Stephen A. Smith of ESPN claims he is “Underpaid” due to his color
Friday, before the first game of the World Series between the Houston Astros and the Philadelphia Phillies, Smith expressed his disappointment that there were no players in the series who were born in the United States for the first time since 1950.
“We are still Black in this country. We don’t trust this country in terms of meritocracy always. We know the bottom line is that just like women are underpaid compared to male counterparts, Blacks are underpaid compared to White counterparts,” smith stated
“And so when you look at it from that perspective, and of course, people look at me, I’m not talking about me even though, I got news for you, I am underpaid compared to some people on television what they get paid, but that’s a subject for another day. I ain’t apologizing for that to a damn soul. I am underpaid. Having said all of that, it ain’t about me,” smith explained.
According to the New York Post, Smith is the highest-paid on-air talent and one of the top 10 highest-paid broadcasters in sports, earning a total of $12 million annually between his $8 million pay at ESPN and a “$4 million-per-year production” contract.
Stephen A. Smith has recently leaned aggressively into woke identity politics, as evidenced by his claims that commentators would assess Tom Brady’s famous sideline rage differently if he were white and that white analysts should not remark on black players supposedly misusing helmets as weapons.