Stephen A. Smith and Pat McAfee reportedly engaged in a heated argument over creative differences involving a yet-to-be-announced project. The argument reportedly escalated to the point where McAfee called Smith a “motherf***er.”
The incident took place over a phone call several weeks ago, reports the New York Post. It also coincides relatively with the same timeframe in which Smith made comments suggesting McAfee is held to a lower standard because “he’s white and I’m black.”
RELATED: Stephen A Smith Says Pat McAfee Has It Easier At ESPN: ‘He’s White And I’m Black’
Pat McAfee And Stephen A Smith Get In Explosive Argument
According to the New York Post, the bad blood following this argument resulted in Pat McAfee being banned from Stephen A. Smith’s show First Take, where the former NFL punter had weekly appearances during the football season.
Both parties indicated either that the ban had not been committed to or the animosity had been resolved between the two and it was reversed.
“McAfee said he wasn’t aware of any ban and Smith insisted there never was one,” the Post writes.
🚨 This has been going on for long ‼️
— Winnie Schola (@WinnieSchola) March 7, 2024
“Stephen A. Smith and Mike Greenberg crashed The Pat McAfee Show set to continue the debate about the College Football Playoff, which put about 89% of ESPN's studio talent salary within 10 feet of each other.
"Unless we've decided to turn… pic.twitter.com/amA3ruopK3
News of the reported fight between Pat McAfee and Stephen A. Smith comes after the latter awkwardly suggested that he has it harder in the sports reporting field because he’s black.
“I love Pat McAfee. Love him to death. I love his swag, I love the fact that he’s an honest brother. He don’t give a shit. You know exactly where he stands. That’s my kind of dude. That works for me,” Smith said.
But, he asserted, McAfee doesn’t have to quite be as “polished politically” as Smith believes he is. Why?
“Because he has no desire to be, No. 1,” Smith said. “And No.2, if we’re being honest, he’s white, and I’m Black; he doesn’t have to be. I had to be. So I get all of that, and I’m not knocking him for it.”
Smith insisted his comments at the time were nothing more than a generalization of the difference between white and black talent at ESPN.
This fight marks the second odd thing to come out of the McAfee-Smith relationship in recent weeks. It also leaves one wondering just who might be leaking this information to the press.
