Quote of the Day (Stephen A. Smith, on How ‘‘The Sports Fan Cannot Be Taught’)

“I’m the kind of person that [says]: ‘This is what I said. Deal with it.’ [Former First Take on-air colleague Max Kellerman] was the kind of person that’s trying to convince you to side with him. One time I said to him, ‘You’re a boxing aficionado, ain’t you?’ He said, ‘Absolutely’ I said, ‘You know boxing better than anybody, right?’ He said, ‘Yeah.’ I said, ‘Your friends that you grew up with, don’t they argue with you about boxing?’ He said, ‘Absolutely.’ I said, ‘Why do you think that is?’ I said, ‘The sports fan cannot be taught.’ They don’t want to learn from you. They want to hear whether you do or do not agree with them and why. Which is another reason I don’t allow them to debate me. Because I’m like, there’s no convincing you! You’re going to feel what you’re going to feel. So watch the show, deduce your opinions and be on your way.”—ESPN sports media personality Stephen A. Smith quoted by David Marchese, “Talk: Stephen A. Smith Sees Arguing As A Part of His Life: ‘I’m Under No Obligation to Tell You What the Hell You Want to Hear,’” The New York Times Magazine, Apr. 23, 2023

The image of Stephen A. Smith accompanying this post was taken Jan. 21, 2021, at a Q and A at The Moody College of Communication at The University of Texas at Austin.