lot of wrinkles in his forehead. Jarring.
October 25th, 2012 at 2:36 PM
Obligatory
October 25th, 2012 at 2:36 PM
I’m not offended by jackasses so … I’m not offended.
October 25th, 2012 at 2:37 PM
David Stern retiring Feb 2014. Why wait?
The internet tells me he thinks that being the longest running commissoner ever would be the coolest.
October 25th, 2012 at 2:38 PM
Like Creed good?
Actually I used Jay-Z as a generic answer. I don’t actually own anything of his and don’t even have any of his songs on my Spotify rap mix. You know what song did come on last time I played that Spotify mix, Young Bleed – the Day They Make Me Boss. Classic.
October 25th, 2012 at 2:38 PM
Like Michael Bolton at the beginning of “Office Space”.
October 25th, 2012 at 2:38 PM
THIS MEME IS NO LONGER FUNNY FUCK ALL OF YOU GOD DAMNIT.
October 25th, 2012 at 2:38 PM
Would be 30 years exactly
October 25th, 2012 at 2:40 PM
Maybe they can convince Berman to try saying it.
“And the interception was made my Texan’s safety Eddie “Nigga” Pleas-ant who rumbles, bumbles, stumbles for a touchdown”
October 25th, 2012 at 2:41 PM
But that’s the only TBL meme I know.
October 25th, 2012 at 2:42 PM
No, it’ll always be funny
October 25th, 2012 at 2:42 PM
Like SROD would say, I just did a spit take!
October 25th, 2012 at 2:42 PM
/Giggles
//Points
///Giggles more
October 25th, 2012 at 2:42 PM
Black guys get all the breaks.
October 25th, 2012 at 2:42 PM
This non-pology from SAS needs more Michael Scott in it.
/can’t find the original scene
//fuck you, NBC/Hulu
October 25th, 2012 at 2:52 PM
Rittyrich, listening to rap. Hmm
October 25th, 2012 at 2:53 PM
TBl’s use of CRM is puzzling.
October 25th, 2012 at 2:55 PM
I enjoyed this.
October 25th, 2012 at 2:57 PM
How can it be that there’s a “STern is retiring” rumor floating around out there and TBL does not yet have a post? Or does JMac have it in the hamper behind six more “look at this dunk in the preseason” and two more “SAS is a moron” posts?
October 25th, 2012 at 2:58 PM
“look at this dunk in the preseason” a
I am proud of us that there are only three comments on that post. I didn’t bother clicking.
October 25th, 2012 at 2:58 PM
First reference I saw to this, I thought it was the ghost of Coop come back to take out Mullet.
October 25th, 2012 at 2:59 PM
There’s really not a day that goes by that I miss BSPN.
October 25th, 2012 at 3:05 PM
There’s really not a day that goes by that I miss BSPN.
i think its awesome that you totally banned them. i have cut our most of it, but still get some highlights from SC.
October 25th, 2012 at 3:06 PM
TBl’s use of CRM is puzzling.
More like overuse.
/hands CRM a towel
//take a breather, son
October 25th, 2012 at 3:07 PM
black people can say nigger, white people cant.
hth.
October 25th, 2012 at 3:19 PM
I like music. What can I say. Sometimes even rap.
October 25th, 2012 at 11:15 PM
Stephen Smith is hardwired to say stupid things. The only not-stupid thing I’ve ever heard him say was when he basically paid tribute to the on-air staff at what used to be 98.7 Kiss-FM, an R&B station, before ESPN kicked them off the air.
October 26th, 2012 at 5:34 AM
Stop the manufactured white outrage. What he said was a common expression among A-As, especially those from NY. It is not analogous to a stupid ex-radio show host who wished death on an employee of the network.
What SAS had to say was not proper for the airwaves, and he should be privately reprimanded for it, but that’s all. Who exactly did he offend by uttering it?
For all the fake hullabaloo over “the race card”, it seems that white people pull it out more than anyone else.
October 26th, 2012 at 10:12 AM
A local radio show played the audio but bleeped out the word in question fearing FCC backlash.
Would the backlash be from the FCC or the station’s GM and/or owner?
October 26th, 2012 at 9:25 PM
Exactly, this is manufactured and TBL is helping push this nonsense. ESPN should apolgize for a lot of things…..but SAS doesn’t who me an apology for being an ass clown as this is nothing new here.