Stephen A. Smith speaks fast during comments about Kobe

[NOODLESTYLE]

http://deadspin.com/5955213/stephen-a-s ... irculation

On Thursday morning's First Take, Stephen A. Smith expressed his disbelief that Kobe Bryant would miss time with an injury by saying "****, please." This was not a thing he should have said on TV, yet he did. It was barely noticeable, but at least one person noticed, uploaded the video, and certain folks began pretending to be up in arms.
There were calls for Smith to apologize and calls for ESPN to suspend him, citing as precedent a SportsCenter anchor's suspension for saying "chink in the armor" when referring to Jeremy Lin—even while acknowledging that Max Bretos shouldn't have been punished for that. It became a discussion of race, instead of a TV personality accidentaly using a non-FCC-approved word live on air. If this controversy is about anything, and I'm not so sure it is, it's surely not about how "most white people are afraid to talk or write about anything involving race for fear of being called a racist."

Then things got dumber. Later in the day, Smith gave a bizarre half-/non-apology, insisting that the problem is that he speaks "very, very fastly."

Original video:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZEGv7RtfCI[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcOJEkQ-dDs#![/youtube]

[East_Coast]

This is not a big issue, in my view. The expression, n***a please, is common among A-A males, especially those from New York. It isn't meant to be offensive, but is simply a graphic declarative statement expressing disagreement and dismissal of a given thought or topic.

Of course, it isn't appropriate to be spoken over the airwaves, and SAS should have been privately reprimanded for uttering it. Nothing more. He simply slipped into his Hollis, Queens jargon mode and didn't catch himself before saying something that he shouldn't have.

Again, spoken from someone like SAS, the expression insults no one. If he had instead said to Skip Bayless, "cr***a please", then you'd have a real problem.

[Tubal]

This is not a big issue, in my view. The expression, n***a please, is common among A-A males, especially those from New York. It isn't meant to be offensive, but is simply a graphic declarative statement expressing disagreement and dismissal of a given thought or topic.....

Normally this is true, and if you're an A-A talking to your buddies, no big deal.

But he's working for "the worldwide leader" and is held to a higher standard. Still, not a big deal.

But then he comes out and denies he said it, when he CLEARLY did. This is one of those cases where the denial is worse than the act. It just makes him look like a big douche, and is only going to prolong the story.

[East_Coast]

But then he comes out and denies he said it, when he CLEARLY did. This is one of those cases where the denial is worse than the act. It just makes him look like a big douche, and is only going to prolong the story.

I haven't personally heard any of his denials, but he should have simply acknowledged a mistake and moved on.

[BadNFluenz]

okay i don't see a real issue here. its not like he was disregarding or dismissing someone, just expressing his incomprehension. about him denying it, that was probably just forced by ESPN, as american TV is so uber-sensitive regarding cussing.

[truth serum]

This is not a big issue, in my view. The expression, n***a please, is common among A-A males, especially those from New York. It isn't meant to be offensive, but is simply a graphic declarative statement expressing disagreement and dismissal of a given thought or topic.....

Normally this is true, and if you're an A-A talking to your buddies, no big deal.

But he's working for "the worldwide leader" and is held to a higher standard. Still, not a big deal.

But then he comes out and denies he said it, when he CLEARLY did. This is one of those cases where the denial is worse than the act. It just makes him look like a big douche, and is only going to prolong the story.

Find something better to do

[Scorpion King]

Lets face it ESPN keeps him for the ratings

Stephen A should not be working for ESPN bu it has no ethics or standards

[ROballer]

Lets face it ESPN keeps him for the ratings

Stephen A should not be working for ESPN bu it has no ethics or standards

[RondoToKG]

lol He says he didn't say it yet it's been recorded and put all over the internet... How do you blatantly lie to your audience like that. That's just making even worse than it has to be.....

[sokaiya]

I'm sorry but all black people should be able to say ****/**** whenever they please and they shouldn't have to feel they need to lie about it either. Why should any group of people be penalized, punished or held to the same standards as the one's who tried denigrate them with that word. bull.

[cage]

"fastly"

[C-izMe]

Lets face it ESPN keeps him for the ratings

Stephen A should not be working for ESPN bu it has no ethics or standards

The new rage face. I love it.

[Bodhi]

lol He says he didn't say it yet it's been recorded and put all over the internet... How do you blatantly lie to your audience like that. That's just making even worse than it has to be.....

I'm guessing ESPN asked him to deny it

And it's not a big deal either way. It's not like he went off like Michael Richards on some guy

[DMVleGeND]

If 'fastly' even a word? lol

It's not a huge deal IMO though. He probably says this regularly off the air and it just came out in the heat of the moment, even though this kind of stuff is unacceptable on the air.

[TheExpert91]

Of course he said it. And of course ESPN asked him to deny it. if you notice he didn't address the word he said during the video. He said n***a on Fisrt Take before.