Stephen A. Smith has never been one to downplay his own accomplishments.
But on Tuesday’s episode of First Take, the ESPN star took his self-aggrandizing to a new level.
Granted, Smith’s comments came in comedic fashion. During a segment regarding the narrative surrounding the Kansas City Chiefs entering Super Bowl LIX, the former Philadelphia Inquirer columnist made the case that the two-time defending champs aren’t actually villains — they’re just “annoying” to a not insignificant portion of football fans.
“But why are they annoying?” Louis Riddick asked.
“They win,” Dan Orlovsky responded.
“What else is there? Does Patrick Mahomes get in trouble? Why is he annoying?” Riddick followed up.
It was at this point that Stephen A. Smith saw the opportunity to make one of his boldest analogies yet and took it.
“Listen, I would know something about that. I’m considered of the most annoying people in television?” Smith said. “Why do you think that is?”
As it became clear what he was getting at — that like Mahomes, Smith is a victim of his own success — the set erupted in laughter. So much so that host Molly Qerim performed a literal spit take by spitting out whatever it was she was drinking at the time of the analogy.
“I’ve never done this in my kajillion years on TV,” Qerim insisted as Orlovsky helped her clean up the wet spot on the desk in front of her. “I spit out straight out my mouth and I apologize to America. Oh my gosh. Stephen A. and I have never gotten along more. Oh my goodness. That was hilarious.”
Stephen A. Smith comparing himself to Patrick Mahomes because people find both of them annoying due to their greatness resulted in a legitimate spit take from Molly Qerim. pic.twitter.com/HkDFN5vSbt
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) February 4, 2025
As for the merits of his argument, Smith’s larger point was that Mahomes and the Chiefs aren’t “villains” in the traditional sense, but rather that their sustained success has merely resulted in the prevalence of “Chiefs fatigue.” But while his analogy likening Mahomes to himself was obviously humorous, the 57-year-old also made it clear he wasn’t entirely joking.
“April marks 13 consecutive years at No. 1, baby. I mean this is what we do,” Smith said. “Keep on hating because I’m gonna keep on winning.”
And if you think Stephen A. Smith is annoying now, just wait until he becomes our President.
