Stephen A. Smith Slams Browns QB Deshaun Watson For Avoiding Non-Football Questions At First Press Conference Since Return
ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith bashed Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson for dodging the media’s questions about his personal life in his first press conference back from suspension.
Watson served an 11-game suspension after he violated the NFL’s personal conduct policy after 25 women accused Watson of sexual misconduct during massage sessions. Watson’s suspension ended on Monday, allowing him to return to the Browns and practice as their starting quarterback.
He met with the media on Thursday in his first press conference since his suspension ended. Watson told the media he would only answer questions about football and avoided questions outside of football.
“I understand that you guys have a lot of questions, but with my legal team and my clinical team, there’s only football questions I can address at this time,” Watson said.
Watson dodged questions about his treatment, refused to answer whether or not he should be the face of the Browns, and only responded to questions about football.
On Friday’s First Take, Smith felt Watson should have answered the questions asked so he could move on and only have to focus on football. When First Take host Molly Qerim asked Smith how he felt Watson handled the press conference, Smith seemed annoyed.
“Stupidly,” Smith answered. “Somebody got to say it, so I’m going to say it.”
Smith acknowledged how long he had been on television and did not have a second delay; sometimes, he would say he would “make mistakes.”
He used co-hosts Ryan Clark and Marcus Spears as examples if they came up to him and asked for advice on a mistake they made, and Smith said he would have told them to “get it over with.”
Smith’s message to Watson was clear; he needed to rip the bandaid off and answer the questions.
“I would’ve walked up to that press conference from day one; you know what I would’ve said, guys? ‘I’m here; let’s go, don’t ask after today, but feel free, fire away,'” Smith continued. “Because the suspension is over.”
Smith felt Watson made a mistake after not answering questions outside of football because it would drag out the process of ultimately moving on from his lawsuits.
“What you don’t do, is prolong people to continue to look for answers; you can immediately provide and then get it over with,” Smith added. Watson’s approach, Smith argued, was only going to “prolong” the story “to such a degree that people continue come at you, and somehow, someway, everybody’s looking for the story.”
Smith pivoted and urged Watson to understand he could control the narrative and “take the story away” if he answered questions outside of football.
“I’m giving media advice now!” Smith shouted. “You take the story away! Whatever I can say, of course, there’s things your lawyers don’t want you to say. There’s going to be things your therapist don’t want you to say, whatever.”
“Whatever you can say, I’m here today!” Smith said. “We ain’t gon spend the rest of the season me coming back and forth with y’all answering these questions. We gon’ get it over with now, ask away.”
Watch above via ESPN.
