Former MLB pitcher and NESN analyst Jonathan Papelbon strongly criticized ESPN commentator Stephen A. Smith recently.
Papelbon’s rebuke came in response to comments Smith made on “First Take,” where he criticized Angels star Mike Trout following a meniscus tear. Papelbon escalated the situation by labeling Smith as “racist,” “xenophobic,” and a “fake person,” also claiming that Smith had previously been banned from the Phillies clubhouse during his time at the Philadelphia Inquirer in the late 2000s.
Speaking on “Foul Territory,” Papelbon expressed his views bluntly: “That’s not what the game needs. Everybody wants to tune into the media, I get it. But at the end of the day, you have to be responsible for what you say. And unless ESPN holds him accountable for the ridiculous things he says, he’s going to keep doing it.”
Papelbon further claimed that he heard from a clubhouse attendant that Smith had been barred from the clubhouse after allegedly snooping through the manager’s office and the trainer’s room. He stated, “I’ve always looked at this guy as a complete joke, and really shady. When you get kicked out of a major league clubhouse, you should never be able to be a journalist ever again.”
He continued his vehement criticism by comparing Smith’s narcissism unfavorably to that of Donald Trump, calling him “one of the most narcissistic people you could come across.”
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Papelbon also challenged ESPN to take disciplinary action against Smith, suggesting, “I challenge ESPN to do something about it. I challenge them to either fire him or cut his pay or do something, because honestly, nobody wants to listen to his nonsense. Because everybody knows it’s just for likes, it’s just for followers, he really doesn’t know what he’s talking about… this is just another idiot who doesn’t know what he’s talking about.”
Given Smith’s well-known propensity for responding to critics, it is unlikely he will remain silent about Papelbon’s comments.
