For the second time in as many months, WFAN’s Evan Roberts sparked national outrage for being a sort of shock jock. But Stephen A. Smith has his back.
After the Mets were swept by the Atlanta Braves despite having Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander on the mound in back-to-back games, Roberts went on his Rico Brogna podcast and referred to the two very expensive “aces” as “mercenary pieces of crap.”
The comment went viral, with some fans and media criticizing Roberts for lacking humanity and professionalism. But Roberts has an unlikely supporter in ESPN’s Smith, who recognizes the sports radio format has long featured fanatical personalities and reactionary hot takes.
“Keep in mind that the verbiage he used mirrors that and echoes that of many, many, many Mets fans,” Smith said on his Audacy/Cadence 13 podcast, The Stephen A. Smith Show. “You got a billionaire with deep pockets that ain’t afraid to pay…and the fact of the matter is they’ve sucked. Now you can sit up there and get on Evan Roberts saying, ‘piece of crap.’ You know he was just being hyperbolic. You know he was just venting, and you know he was venting on behalf of New York Mets fans everywhere who continuously end up being depressed.”
Smith, fresh off referring to Nikola Jokic as a “tub of lard” on ESPN’s First Take and recognizing he’s offered plenty of harsh commentary throughout his career, wasn’t about to bring the hammer down on Roberts for saying “crap” on a podcast.
“My god, what kind of society are we living in,” Smith continued, calling out Mets reporter Andy Martino for seeming bothered by Roberts’ phrasing. “What have you said about an athlete at a particular moment of frustration while you’re sitting there pouring your heart out rooting for them and praying that they produce? Could he have said something better? Sure. Should he say something better in the future? Fine. But for this brouhaha to be fomented just because the man said, ‘two mercenary pieces of crap,’ come on, y’all. It’s hardly worthy of going viral. I know I’ve said as bad. I know many people have said as bad, if not worse.”
“Come on! The softness of sports fans. It’s really getting on my last damn nerves. So it’s a crime right now if I sit up there and say at this point they suck,” Smith ranted. “I’m talking about their performance. Not them as human beings. Anybody who knows anything about talking sports can deduce that. That’s why we’re gonna get on Evan Roberts? For something that innocuous?”
In defense of those “soft” sports fans, no one was calling for Roberts to be fired or suspended. The WFAN radio host was called out for having an over-the-top take, which Smith kind of agreed with when he admitted Roberts could have framed his insult better.
It seemed obvious that Roberts was referring to Scherzer and Verlander as “crap” because of their disappointing play on the baseball field this season and not attempting to take a personal shot. Maybe Roberts should have clarified at the outset that Scherzer and Verlander played like pieces of crap, instead of saying they are pieces of crap. But it’s a similarly excessive hot take to assert using the word “crap” on a podcast signals the deterioration of sports media. I can say with confidence that sports radio offered much harsher commentary about athletes in the ‘90s and early 2000s.
