“Why Stephen’: Stephen A. Smith Spotted Going ‘Through a Mid-Life Crisis’ as He Debuts Unrecognizable New Look During Broadcast
Sportscaster Stephen A. Smith, 57, is dealing with the wrath of the internet after debuting his unrecognizable new look on the “Monday Night Countdown” segment ahead of the Baltimore Ravens’ 30-23 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium in L.A.
Smith showed up on ESPN’s “Monday Night Football” pregame segment wearing a black leather jacket, a backward black snapback cap, and dark shades.
Online jokesters jumped on the “First Take” commentator’s outfit, with social media users, including former NFL wide receiver Antonio Brown, taking aim at Smith.
The ESPN host has been very critical of Brown’s behavior for years. For instance, Smith called out the then-Tampa Bay Buccaneers player after he got suspended by the NFL for misrepresenting his COVID-19 vaccine status to avoid the league’s protocols.
“You lied! He might be vaccinated now, but the fact of the matter is you wouldn’t be suspended if you were vaccinated at the time the NFL was investigating the matter,” Smith exclaimed during a “First Take” segment in December 2021.
Brown shared a screenshot photo of Smith on X, who he described as “the broke Uncle at Thanksgiving who bets parlays daily.’’
One reply to Brown’s tweet read, “This the look when Unc is dating someone younger than them.” In addition, a woman on X posted, “Is he going through a midlife crisis?”
A third person joked, “He looks like that dad that reminds everybody he played D1 football for one season at your kid’s practice.” Elsewhere on X, someone asked, “Why Stephen A. Smith dressed like an undercover cop?”
Smith was also compared to a dancer for a legendary 1990s R&B group, a famous Black film director, and an iconic character from “The Matrix” motion picture franchise.
A fan tweeted, “This n—- Stephen A. Smith pulled up dressing like a Jodeci backup dancer.” Another X user offered, “Stephen A. dressed like Spike Lee playing Morpheus.”
While the internet clowned the polarizing sports media talking head, Smith, who said during Monday segment he had a seat “in the owners’s suite” to watch the game, showed off his ridiculed outfit on his own social media accounts. His Instagram page featured a photo of him in the all-black attire while standing next to Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts and Major League Baseball’s Commissioner’s Trophy.
He shared the same picture on Facebook and X. Many of the replies focused on the self-described New York sports fan posing with the leader of the team that defeated the New York Yankees in the 2024 World Series.
The Dodgers won the 120th edition of the World Series on Oct. 30 by beating the Yankees 7-6 in Game 5 to wrap up the best-of-seven playoff series. Los Angeles secured the baseball franchise’s eighth victory in the annual Fall Classic.
“I thought you were a Yankees fan? And they beat your team to get that trophy you smiling by,” an X user wondered.
On Instagram, a disappointed NYC devotee “revoked” Smith’s “Yankee fan card.” Additionally, one person proposed that the multi-millionaire podcaster “needed to throw a Dodgers jersey on.”
Smith has also recently faced backlash for his opinions about Republican President-Elect Donald Trump’s victory over Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 United States presidential election.
Critics accused the Winston-Salem State University graduate of flip-flopping his support from Harris to Trump after the election night results came in. A response on X read, “It’s insane how quick people switch up.”