it's obvious, baby!

[rone]

Stephen A. Smith is the black, young Dick Vitale.

Comments

[vspope.livejournal.com]

I feel really bad for Stephen A. Smith if that's the case. Dick Vitale gives me hives, and that's BEFORE he opens his mouth. When he speaks, I get the shakes and my peepee hurts.

[ronebofh.livejournal.com]

I have a fantasy where Linda Cohn puts a bit gag on Dick Vitale.

[littleamerica.livejournal.com]

I take it this is your way of answering the question "Could Stephen A. Smith be more annoying?" or possibly "Does Stephen A. Smith signal an unprecedented era of bad decisions at ESPN?"

[ronebofh.livejournal.com]

He was actually somewhat subdued during the NBA Draft, but, yes, i'd like to know who was smoking what when the decision to hire him was made. What the hell does his résumé look like, i wonder?

[littleamerica.livejournal.com]

He came out of the Philadelphia area, where I believe he had substantial experience covering the 76ers. He speaks clearly, he seems to know a little about the NBA, and he's telegenic. On the basis of that I can understand why ESPN might want to hire him.

I'm more disturbed by his style, however. I don't understand why all the shouting and insults are necessary. That kind of thing has been around sports media for some time, but ESPN's been relatively free of it. Then again, they've been relatively free of things that appeal directly and overtly to the gambling and topless bar crowd, but that seems to be changing too. Last year about this time they were making overtures to Jimmy Kimble.

I guess what I'm saying is that what you're seeing is ESPN's progress down the last mile in sports media saturation.

[ronebofh.livejournal.com]

Christ, Jimmy Kimmel... that guy is such a no-talent ass clown. As for the shouting, i suspect that ESPN isn't going to repeat the experiment. This Smith guy is often stared at by his fellow TV people like he's some sort of freak, moron, or freakish moron.