Stephen A. Smith has learned how to harness and wield the power of the media to his advantage, but unfortunately that doesn’t mean that it’s always beneficial for everyone else.
The latest example is his disrespectful rant about Eagles offensive lineman Lane Johnson, who announced that he was retiring due to “focus on his mental health.”
“Right now my heart is telling me that it’s time to say goodbye to football,” wrote the 6x Pro Bowler on IG.
While it’s a major loss for the already reeling Eagles, Johnson’s decision is perfectly understandable as football is a highly demanding sport that tests your physical and mental capabilities. So after 14 years, the All-Pro decided it was time to hang up the cleats and everyone accepted it.
Except Stephen A. Smith.
On First Take the day after Johnson announced his retirement, Smith decided to go off on Lane with a smile and a load of sarcasm.
“He went like this, ‘You know what? I’m going to call it quits,'” said Smith, mocking Johnson. “Now he calls it quits. Not before the season. Not in the offseason. Oh no no no no no. After being subjected to this, he said life is a little bit too short. ‘I need to focus,’ what did he say, on his mental health. Four games in to the 2026 season!”
Smith went on to mock him even further.
“And this brother said, ‘Hey. My life matters. It’s time. I’m going to call it quits. My mental health.'”
For someone who’s never played the sport and, as we’ve witnessed, has no real athletic skill, Smith has no problem disrespecting Johnson in order to put on a show.
And that segment further exposed Smith’s entire media strategy.
Say anything to garner ratings/views, issue an apology to garner more ratings/views and repeat.
It’s a tactic Smith has employed ever since he was given a second chance at ESPN. Instead of real analysis and in-depth reporting or even opinion based on fact, which he, as a trained journalist understands, Smith has turned to whatever will generate the most buzz because the eyeballs will follow.
It’s a well established pattern anyone can see.
Smith is one of the least most knowledgeable boxing commentators, yet he was paired constantly with Teddy Atlas during big boxing matches. Why? Because their loud, boisterous and ridiculous banter, while frustrating for real boxing fans, made for “good TV.”
Despite the horrible job he did during the Manny Pacquiao vs. Joe Horn fight in 2017 and the ridiculous show he put on during the GGG vs. Canelo fight, Smith, and ESPN, seemed not to care whether he offended the boxing community for they were tuned in for the entertainment he and Atlas provided.
But with the entertainment, and sometimes buffoonery (see his segments with Michael Irvin), comes a darker side to his commentary, one in which he says anything to spark reactions and go viral for once that happens, the numbers follow.
Then he heads to his podcast outside of ESPN where he knows everyone will tune in to watch him “humble” himself and ask for forgiveness while his platform benefits from the anger and ridicule he inspired on ESPN.
Smith is a master at the ratings game and understands how to play it and everyone involved.
It’s why politics are such a natural fit for him, because the politics of this generation is based on shock, disrespect, ignorance and entertainment rather than unbiased truth and facts, and doesn’t come with much accountability.
But the real target for him is the sports community, and his ability to irritate and enrage those individuals by being wrong is what he’s skilled at.
In 2005, he ripped Glenn “Big Dog” Robinson for being “unavailable” for Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals without taking the time to learn that Robinson was absent due to his mother’s funeral. That ended up becoming a hate-hate relationship.
In 2014, Smith blundered badly while addressing the infamous Ray Rice domestic violence issue.
“We know you have no business putting your hands on a woman,” said Smith at the time. But then he added, “Let’s make sure we don’t do anything to provoke wrong actions.”
That comment, which spread like wildfire, earned him a one week suspension from ESPN.
In 2025, he started a beef with LeBron James by critiquing his son, Bronny. That turned into an in-person confrontation at a Lakers game and an on-air accusation on First Take where he ripped LeBron for not attending Kobe’s funeral and further insulted him by stating that LeBron, “outside of his crew, has no real friends.”
Both are completely false, especially as LeBron did attend Kobe’s funeral.
Guess what happened next? Yep, Smith had to issue a public apology on X.
So say something that’s wrong and then apologize…does that practice sound familiar?
All of these accumulated incidents earned him the top spot at the network (prior to McAfee’s rise), two shows of his own and the ability to continue his practice without any real consequence.
On Thursday, Smith went on First Take and issued yet another apology, this time for his comments about Lane Johnson.
“Here’s the reality of the situation- I was wrong,” said Smith. “And when you’re an adult and a man you have to admit you were wrong.”
He went on to apologize directly to Lane Johnson and the Eagles and apologized for being disrespectful towards the issue of mental health, which is great.
But when you look at his ESPN career, you realize that this is just part of the pattern that he weaved and maintains.
So while the apology appears sincere, the Stephen A. Smith way continues.
Insult, apologize, repeat.
