Stephen A. Smith: 'I Could Be Fired Next by ESPN; Black Folks Catch Pneumonia!'
It certainly seems as though Stephen A. Smith, reportedly making $12 million annually at ESPN, remains in the network's plans as it is the process of firing around two dozen of his co-workers. But the theatrical star, who rose to journalistic prominence in Philadelphia as a writer for the Inquirer, is putting on quite a show regarding the Bloodbath in Bristol.
“This ain’t the end. More is coming,” Smith said of the layoffs, addressing them on his his The Stephen A. Smith Show podcast “And yes, ladies and gentlemen, I could be next.''
Smith could be next to be fired? Smith has watched and commented on the forced exit of of some of his friends and colleagues and does seem genuinely hurt by it all. But as ubiquitous as he is the network that used to call itself "the Worldwide Leader'' (before Apple, Amazon and YouTube started grabbing some of Disney/ESPN's $24 billion annual profits) ... he's not really going to get pushed out ... right?
"Let me tell you all something,'' Smith said. "Don’t ever, ever, ever in your life as a Black person take anything for granted. I told you before, when white folks catch a cold, Black folks catch pneumonia.''
That tells an important part of the story; Smith, love him or not, is a workhorse. ESPN is making a journalistic mistake by asking him to comment on every single thing that happens in the world of sports; he gets "Peter Principled'' often. And his Dallas Cowboys "hate'' is obvious and low-brow shtick. But he shows up. He goes hard. And he talks loudly.
Smith was fired by the Inquirer in 2007 before being brought back. And in 2009, he was dropped by ESPN before an eventual triumphant return. And that too seems to be part of his motivation in suggesting "I could be next.''
"The one thing I could tell you about Stephen A, this ain’t 2009. I really didn’t see it coming,'' he said of his ESPN breakup. "My eyes are always wide open now. I’m never comfortable. I never take anything for granted and I never assume that I’m safe.”
The difference now? Smith reacted to that goodbye by building a business around himself. It's an empire now. He could in theory walk away from First Take and the demands the network when his contract runs out in 2025 and in addition to working as a broadcaster, could continue to branch out into acting and even go into politics.
A few weeks ago, Smith was asked about that possibility. His answer? "The only office I would ever be interested in is the Presidency of the United States. That's it," Smith said.
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