Stephen A. Smith tries to get some of his facts straight while spewing thousands of hot takes on ESPN, but he can’t also worry about phrasing.
This week on First Take, Smith’s phrasing left ESPN NFL analyst Dan Orlovsky a little shook after claiming the former quarterback was “pulling a woody” on live TV. Smith’s accidental sexual innuendo is right up there with Philadelphia Phillies TV analyst Ruben Amaro Jr., who recently stated Pete Rose had “the hardest wood I’ve ever touched.”
Orlovsky’s confused smile in response to Smith aptly characterized everyone who heard the “pulling a woody” accusation. Without getting into much detail, the accidental one-liner didn’t have viewers wondering if Smith was accusing the former quarterback of tugging on a Toy Story action figure string. Smith, meanwhile didn’t even crack a smirk, seemingly oblivious to what he accused Orlovsky of doing on the Disney owned sports network.
Despite the unique phrasing, Smith was likely trying to compare Orlovsky to their First Take colleague Damien Woody, claiming both analysts attempt to change the narrative when their arguments are pinned in a corner. Orlovsky has shown a propensity to create odd narratives, like the time he said his sources were questioning Justin Fields’ work ethic. But I’m not sure what narrative Orlovsky was changing in this particular debate with Smith, where he believed Carson Wentz was a better quarterback than Jalen Hurts.
More than winning the argument, Orlovsky won the segment with the baffled look he offered Smith and his uncanny ability to hit the reset button after muttering “pause” in response to the phrasing gaffe.
