THE AMERICA ONE NEWS
Jun 5, 2025  |  
0
 | Remer,MN
Sponsor:  QWIKET 
Sponsor:  QWIKET 
Sponsor:  QWIKET: Elevate your fantasy game! Interactive Sports Knowledge.
Sponsor:  QWIKET: Elevate your fantasy game! Interactive Sports Knowledge and Reasoning Support for Fantasy Sports and Betting Enthusiasts.
back  
topic
NY Post
New York Post
5 Jul 2023


NextImg:Stephen A. Smith’s eyes are ‘wide open now’ after ESPN layoffs: ‘Ain’t the end’

Stephen A. Smith believes he’ll have a market — if ESPN decides his time is up.

Shortly after paying tribute to his colleagues laid off by ESPN last week, Smith spoke on Monday’s episode of his FanDuel show about life beyond the network — a prospect he said he’s more prepared for, should the media giant cut ties, much like it did in 2009.

“This ain’t the end. More is coming,” Smith said on “The Stephen A. Smith Show.” “And yes, ladies and gentlemen, I could be next.”

Smith also touched upon race when discussing the implications of the network’s cost-saving measures.

“Don’t ever, ever, ever in your life, as a black person, take anything for granted. I told you before, when white folks catch a cold, Black folks catch pneumonia,” said Smith, who then referenced the departures of former “SportsCenter” anchor Neil Everett, “College GameDay’s” David Pollack, NFL Draft analyst Todd McShay and the legendary NBA anaylist Jeff Van Gundy.

Stephen A. Smith said that he has ‘open eyes’ that he could be an eventual casualty of ESPN cost cutting.

“You didn’t think black folks would be on the list, too?” he asked. “That’s always the case.

“And the one thing that I can tell you about Stephen A. Is this ain’t 2009. I really didn’t see it coming. My eyes are always wide open now. I’m never comfortable. I never take anything for granted and I never assume that I’m safe … And ‘First Take’ is number one.”

Smith was away from ESPN for several years between “Quite Frankly,” which he began hosting in 2005 before the show ended in 2007, and “First Take,” which he joined in 2012 after exiting the network in 2009.

Smith held other jobs such as a morning host for Fox Sports Radio and appeared on “Best Damn Sports Show” on the Fox Sports regional networks.

Stephen A. Smith at 2022 NBA All-Star Game.

Stephen A. Smith at the 2022 NBA All-Star Game.
NBAE via Getty Images

Skip Bayless had to grovel with ESPN brass to allow Smith to return to the company, first part-time and later full-time, as their partnership took off like a bottle rocket on ESPN2.

Smith is in quite a different position now; “First Take” is one of ESPN’s few remaining tentpoles of sports talk, and he has a feature role on the “NBA Countdown” studio show that shoulders the league’s biggest games.

    Smith earns about $12 million a year from ESPN.

    His comments come just days after ESPN laid off around 20 on-air talents, including Keyshawn Johnson, Jalen Rose, longtime host Suzy Kolber and Max Kellerman.

    Veteran reporter Gene Wojciechowski announced his ESPN exit on Monday night after a “25 1/2-year run.”