Over the years, Stephen A. Smith and other sports prognosticators have gotten their takes off on ESPN and otherwise. Sometimes you wonder, though: What do the players think of all of this?
In the case of Kyle Long, the former NFL lineman took something Smith once said pretty seriously. So much that Long recalled confronting Smith about it one time several years ago. And now, Long wants to make peace with the ESPN personality.
Long and his brother, Chris Long, bantered on the most recent episode of Green Light with Chris Long, the former NFL defensive end’s podcast series. The two rapped on YouTube and dove into recalling an incident in which the former Oregon standout approached Stephen A.
Kyle explained that it was former Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler who became the crux of the situation. Smith, probably like several others at the time, had likely criticized the Bears quarterback for his play. He also claimed the incident was “one of the biggest regrets” in his life.
“One of my biggest regrets in life involves Stephen A. Smith, and it’s something that I think about often,” Long said. “It’s one of those things where you’ll be laying in bed and you’re reminded of something you did that was embarrassing. And you’re like, ‘F—, is this a bad dream?'”
“I was at the ESPN party at the end of the year. I think it was at the Super Bowl. Obviously I wasn’t playing and I was hammered. I was young. And like you said, Stephen A. Smith – tremendous at his job – got me going one year because of some things he said about Cutler. But I was like, I have to white knight for my quarterback, you know what I’m saying?” Long said.
“I was like 12 beers deep at the ESPN party. And I saw him and I walked up and put my paw on his shoulder. He was mid-conversation with somebody,” Long said. “I was like, hey, Jay Cutler says hello. Something smart, I thought I was so slick in the moment.” Long continued.
“And he gave me that look like, ‘You are a f—ing idiot,” Long revealed.
Long closed the segment by apologizing to Smith directly to the camera, as his brother Chris instructed him to. Often plugged in, it will be interesting to see if Stephen A. responds to Long’s apology.
