Smith denies using racial slur on ‘First Take’
by Chris Chase, USA TODAY Sports
ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith denied using a racial slur on Thursday’s edition of First Take.
While talking to NBA announcer Mark Jones about Kobe Bryant’s status for the regular season, Smith sounded like he quickly said “[expletive], please,” in a mock, dismissive tone. (You can watch the clip here.)
Word quickly spread on the Internet about Smith’s accidental utterance and he addressed the incident later in the program. Though he issued a firm denial, ESPN still cut the word from a rebroadcast of the show.
Got that? He was merely speaking fastly.
It’s a strong denial, except for the lack of explanation about what he actually said. Maybe Smith didn’t say that particular word. But he said something that began with an “N” sound. By glossing over that fact and only using “New Yorkers talk fast” as an excuse, Smith undermines his entire defense. There’s a reason people think he said the word: It’s because it sounded like he said the word. Acknowledge that at least.
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