Stephen A. Smith has addressed The Post’s report about the volatile phone conversation he had several weeks back with his ESPN colleague Pat McAfee.
The Post reported that the phone call arose from creative differences on a project that Smith is executive producing through his own production company that will eventually air on ESPN, as tensions rose to the point where McAfee called Smith a “motherf–ker”.
Reached by The Post, both sides indicated they had resolved their differences, and both denied that the dustup had resulted in McAfee getting banned from Smith’s show, “First Take,” which The Post had also heard.
On his own eponymous podcast on Friday, Smith responded to the story.
“There is no dispute whatsoever. Pat McAfee is my teammate. Pat McAfee and I work together on ESPN. There is no banishment from ‘First Take’ or any other show. He is more than welcome to come on ‘First Take’ in the future and I’m gonna be more than welcome to come on his show,” Smith said.
“I don’t know how many times I’m gonna have to say this but I’m gonna try this one more time, not just relying on a statement or a quote that I issued through ESPN. But I’m going to look into the cameras and say this to you, nationally and globally: I root for my teammates. I root for my colleagues. I don’t root against anybody. The people out there who do that are idiots. A rising tide lifts all boats.”
Smith proceeded to thank people like McAfee, Ryan Clark, Shannon Sharpe, Bill Simmons and Dan Le Batard who are succeeding with their own digital platforms, because it’s opened up an avenue for him to increase his own earnings when his deal with ESPN comes up early next year.
“The business is evolving, and individuals who are employees, who had nothing to rely upon other than their on-air talent have transformed into being actual business men,” Smith said.
“That’s not something to hate.”
Smith did not ever specifically deny that there had been a heated phone call, but he reiterated that there is no “animosity” with McAfee.