Stephen A. Smith Goes Off on Former Colleague Cari Champion: ‘You Should be Ashamed’

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ESPN star Stephen A. Smith went off on former colleague Cari Champion, saying she should be “ashamed” of herself and recognize she, like several other Black commentators, was hired “in large part” because of his behind-the-scenes support.

Smith ranted against Champion on his Straight Shooter podcast on Monday. It came a few days after Champion ripped Smith in a video on her Instagram account, with Champion adding to criticism from ex-ESPN anchor Michelle Beadle, who blasted Smith for endorsing Papaya Gaming while it is under federal investigation.

“You should be ashamed of yourself,” Smith said on his podcast to Champion. “You just said, Cari, you called me, you root for me. Why would you root for somebody that called you out and Jemele Hill, who’s your good friend? Because it’s never happened. Never. I’ve shown you nothing but love. What are you talking about?”

He continued, saying he has done nothing but support minority voices on ESPN’s First Take — something he said was not the case when commentator Skip Bayless co-hosted the program. He added:

You were hired at First Take in large part because of me. You stayed as long as you stayed and had the support of the people who supported you because of me. Do I need to get bosses to confirm that I’m telling the truth? You know I can.

When we see the diverse people that come on First Take, Black people, women, the list goes on and on. Who did that? That wasn’t happening when Skip was there. That was me. What are you talking about?”

Champion co-hosted the show alongside Smith and Bayless from 2012 to 2015.

Here is what she said over the weekend that set Smith off, according to the New York Post:

“I’m old enough to remember being on that show and getting in trouble based on some comments you said about women and whether or not they should know their place when it comes to abuse or non abuse — Ray Rice comes to mind, but I’m not gonna get into the details of all of that,” Champion said in a video on social media, which Smith replayed on his show.

“But Beadle just came for you yet again, like she did when I worked at ESPN. I wonder do you have that same smoke for her that you have for Jasmine Crockett, Michelle Obama, that you sometimes have for me and Jemele Hill.

“Do you have that same smoke? I’m sick of it. Keep the same energy and I call you and I root for… but you keep that same energy sir, for everybody.”

Champion left ESPN in 2020. She has since worked for CNN and Amazon, as well as hosted a show alongside Hill on Vice TV. And Beadle has criticized Smith a number of times she she left ESPN in 2019.

Smith, during his rant, wondered if Champion criticized him just to get noticed more.

“Are you sick of the attention you’re not getting because you’re not on ESPN anymore? I didn’t ask you to leave. It was your choice,” Smith said. “It’s hard, ladies and gentlemen, to sit here and listen to stuff like this from people who are supposed to be your friends.”

Watch his rant above.