{"id":23546,"date":"2026-07-31T21:18:23","date_gmt":"2026-07-31T16:18:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=23546"},"modified":"2026-07-31T21:18:23","modified_gmt":"2026-07-31T16:18:23","slug":"stephen-a-smith-only-speaks-up-about-important-societal-issues-only-when-its-politically-acceptable","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=23546","title":{"rendered":"Stephen A. Smith only speaks up about important societal issues only when it&#8217;s politically acceptable"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\" class=\"speakable\">Stephen A. Smith is a politician as much as a sports media personality nowadays. There has been talk about him running for president, he\u2019s cozied up to politicians and has made frequent appearances on political news channels. That\u2019s why I believe his recent comments about <a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_outkick-analysis_article_main-content_article-body_6_49209\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/category\/person\/anthony-fauci\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Dr. Anthony Fauci<\/a> and Kyrie Irving seem to be more about scoring political points, than an example of actual courage and conviction.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\" class=\"speakable\">On Thursday\u2019s episode of <a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_outkick-analysis_article_main-content_article-body_6_49210\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/category\/person\/stephen-a-smith\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">The Stephen A. Smith Show<\/a> titled &#8220;Did Fauci Lie to Us All?&#8221;, Smith called out Fauci following him pleading the 5th Amendment over 100 times in front of Congress, as well as offered a public apology to Kyrie Irving, who he called &#8220;selfish&#8221; for refusing to get a COVID-19 vaccination shot.<\/p>\n<div data-layout-index=\"5\" class=\"image-ct inline\">\n<div class=\"m\"><picture><source media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/343\/192\/GettyImages-2260278778.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/686\/384\/GettyImages-2260278778.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"192\" width=\"343\"><source media=\"(min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1023px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/672\/378\/GettyImages-2260278778.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1344\/756\/GettyImages-2260278778.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"378\" width=\"672\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1200\/675\/GettyImages-2260278778.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1\" alt=\"2260278778\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\"\/><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\n<div class=\"info\">\n<div class=\"caption\">\n<p><span>SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA &#8211; FEBRUARY 06: ESPN reporter and analyst Stephen A. Smith is seen on the set of &#8220;First Take&#8221; on February 06, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Aaron M. Sprecher\/Getty Images)<\/span> <span>(Getty Images)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">While speaking about Irving, who lost millions because he had to sit out home games in New York during the pandemic, Smith said, &#8220;In my opinion, particularly hindsight-wise, it didn&#8217;t make him stubborn or selfish. It made him brave.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\"><a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_outkick-analysis_article_main-content_article-body_6_49211\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/politics\/top-5-moments-from-faucis-hearing-paul-boots-lawyer-moreno-erupts-contempt-vote-looms\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>TOP 5 MOMENTS FROM FAUCI&#8217;S HEARING: PAUL BOOTS LAWYER, MORENO ERUPTS AS CONTEMPT VOTE LOOMS<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">&#8220;I watched Dr. Fauci on Capitol Hill yesterday, and the person I thought about most was Kyrie Irving,&#8221; Smith added.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">Then Smith offered his apology.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">&#8220;There&#8217;s several people that we all owe apologies to&#8230; but none more so than the apology that I owe to Kyrie Irving,&#8221; Smith stated. &#8220;It turns out that, no matter what the truth is behind all of this, Kyrie Irving did nobody wrong. We did him wrong. I did him wrong. And for that, I\u2019m sincerely sorry, Smith stated.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\"><a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_outkick-analysis_article_main-content_article-body_6_49212\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/outkick-analysis\/biden-administration-purposefully-ignore-covid-vaccine-side-effects\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>DID THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION PURPOSEFULLY IGNORE COVID VACCINE SIDE EFFECTS?<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<div data-layout-index=\"5\" class=\"image-ct inline\">\n<div class=\"m\"><picture><source media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/343\/192\/Kyrie-Irving7.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/686\/384\/Kyrie-Irving7.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"192\" width=\"343\"><source media=\"(min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1023px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/672\/378\/Kyrie-Irving7.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/1344\/756\/Kyrie-Irving7.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"378\" width=\"672\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/1200\/675\/Kyrie-Irving7.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1\" alt=\"FILE - Brooklyn Nets' Kyrie Irving, far right, not permitted to play because he's unvaccinated for COVID-19, watches the game between the Brooklyn Nets and the New York Knicks at the Barclays Center, Sunday, March 13, 2022, in New York.