Stephen A. Smith flip-flops on LeBron; ex-6abc anchor Jamie Apody gets a new gig
Outside of ESPN, Donald Trump's trade war could hurt the NHL and Michael Strahan gets trolled by The Roots, Philly style.
Is Stephen A. Smith really running for president? No.
“It doesn’t pay enough,” the popular ESPN host told Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show Wednesday. “I didn’t work this hard to get to this point to be broke and stressed with most of America hating me because they don’t like something I said or did or whatever.”
Smith has been making a lot of political noise in recent weeks, with appearances on Fox News, NewsNation, and The View fueling speculation about a possible cannonball into politics. But that’s all it is — speculation — after Smith was included in a January poll from McLaughlin & Associates showing him receiving support from 2% of Democrats who were surveyed.
While Smith’s interest in becoming president seems like a creation of media boredom he is more than willing to fuel, the ESPN host and former Inquirer columnist has shown an impeccable ability to switch positions on the fly.
On Wednesday’s First Take, Smith praised LeBron James after the Los Angeles Lakers star became the first NBA player to surpass 50,000 career points. The historic mark was enough for Smith to call for an end to the tired debate over who is the greatest NBA player of all times — James or Hall of Famer Michael Jordan.
“I actually think it’s time to not even have the debate anymore, because that’s how great LeBron James has been for as long as he has been that great,” Smith said. “I can stand down and acknowledge that.”
Smith had a slightly different opinion a few weeks ago. Leading up to the Super Bowl, Smith tore into First Take regular Shannon Sharpe for praising James after he became the oldest NBA player to score 40 points in a game, surpassing Jordan.
Smith said Jordan “deserves to be recognized as the GOAT” and decried James as “an imitator, not an originator” while jokingly tearing into Sharpe in the sort-of hot take tirade the show has become known for.
“It’s going to be very, very bad for you if you keep bringing up Jordan, comparing LeBron James to the real GOAT,” Smith shouted. “Anything that Michael Jordan wanted to do, he didn’t spend the first eight years shivering. He didn’t have to go to South Beach to learn how to win.”
Those comments, along with jabs from former Sixers great Charles Barkley and bad-faith arguments made by pundits like Skip Bayless, fueled James’ rant against the NBA media world last week, questioning why any player would want to be the face of the league at the moment.
“Why do you want to be the face of the league when all the people that cover our game and talk about our game on a day-to-day basis s— on everybody?” James said speaking to reporters after a game.
Predictably, those remarks led to a six-minute rebuke by Smith, which included his jab: “LeBron James, it’s hating on him, to say he’s the second greatest player in the history of the sport... It’s just utterly ridiculous.”
Trump’s trade war with Canada could hit the NHL
President Donald Trump’s tariffs on Canada, and Canada’s reciprocal tariffs, could have an unintended victim — the NHL.
Speaking on CNBC Wednesday, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman warned an escalating trade war between two historically close allies threatens to impact the league, which has seven clubs that call Canada home.
“Welcome to my life,” Bettman jokingly groaned.
Roughly 25% of the NHL’s revenue comes from Canada, Bettman said, and a drop in the Canadian dollar could force real hardship on the teams north of the border.
“All players, no matter which country they play in, get paid in U.S. dollars,” Bettman said. “So if the impact of the tariffs is to see the Canadian dollar drop relative to the U.S. dollar, it will make it more difficult and more painful.”
“We’re hoping this is a moment in time, and both countries find a way to work through this,” Bettman added.
Other American sports leagues have ties to Canada, though none are as extensive as the NHL.
MLS has three clubs based in Canada — CF Montreal, Toronto FC, and Vancouver Whitecaps FC. The only NBA franchise based in Canada is the Toronto Raptors, while MLB’s only remaining Canadian team is the Toronto Blue Jays. Canada is also home to one minor league squad — the Vancouver Canadians, the High-A affiliate of the Blue Jays.
Quick hits
Former 6abc sports anchor Jamie Apody has found a new home, at least for one night of the week. After leaving the station after a long, unexplained absence, Apody is joining Fox 29′s Phantastic Sports Show, where she will appear with Breland Moore and Jason Martinez every Monday night. “A small step to what I hope is a more prominent role on this awesome station,” Apody wrote on social media.
It’s easy to delight in The Roots trolling Hall of Famer Michael Strahan during his appearances on The Tonight Show. In the past, Questlove and company have focused on mocking Strahan’s teeth, turning to songs like “The Space Between” by the Dave Matthews Band. On Monday, they put some Philly umph into their dig by belting out, “Up Where We Belong” by Joe Crocker and Jennifer Warnes, focusing on the line, “Where the Eagles fly...”
ESPN is pulling the plug on Around the Horn, the popular studio show in its 23rd year on the network. It’s unclear why ESPN is making a change, though longtime host Tony Reali alluded to the need in facing “tough days” ahead following Wednesday’s show. The final episode will air May 23, and ESPN hasn’t announced what will fill the 30-minute slot that follows another long-running studio show, Pardon The Interruption.