Hey, did you catch the recent BET Awards? Well, Stephen A. Smith, the controversial sports commentator, had some strong words about the awards show for including O.J. Simpson in their Memoriam tribute.
Now, if you’re like me, you probably had to do a double-take when you saw O.J. Simpson’s face pop up on the screen during the tribute. I mean, we all know about his troubled past and the infamous murder trial that captivated the nation. So, it’s not surprising that Stephen A. Smith was quick to call out BET for including him in the tribute.
In a fiery rant on his show, Smith didn’t hold back. He criticized the awards show for honoring someone with such a controversial past, saying it was disrespectful to honor someone who never cared about Black people. And honestly, I can see where he’s coming from.
The inclusion of Simpson, later a convicted felon from a 2007 armed robbery case, irked many on social media, but it particularly perturbed ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith.
On Tuesday’s episode of his eponymous podcast, Smith went on a lengthy diatribe about Simpson being shown during the segment.
Smith prefaced his monologue by giving the awards and the BET network executives some praise by commending them on their viewership totals and how the show is supposed to celebrate black people and culture.
But Smith said he was “pretty pissed off about” how Simpson’s name and image were shown on a screen onstage during the show.
“In the eyes of most people, regardless of an acquittal, O.J. Simpson is a double murderer,” Smith said on his show.
Smith said he had an issue with the show, one that is supposed to honor black people, including a person that the “First Take” host didn’t believe cared about black people until he was on trial.
“My attitude is this, O.J. Simpson never gave a s–t about black people until he was indicted — never gave a damn,” Smith added.
“Here’s the bigger issue, we should never be given a reason to talk about him again. We certainly shouldn’t be celebrating O.J. Simpson. I’m sorry. Not when two people were damn near decapitated and he was the prime suspect,” Smith added.
His scathing remarks come after Goldman’s father, Fred, told NBC that he was displeased with Simpson being included in the show.
“I thought it was wrong,” Goldman told the outlet. “I thought it was just wrong. It’s hard to imagine that he would fall in the same category as the vast majority of other people they honor.”
In the meantime, let’s sit back, grab some popcorn, and see how this drama unfolds. When it comes to hot takes and controversial opinions, Stephen A. Smith never fails to deliver. Let’s see where this wild ride takes us next!
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