\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\"\/><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\n<div class=\"info\">\n<div class=\"caption\">\n<p><span>FILE &#8211; Brooklyn Nets&#8217; Kyrie Irving, far right, not permitted to play because he&#8217;s unvaccinated for COVID-19, watches the game between the Brooklyn Nets and the New York Knicks at the Barclays Center, Sunday, March 13, 2022, in New York.<\/span> <span>(AP Photo\/Seth Wenig, File)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">Due to his inaction, and what I believe to be cowardice when faced with opportunities to take a real stand for the truth, and push against the mainstream prescribed narrative over the years, I\u2019m not going to waste my time praising Smith for saying this in 2026.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">Yes, I\u2019m thankful he\u2019s apologizing, whether it\u2019s truly sincere or not. But, Stephen A. only goes where the political tide turns. It\u2019s what he\u2019s been doing for years now, especially since his rebrand to cover more specifically political topics and issues.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">Only recently has Smith condemned <a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_outkick-analysis_article_main-content_article-body_6_49213\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/outkick-sports\/female-athletes-speak-up-keeping-womens-sports-women-sophie-cunningham\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">men in women\u2019s sports<\/a> and now, he\u2019s <a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_outkick-analysis_article_main-content_article-body_6_49214\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/outkick-analysis\/legacy-media-ignores-massive-anthony-fauci-document-release-alleging-misled-congress-covid-origins\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">condemning Fauci<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">How convenient.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\"><a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_outkick-analysis_article_main-content_article-body_6_49215\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/outkick-sports\/female-athletes-speak-up-keeping-womens-sports-women-sophie-cunningham\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>THESE FEMALE ATHLETES NEED TO SPEAK UP ABOUT KEEPING WOMEN&#8217;S SPORTS FOR WOMEN, LIKE SOPHIE CUNNINGHAM DID<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<div data-layout-index=\"5\" class=\"image-ct inline\">\n<div class=\"m\"><picture><source media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/343\/192\/stephen-a-smith-espn-nba-countdown-fox-news-001.jpeg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/686\/384\/stephen-a-smith-espn-nba-countdown-fox-news-001.jpeg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"192\" width=\"343\"><source media=\"(min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1023px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/672\/378\/stephen-a-smith-espn-nba-countdown-fox-news-001.jpeg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1344\/756\/stephen-a-smith-espn-nba-countdown-fox-news-001.jpeg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"378\" width=\"672\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1200\/675\/stephen-a-smith-espn-nba-countdown-fox-news-001.jpeg?ve=1&amp;tl=1\" alt=\"Stephen A. Smith standing on the ESPN NBA Countdown live set at Intuit Dome\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\"\/><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\n<div class=\"info\">\n<div class=\"caption\">\n<p><span>Stephen A. Smith appears on the ESPN NBA Countdown live set at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, on Oct. 23, 2024.<\/span> <span>(Kirby Lee\/Imagn Images)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">After Smith spoke with <a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_outkick-analysis_article_main-content_article-body_6_49216\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/category\/shows\/riley-gaines-podcast\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Riley Gaines<\/a> in 2025, I shot Riley a text after seeing the episode promoted. I asked about whether she asked him about why he was silent when ESPN celebrated Lia Thomas during Women\u2019s History Month. Unfortunately, that conversation didn\u2019t take place in that podcast.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">Smith also praised <a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_outkick-analysis_article_main-content_article-body_6_49217\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/media\/sophie-cunningham-sees-support-surge-star-puts-career-line-girls-sports\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Sophie Cunningham<\/a> for &#8220;saying what others are afraid to say.&#8221; You were one of those people, Stephen A.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">Remember Sam Ponder, Stephen A.? She was <a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_outkick-analysis_article_main-content_article-body_6_49218\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/category\/topic\/cancel-culture\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">vilified<\/a> and reprimanded for ACTUALLY taking a courageous stance against men in women\u2019s sports and spaces. She\u2019s no longer with the network. Where were you to defend her?<\/p>\n<div data-layout-index=\"5\" class=\"image-ct inline\">\n<div class=\"m\"><picture><source media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/343\/192\/sam-ponder-102125.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/686\/384\/sam-ponder-102125.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"192\" width=\"343\"><source media=\"(min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1023px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/672\/378\/sam-ponder-102125.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/1344\/756\/sam-ponder-102125.