"I'm A Black Man, You Idiots!": ESPN's Smith Responds To Backlash For Saying Kaepernick "Eradicated" His Points

[Ubiquitous]

ESPN host Stephen A. Smith unloaded on his critics Tuesday after severe
backlash for his assertion that former San Francisco quarterback Colin
Kaepernick wants to "be a martyr" more than he wants to play in the league
and that his stunt on Saturday "eradicated" his talking points.

After the NFL set up a private tryout for Kaepernick in Atlanta on Saturday
that featured scouts from reportedly 25 of the league's 32 teams, Kaepernick
and his team suddenly decided to pull out and move the event to a high school
field instead, claiming the league wanted them to sign a waiver that was
somehow unacceptable and wouldn't allow them to bring their own camera crew.
After running through drills at the far less attended event at the changed
venue, Kaepernick, who started off the event wearing a shirt invoking
slavery, gave a defiant statement accusing the NFL of "running" from him.

"I've been ready for three years. I've been denied for three years,"
Kaepernick declared. "We all know why I came out here today and showed it
today in front of everybody. We have nothing to hide, so we're waiting for
the 32 owners, 32 teams, Roger Goodell, all of them to stop running. To stop
running from the truth. To stop running from the people."

In response, Smith, who has been generally supportive of Kaepernick's cause,
slammed the former QB. "Colin Kaepernick wants to change the venue; Colin
Kaepernick wants his own receivers; Colin Kaepernick wants to video things
himself; Colin Kaepernick wants the media," Smith said over the weekend.
"This Colin Kaepernick, media can't find him! He ain't done no interviews; he
ain't talked to nobody; media can't find him - but he wants the media
available now. You see? You see? He don't want to play; he wants to be a
martyr. But guess what? It ain't working this time."

On Monday, Smith doubled down, saying in a debate with fellow ESPN host Max
Kellerman, who took Kaepernick's side, that the quarterback-turned-activist
had nullified his talking points about the NFL by turning Saturday into a
league-antagonizing stunt.

After blowback from Kaepernick fans against Smith for his criticism, the
outspoken host addressed the issue again on Tuesday. He began by holding up
two documents, the waiver that Kaepernick signed in 2011 for the league and
the waiver given to him last week, highlighting that there are only two minor
differences. Then Smith launched into an impassioned explanation and defense
of his criticism from the previous couple of days.

"When I sit up there, and I sat here yesterday, and I spoke about how his
points are eradicated, I'm not talking about the kneeling. I'm not talking
about the protesting," said Smith (transcript via For The Win). "I'm a black
man, you idiots! You think I have a problem with a man that is kneeling and
protesting racial oppression and police brutality? Do you know anything about
my history in 25 years in this damn business? From The New York Daily News to
the Philadelphia Inquirer to CNN to Fox to ESPN. Do you have any idea about
my damn background and the fights that I have taken on the behalf of African
Americans throughout this nation's history? Do you have any idea who the hell
you are talking about?"

To make sure his critics didn't miss it, Smith tweeted out a video of the
statement (longer video below):
https://twitter.com/stephenasmith/status/1196843775089348611

Below is the video of the full segment:
https://youtu.be/4vGj4k6vFdQ


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