Back in December various outlets reported that Stephen A. Smith, ESPN’s most visible talent, was in the midst of negotiating a contract worth $100 million over five years. The Athletic’s previously Andrew Marchand reported Smith could add another year at $20 million per that would push his total compensation to $120 million over six years.
Recently Smith spoke out against the death of inmate Robert Brooks, who was on a viral video getting beaten to death by prison officers and medical staff while handcuffed at an upstate New York prison.
After seeing the video Smith demanded that the more than a dozen prison staff involved be arrested and charged. Despite the damning evidence, there have been no arrests or charges filed in Brooks’ terrible death.
While Smith expressed these sentiments on his personal podcast, they do come in the midst of these delicate negotiations, which leads some to question his speaking out on these issues while playing a chess game with corporate.
Ex-NFL Player Stevie Baggs Says Stephen. A Smith is A Tool Used For Race-Baiting
Money aside, former NFL player Stevie Baggs Jr. doesn’t think Smith should even speak on issues of race, because he’s not trying to do anything but fan the flames of dissent and keep people blind to the real issues.
Appearing on The Shadow League’s “Locker Room” podcast, Baggs said:
“I think it’s foul because I don’t think it’s genuine people who put him in that space,” Baggs began. “They always want to talk about race. But let’s talk about the health of our people. Let’s talk about the food we are eating. Let’s talk about the education system. Don’t just talk about race so we continue to push a race-baiting system. We aren’t fighting a war on race anymore. We are fighting a war on economics and spiritually. We’re fighting a war on classism. So I think it’s foul because a lot of these pundits get on Tell-LIE-vision and start telling lies and visions that aren’t real to keep people in a frenzy and in fear.”
In other words, don’t ever think Smith is discussing these issues because they are tearing at his heart. He’s as strategic as they come, and Baggs suggests Smith is just a tool used to keep the community distracted.
“Genuine people are so rare,” Baggs added “And when you run into one, you see it immediately because you don’t see it all the time.”
Stephen A. Smith Still Negotiating $100M Deal
Smith has built a dynasty by picking and choosing his spots, and he has been accused of being a phony or playing both sides of an issue many times, but all of those elements factor into his longevity and his current potential record contract with ESPN.
The two sides were reportedly becoming closer to a deal, but it’s Jan. 14 and the deal is not done yet, which means they are still tussling over some details. Smith’s current compensation is $12M.
In June, John Ourand of Puck News reported Smith turned down ESPN’s initial offer of $18 million a year.
A $100 million–plus contract would set a new salary standard for ESPN talent. According to reports, the vaunted “Monday Night Football” announcing duo of Troy Aikman and Joe Buck currently boast five-year deals worth $90 million ($18 million annually) and $75 million ($15 million), respectively.
Pat McAfee is Stephen A. Smith’s top competition as the leading voice of the station and he collects a cool $85 million over five years ($17 million annually) to license his weekday show to ESPN. (He receives another cut via a separate talent-only contract with “College GameDay.”)
Tom Brady’s 10-year, $375 million deal ($37.5 million annually) with Fox Sports; Charles Barkley’s 10-year, $210 million deal with Warner Bros. Discovery; and Tony Romo’s 10-year, $180 million contract ($18 million) with CBS Sports are among the elite media contracts in sports. A realm the ESPN voice is trying to enter.
