Stephen A. Smith is great at courting controversy – it’s one of the reasons he’s ESPN’s highest-paid on-air talents. But his latest take on Los Angeles Angels star Shohei Ohtani may have crossed a line.
On Monday’s edition of First Take, Stephen A took issue with the idea of Ohtani becoming Major League Baseball’s No. 1 attraction. Specifically, he said that it may be hard for people to gravitate to Ohtani because he doesn’t speak English.
“…But when you talk about an audience gravitating to the (TV) tube, or to the ballpark, to actually watch you, okay, I don’t think it helps that the No. 1 face is a dude that needs an interpreter so you can understand what the hell he’s saying,” Stephen A said.”
It didn’t take long for those comments to go viral. Thousands of people on Twitter alone are talking about the ESPN pundit early this afternoon because of it.
Stephen A Smith saying that Shohei Ohtani, responsible for the 10 highest viewed regular season games this year and what will likely be the most watched HRD ever, shouldn’t be considered a face of baseball because he needs an interpreter. Kindly piss off
— Brain (@brian_slosh) July 12, 2021
The seemingly-xenophobic remarks are quickly earning him condemnation from everyone from baseball fans to analysts:
Stephen A. Smith should just let the baseball analysts do their thing. They aren’t great either, but they have a higher floor.
— Gary Sheffield Jr. (@GarysheffieldJr) July 12, 2021
Stephen A. Smith should be called out on the air for his xenophobic comments but I’m almost positive that A) It will be completely ignored, or B) He’ll attempt to defend himself without admitting his wrongdoing.
— Chris Walder (@WalderSports) July 12, 2021
I’ve long understood that Stephen A embraces and profits from being a memeified caricature for entertainment/attention. So I usually just keep scrolling. But his Ohtani’s comments are pure trash. Not to mention stupid—Shohei can speak English *and* Spanish in addition to Japanese
— Stephen Nelson (@StephenNelson) July 12, 2021
ESPN’s Mina Kimes seemed to take umbrage with Stephen A. Smith’s comments too. She didn’t call him out by name, but she did declare that Ohtani is “the face of baseball right now” and called it “a beautiful thing.”
Shohei Ohtani is the face of baseball right now and it’s a beautiful thing.
— Mina Kimes (@minakimes) July 12, 2021
I just did.
— Mina Kimes (@minakimes) July 12, 2021
The Shohei Ohtani comments were hardly the only ones that have fans angry at Stephen A. Smith today either. In another segment, he butchered the names of the Nigerian men’s basketball team players in an effort to mock Team USA for losing in a scrimmage to them this past week.
It just keeps getting worse for Stephen A pic.twitter.com/bhfZLUKy8j
— Krish Patel (@BeisbolKrish) July 12, 2021
Seems telling of something that on First Take today Stephen A. Smith both said that Shohei Ohtani can’t be the face of baseball because he uses a translator and also butchered the names of Nigerian basketball players by way of criticizing Team USA for losing to them.
— Kevin Draper (@kevinmdraper) July 12, 2021
The Shohei Ohtani take from Stephen A. Smith was bad. The comments on the Nigeria men’s basketball team were also bad.
But as surprising as those comments may have been, an apology from the ESPN pundit may be even more shocking.
The post Stephen A. Smith’s Awful Take On Shohei Ohtani Is Going Viral appeared first on The Spun.
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