Steven A. Smith suspended for 1 week from ESPN

[Mike]

He was suspended for his opinion concerning the abuse of women and their role in causing the abuse. I think his comments were out of line and stupid but doesn't he get paid to state his point of view?? ESPN pays guys like him and Skip Bayless to be controversial for ratings and when he states something controversial they suspend him from the network??? I think it's silly and wrong. If you don't want strong outrageous opinions that are different than the norm then keep shows like 1st take off the air. this is also coming from a guy who is in no way a fan of Steven A. Smith.


LINK: http://espn.go.com/espn/story/_/id/11282439/espn-takes-stephen-smith-air-one-week

[eagle eye]

I didn't realize Stephen A Smith made the comments he made last Friday. So, when I read the headline to this thread it made me want to know more. I had heard a snippet of conversation about this issue on the drive home from work on ESPN radio but, again, I didn't know what happened. So, I read the link and watched SAS's apology issued this week. I also looked up what he actually said and the inference was that Ray Rice's fiancée could have provoked Rice into hitting her. And women should take care not provoke action against them. Mike is certainly right in his post that a controversial subject is going to have controversial view points. I think Smith's rant last Friday could have been (and obviously was) taken as a warning to women not to provoke violence against them. That's when the shite hit the fan, laddie. Michelle Beadle, a co-worker of SAS's at ESPN tweeted, "I was just forced to watch this morning's First Take. A) I'll never feel clean again B) I'm not aware that I can provoke my own beating." Of course, there hasn't been a woman in the history of mankind or this year who hasn't gotten into an argument with a husband or boyfriend and said things that, if another man said them, would get the speaker punched in the mouth. Women provoke and like it or not they do take advantage of their gender to say things feeling safe that no physical response is forthcoming. Even daring the man to do something. I think that is what Smith was alluding to. I don't think Smith was condoning violence against women but he lives in a world that it does happen. So do we. Now, that said, I believe what SAS failed to include in this part of his rant was that a mature adult, even though you may be provoked, doesn't pull the trigger on your anger and let something you know better than, happen. That's called maturity and it's something young testosterone fueled male athletes lack most. But this is about Smith's comments. They did have a ring of insensitivity because of the things he left unsaid to explain himself and he may have deserved being raked over the coals some but I believe his apology should have been enough because I felt it was sincere. ESPN had no choice in the matter especially after Tony Kornheiser on his show, "Pardon the Interruption" basically called Hanna Storm, an on-air anchor and broadcaster for ESPN, a slut because of the clothes she wore on a SportsCenter broadcast. Kornheiser got a two week suspension and he issued an apology which showed no regret or sincerity about it. Kornheiser was blatantly guilty of sexual harassment and deserved what he got. I think Stephen A was guilty of what he said in his apology, a poorly expressed argument that didn't reflect his true feelings. So, long story long, I agree with you Mike. SAS got hosed. But, in the court of public opinion no other outcome was possible. ESPN had no choice but try to save face and Smith was the one who had to pay.