ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith Strikes Back After Colleague Likes Tweet Criticizing Pundit Using Racial Epithet

ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith has responded to criticism for his position on Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones after his colleague liked, and later liked, a tweet criticizing him using an epithet racial.

Mark Jones, who narrates NBA games for the company, liked the tweet that called Smith a “c—” for defending Jerry Jones over a photo showing him in the crowd of white students trying to stop for black students to enter an Arkansas school in 1957.

Mark Jones didn’t like the tweet, but not before it was captured on social media. ESPN declined to comment earlier this week on whether it liked the tweet.

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ESPN announcer Mark Jones during the NBA game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Philadelphia 76ers at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on March 23, 2022.
(Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports)

Jerry Jones was just a teenager at the time. Smith said Friday that the Cowboys’ team owner did not “deserve” to be dragged through the mud for the photo.

Smith addressed the backlash on the latest episode of his “Know Mercy” podcast, according to Terrible announcement.

“One can only be called a sellout and a c — and all these other things, but long before you feel compelled to respond. Particularly when you’re a black man,” he said without mentioning Mark Jones by name. .

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Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones looks on before a game between the Minnesota Vikings and the Dallas Cowboys on November 20, 2022 at US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones looks on before a game between the Minnesota Vikings and the Dallas Cowboys on November 20, 2022 at US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.
(Nick Wosika/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Smith said that he “loved” when people tried to “define blackness.” She said that she has never used her platform to attack people’s character. She said that she didn’t want to assume anything about Jerry Jones just because of a picture of him standing there and looking.

“Everyone wants to attack everyone. Why don’t we listen to each other? I’m not a friend of Candace Owens, I never met her for a day in my life,” he said in the podcast. “But if you don’t agree with something she said, tell us what it is and why, instead of saying ‘It’s sold!’ That’s easy, why? Let’s educate ourselves. Why would you think that? Why? Argue the facts about her.

ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith broadcasts before a game between the Philadelphia 76ers and the Miami Heat at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia on December 18, 2019.

ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith broadcasts before a game between the Philadelphia 76ers and the Miami Heat at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia on December 18, 2019.
(Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports)

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“You want to criticize me and what my positions are, I’m fine with that. Everybody tell me why. If you’re right, I’ll say it. You know how hard it is for me to listen to people.” who have worked in this industry for years with the things I know about them, listening to them and their bullshit talking bullshit about me? They do nothing to help our community! I put my career on the line every day fighting for us. And we’re going out like this? Because I don’t agree with his position in a still photo from 66 years ago. Really? We’d better wake them all up.”

By Mitchell G. Patton

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