ESPN bloviator general Stephen A. Smith put his foot in his mouth again.
Appearing on Larry Wilmore's podcast, Smith wandered off the reservation, if you will, during a discussion on women making strides in coaching/management positions in sports.
After discussing the Miami Marlins' hiring a female GM during the offseason, and San Antonio Spurs assistant coach Becky Hammon becoming a temporary head coach after her boss, Gregg Popovich, was ejected from a game earlier this season, Smith went off on a tangent tirade about women in UFC. America's Idiot thinks the ladies shouldn't be fighting in the octagon.
Like, hello?
Amanda Nunes landed an endorsement deal with Modelo beer. Ronda Rousey left UFC for the WWE, and is on indefinite hiatus in the hopes of starting a family with husband Travis Browne. Gina Carano is now an actress. Dana White and UFC created opportunities for women, which has led to other career pursuits, same as the men. Smith, as usual, just doesn't get it. He forgets that his network, ESPN, is UFC's current media partner, and UFC just began a series of Fight Night specials on step-sister network ABC.
Now, Smith has had WWE guests on First Take (i.e. The Miz, Triple H), and has played fanboy for them. We'll see how quickly he changes his tune when his broadcast partners, Max Kellerman, who knows more about combat sports than Smith ever will, and Molly Querin-Rose, call him out for his lame, out of touch remarks. ESPN keeps him employed because the controversy he generates brings ratings, but in this case, I'd not be surprised if he suddenly has a target on his back. Smith is best suited to covering basketball, and even there, he usually puts his foot in his mouth.
For his last century remarks about women in the UFC, Smith gets the Weasel ears this week.
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