I wondered if I was the only one who thought he was racist. In an interview with members of the Texas Western team that beat my Wildcats, he kept trying to push them into talking about how they felt about the race aspect, even though they kept telling him it was just about basketball for them. There are still race issues in several areas of American life, but not as many as Stephen A. seems to see.
I hate to admit that his over-the-top style is humorous at times, but give me Bill Walton or Charles Barkley any day.
To AC Dixon, you're correct about the racial aspect of that 1966 game being overblown.
Here's an excerpt from a recent George Will column:
"...A decade before the game that supposedly changed basketball, the undefeated 1955-56 University of San Francisco team won the NCAA championship with a team that played four blacks -- Bill Russell, K.C. Jones, Hal Perry and Gene Brown. In 1958 the coaches' All-American team was all black -- Wilt Chamberlain of Kansas, Oscar Robertson of Cincinnati, Bob Boozer of Kansas State, Guy Rodgers of Temple and Elgin Baylor of Seattle. In 1962, the University of Cincinnati started four black players when it won the NCAA championship, and Loyola University of Chicago started four when it won in 1963. Frank Deford, a distinguished writer, covered the Texas Western-Kentucky game for Sports Illustrated and did not mention the fact of five black starters. Neither did The New York Times nor The Washington Post. Already the ascendancy of blacks in basketball was such that the four best players in the NBA were Chamberlain, Russell, Baylor and Robertson...."
"...And what of the movie scene where the players' motel rooms are trashed and racist epithets are painted on the walls? One of the players, Nevil Shed, recently told Sporting News columnist Dave Kindred, ``Could have happened.'' Kindred calls that Shed's way of handling ``the fiction.'' "
Even John Thompson admitted that the Texas Western coach's only goal was to win, not to make a social statement. And the game was hardly David vs. Goliath either. T.Western was ranked #3 in the nation going into the NCAA tournament.
I actually think Smith is a good interviewer, and he does have a bit of a sense of humor, which he's shown a couple of times while sitting in for Wilbon or Kornheiser on PTI.
I don't watch his show very often, but he does have good guests on there, and I personally like announcers/analysts who aren't afraid to criticize players when the criticism is warrented. That's why I love Barkley and Walton as well.
I think Stephen A. Smith is great! He knows what he is talking about and he is not afraid to say whatever is on his mind. He should get Max Kellerman to co-host the show and it would be the greatest show of all-time.
Remember, Quite Frankly with Stephen A. Smith airs at a new time starting Monday, Jan. 30th, 2006 at 11 PM EST on ESPN2. Tonight's guest: Lakers Guard Kobe Bean Bryant.
Comments
I wondered if I was the only one who thought he was racist. In an interview with members of the Texas Western team that beat my Wildcats, he kept trying to push them into talking about how they felt about the race aspect, even though they kept telling him it was just about basketball for them. There are still race issues in several areas of American life, but not as many as Stephen A. seems to see.
I hate to admit that his over-the-top style is humorous at times, but give me Bill Walton or Charles Barkley any day.
To AC Dixon, you're correct about the racial aspect of that 1966 game being overblown.
Here's an excerpt from a recent George Will column:
"...A decade before the game that supposedly changed basketball, the undefeated 1955-56 University of San Francisco team won the NCAA championship with a team that played four blacks -- Bill Russell, K.C. Jones, Hal Perry and Gene Brown. In 1958 the coaches' All-American team was all black -- Wilt Chamberlain of Kansas, Oscar Robertson of Cincinnati, Bob Boozer of Kansas State, Guy Rodgers of Temple and Elgin Baylor of Seattle. In 1962, the University of Cincinnati started four black players when it won the NCAA championship, and Loyola University of Chicago started four when it won in 1963. Frank Deford, a distinguished writer, covered the Texas Western-Kentucky game for Sports Illustrated and did not mention the fact of five black starters. Neither did The New York Times nor The Washington Post. Already the ascendancy of blacks in basketball was such that the four best players in the NBA were Chamberlain, Russell, Baylor and Robertson...."
"...And what of the movie scene where the players' motel rooms are trashed and racist epithets are painted on the walls? One of the players, Nevil Shed, recently told Sporting News columnist Dave Kindred, ``Could have happened.'' Kindred calls that Shed's way of handling ``the fiction.'' "
Even John Thompson admitted that the Texas Western coach's only goal was to win, not to make a social statement. And the game was hardly David vs. Goliath either. T.Western was ranked #3 in the nation going into the NCAA tournament.
I actually think Smith is a good interviewer, and he does have a bit of a sense of humor, which he's shown a couple of times while sitting in for Wilbon or Kornheiser on PTI.
I don't watch his show very often, but he does have good guests on there, and I personally like announcers/analysts who aren't afraid to criticize players when the criticism is warrented. That's why I love Barkley and Walton as well.
I think Stephen A. Smith is great! He knows what he is talking about and he is not afraid to say whatever is on his mind. He should get Max Kellerman to co-host the show and it would be the greatest show of all-time.
Remember, Quite Frankly with Stephen A. Smith airs at a new time starting Monday, Jan. 30th, 2006 at 11 PM EST on ESPN2. Tonight's guest: Lakers Guard Kobe Bean Bryant.
Despite the fact I disagree with him a lot, I don't despise him. He's not an amateur, he's talented.
He drives me crazy, I guess people like him though. If I never saw him again I would be happy.
I believe in sanctity of marriage.