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"378\" width=\"672\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/1200\/675\/sam-ponder-102125.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1\" alt=\"Sam Ponder on sideline\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\"\/><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\n<div class=\"info\">\n<div class=\"caption\">\n<p><span>ESPN sideline reporter Sam Ponder during the first quarter between the Florida State Seminoles and Mississippi Rebels at Camping World Stadium.<\/span> <span>(Kim Klement\/USA Today Sports)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">Again, while I see the positive in his apology and promotion of common sense, which he was terrified to admit years ago, don\u2019t fault me for rolling my eyes at the idea that these statements are somewhat courageous in their own right.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">Kyrie Irving, Novak Djokovic, <a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_outkick-analysis_article_main-content_article-body_6_49219\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/sports\/cardinals-coach-mike-lafleur-deflects-aaron-rodgers-speculation-says-team-focused-current-quarterbacks\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Aaron Rodgers, Cole Beasley<\/a>, Tyler Bertuzzi, and every day Americans were relentlessly vilified for not taking an experimental drug during the pandemic. They were gaslit by people like Stephen A. and others in mainstream sports media. Some were even fired during that awful time, such as Allison Williams, who refused to get the jab because she was pregnant.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">We all make mistakes. We all need accountability for being wrong and committing wrongs, at times. If Smith had a backbone, though, he would\u2019ve spoken up when it was uncomfortable to do so.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">He sounds like a politician, in my opinion. He\u2019s the king of playing both sides.<\/p>\n<div data-layout-index=\"5\" class=\"image-ct inline\">\n<div class=\"m\"><picture><source media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/343\/192\/Novak-Djokovic11.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/686\/384\/Novak-Djokovic11.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"192\" width=\"343\"><source media=\"(min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1023px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/672\/378\/Novak-Djokovic11.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/1344\/756\/Novak-Djokovic11.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"378\" width=\"672\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/1200\/675\/Novak-Djokovic11.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1\" alt=\"9a37a768-Novak Djokovic\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\"\/><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\n<div class=\"info\">\n<div class=\"caption\">\n<p><span>Serbia&#8217;s Novak Djokovic, the Australian Open defending champion, waits at an Australian Border Force desk on his arrival at Melbourne Airport, Wednesday, Jan. 5, 2022. Locked in a dispute over his COVID-19 vaccination status, Djokovic was confined to the immigration detention hotel in Australia on Thursday, Jan 6, as he awaited a court ruling on whether he can compete in the Australian Open later this month.<\/span> <span>(AP Photo)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\"><a href=\"https:\/\/foxnews.onelink.me\/xLDS?pid=AppArticleLink&amp;af_dp=foxnewsaf%3A%2F%2F&amp;af_web_dp=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.foxnews.com%2Fapps-products\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">Sure, I could be wrong about Smith\u2019s motivations with his recent stances after years of silence and compliance with his liberal overlords at ESPN, but don\u2019t fault me for not wanting to applaud him for saying the obvious and truthful things this late in the game. Far too many people have sacrificed jobs, paychecks, connections, and societal status to take bold stands when it wasn&#8217;t politically convenient and acceptable to the majority.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">While at the same time, I recognize the importance and impact of Smith speaking up and apologizing. That is something we should be hoping for from many sports media members, family, friends, politicians, co-workers, and more, as it pertains to these pressing, and still vitally important issues of our time.<\/p>\n<p> <!----> <!----> <\/p>\n<div class=\"article-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-bio\">\n<p>Jon is a writer and content creator for OutKick<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<script async=\"async\" data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/pl30214220.effectivecpmnetwork.com\/9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"container-9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\"><\/div>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Stephen A. Smith is a politician as much as a sports media personality nowadays. There has been talk about him running for president, he\u2019s cozied up to politicians and has made frequent appearances on political news channels. That\u2019s why I believe his recent comments about Dr. Anthony Fauci and Kyrie Irving seem to be more&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":23547,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/stephen-a-smith-espn-nba-countdown-fox-news-001.jpeg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23546","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news-hub"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23546","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=23546"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23546\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/23547"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=23546"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=23546"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=23546"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}