OK, WORLD! WHEN I WAS A CUB SPORTSWRITER AT THE DETROIT NEWS BACK IN THE DAY, THERE WAS NO GREATER HONOR THAN TO RECEIVE AN AWARD FROM THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF BLACK JOURNALISTS. TO BE RECOGNIZED AND HONORED BY YOUR PEERS MEANT YOU HAD MADE IT AND MEANT YOU WERE THE BEST OF US...
Until now.
If your name is Disney / ESPN’s $100 million dollar man and the face of sports in The United States of America, Stephen A. Smith.
Who, although the most famous Black sports “journalist” in this country, was “honored” by those very same peers - who represent pretty much every African American scribe in this nation - with their not-at-all-coveted “Thumb’s Down Award.”
Which is like, in Hollywood parlance, receiving A Raspberry Award.
Which is the anti-Oscars.
For turning in the worst performance of the year.
Think John Travolta in whatever that scientology movie was he made for a lotta money that crashed and burned on the way to theaters.
Which means BAD, y’all.
Which SHOULD tell Smith that he’s doing something wrong.
Which is what I told my former once-great friend back in 2009.
Which is why our near two-decade friendship ended.
So, if you want to ask me if I am surprised by this latest development, the answer is a resounding, “No!”
Because Stephen A. Smith has walked on the wrong side of Black History for a long time now.
Almost ever since he got a seat at White America’s table.
And especially after he secured his $100 million dollar payday.
Nearly everything he has said and done over the last 3 to 4 years, in fact, has been wrong.
And anti-Black.
No matter what he believes.
Now, the reason he received this dishonor, according to the NABJ - which once revered him - is due to his distasteful comments about Black male athletes and Black women.
Like Michelle Obama.
And Joy Reid.
And Jasmine Crockett.
Things that he has never said with the same edge and forcefulness about white people he comments on.
Things that he would never say about whites as he has about LeBron James.
And Kyrie Irving - despite his recent apology.
Or Kevin Durant.
Or Jaylen Brown.
Or even Kwame Brown.
Or Matt Barnes.
Or Stephen Jackson.
Or Jason Whitlock - even though he most often deserves derision.
And the National Association of Black Journalists has noticed.
What I noticed a long time ago.
Well before this self-described “Registered Independent” started spouting views that sound a lot like an “Unregistered Republican.”
Long before he refused to acknowledge Donald Trump’s attacks on Black people with executive orders ending The 1964 Civil Rights Act.
And Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
And Equal Opportunity Employment.
Long before he counted among his “good friends” Fox News’ Sean Hannity.
And Benjamin Netanyahu apologist Mark Levin.
And right winger / Trump supporter Patrick Bet-David.
And Bill O’Reilly.
And Chris Cuomo.
And called racist Megyn Kelly “The Real Deal.”
I was there at the beginning.
I was head writer of his TV show, Quite Frankly With Stephen A. Smith on ESPN.
My job was to write in his voice.
Which I did extremely well because I knew the man.
Who is NOT the man today that he once was.
Which was honest AND honorable.
Today, however, he is as dishonorable as Officer Tatum.
And a disgrace to the Black people he once claimed to love and champion.
You have to understand how difficult it is for this esteemed Black organization to turn on Smith.
This is akin to washing our dirty laundry in public for white people to see - which is something we are ALWAYS reticent to do.
But this is how far Stephen A. Smith has fallen in ALL of our eyes - though I guarantee you he won’t see it.
But my bet is that executives at ESPN and Disney will notice that this organization, which counts between 4,000-4,400 members nationwide - and advocates for many more Black journalists in America - has sent a shot across the bow.
Their bow.
Stephen A. Smith’s bow, especially.
And it could herald the downfall of their one-time cash cow who is already being usurped by Pat McAfee as the top dog at the network.
See, it is no accident that the NABJ gave Stephen A. Smith The Thumb’s Down Award today.
Because it the highest honor he now deserves from his “own” people.
And it just might be the first thumb of bigger ones to come.
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