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Stephen A. Smith: ‘I’m More Popular Than 90% Of The Players’

“He admitted to Bomani Jones that he is not as loud in his private life as he is on TV. He also shed some light on why he isn’t afraid to be critical.”

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Game Theory with Bomani Jones debuted Sunday night on HBO. The show featured Jones’s commentary on the day’s sports issues, some comedy sketches, and an interview with Stephen A. Smith. The First Take star was very candid about his stature in the sports world and his run-ins with people that were unhappy with what he had to say about them.

โ€œI was never good enough to be an elite college athlete, let alone a professional athlete,โ€ Smith told Jones. โ€œAnd to walk into an arena and be more popular than 90% of the players, every single place I go, is crazy.โ€

Stephen A. Smith illustrated the point with a story about watching a game at Cnseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. According to Smith, while he his eyes were on the court, a long line of people wanting his autograph had formed and it stretched from the court to way up in the stands.

Smith also offered some real insight into how he became the asset to ESPN that he is now. He admitted to Bomani Jones that he is not as loud in his private life as he is on TV. He also shed some light on why he isn’t afraid to be critical.

He played basketball and wrote for the student paper at Winston-Salem State University. He told a story about writing a column saying his coach needed to retire. According to Smith, the column ruffled some feathers in the athletic department and had plenty of people wanting him kicked out of school, but his coach stood up for him saying that if Smith wants to be a journalist, his job is to call it like he sees it and that he was fair in the way he dealt with the coach.

Stephen A. Smith said that if his basketball coach could deal with him professionally in that moment, he expects others to be able to do the same.

โ€œMy problem is, half the time, people are coming at me because of the headline. They donโ€™t read the story. They donโ€™t know the quote. Theyโ€™re like โ€˜This headline is out there. You said that about me.โ€™ And if I can get to them, I can resolve it, but like you said, Iโ€™m a busy man. I ainโ€™t got time to get to everybody.โ€

Smith then told a story about one player confronting him and trying to intimidate him. He told Bomani Jones that he is willing to listen to fair criticism, but no one can intimidate him.

โ€œI remember one cat came up to me and said โ€˜Man, I donโ€™t like your ass. I canโ€™t stand you. Youโ€™re a punk bitch. Blah blah blah blah blah.โ€™ AndI looked at him and I said โ€˜Can I speak?โ€™. He said โ€˜Yeah.โ€™ I said โ€˜Iโ€™m glad you said that, cuz I donโ€™t like your punk bitch ass neither. Who the hell you think youโ€™re scaring? Because I did my job? This is what you did. I didnโ€™t get into your personal life. I was talking about the game. Who you think youโ€™re scaring? It ainโ€™t gonna work.โ€™โ€

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Colorado Rockies & DirecTV Reach Agreement to Carry Games on TV

“Colorado sports fans have made DIRECTV the top destination for their favorite local teams. We will continue to work with MLB…so fans can get their games.”

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Breathe easy, Rockies fans โ€” you will be able to watch your club on linear TV this year. At the buzzer, DirecTV and the Colorado Rockies agreed on terms to distribute the team’s games throughout its local service.

Starting today, DirecTV Choice subscribers across Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, Southern Idaho, Western Nebraska, and Northern New Mexico can now watch the Rockies on a special channel simply titled, “ROCKIES.” The games will be available on DirecTV and DirecTV STREAM via channel 683.

โ€œColorado sports fans have made DIRECTV the top destination to get all their favorite local teams,โ€ said Rob Thun, chief content officer of DIRECTV. โ€œWe will continue to work with MLB, the NBA, NHL, and other top leagues and their local franchises so the most avid fans can get the games they want while other customers have more choice over the content they want to pay to have in their homes.โ€

Reports just days ago out of Colorado said there were “no guarantees” the Rockies would not find a TV home in time for Opening Day following the sunsetting of AT&T SportsNet. The only other way to watch the team is to use its direct-to-consumer Rockies.tv streaming service, which fans say is too pricey for a team that lost 103 games last season. Luckily, the team was able to secure a TV home for 2024, though the future is still uncertain.

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Erin Andrews Reveals Infertility Journey in Emotional ‘Today Show’ Interview

FOX reporter Erin Andrews sat down with ‘The Today Show’s’ Kristen Welker to discuss her journey, how Welker’s own journey inspired her, and more.

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FOX reporter Erin Andrews shared her story of infertility and surrogacy with NBC’s Today Show. Last summer, Andrews and her husband welcomed a baby boy via surrogate after trying for a decade to get pregnant via IVF, during which she was diagnosed with cervical cancer in 2016. Today, she sat down with Kristen Welker to discuss her journey, how Welker’s own journey inspired her, and more.

Andrews says Welker’s announcement on the Today Show made her think a baby could be possible. “I remember Kristin Welker’s announcement on your show,” Andrews said last year, “and I actually watched that the morning Mac was born, because that just hit me.”

When they finally sat down, Welker asked Andrews why her journey resonated with the sports reporter so much:

“Because I see myself in you. Kristen, the video of you moderating debates after you’re waiting on bad news or maybe you just received it, that’s me. I can tell you every stand-up I’ve done at a football game where I’ve gotten the news that it didn’t work. I’d be talking about Tom Brady going for this record and my record is that I still was failing…I would have chest pains every time I was waiting for the call if it worked, and I knew it wouldn’t work.

Erin Andrews on ‘Today’

Andrews knew surrogacy was the only path to having a child. Although her family’s first attempt failed, her second attempt was a success, and she got to hear her child’s heartbeat for the very first time. The pair discuss the complex emotions that come with surrogacy, saying that bonds with their child could be affected because they didn’t carry their child. However, Welker assured Andrews that those feelings go away once you can talk to your child.

Once her son was born in June, who Andrews called, “a miracle,” she then talks about her child glowingly, talking about how he is just like mom โ€” vocal. “He’s all me,” she says.

Andrews supports Baby Quest, a non-profit that grants money to families in need of IVF or surrogacy to have a baby but don’t have the funds to pursue these expensive treatments. Both Andrews and Welker acknowledged how difficult and unattainable their journies are for some families โ€” and Andrews even used the NFL’s “My Cleats, My Cause” initiative to raise awareness for her cause.

“People don’t need to feel embarrassed that they have a surrogate or are looking for other help,” Andrews said.

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Curt Menefee and Joel Klatt to be Lead Fox Sports UFL Broadcast Team

Curt Menefee, Joel Klatt, and Brock Huard will make up the first XFL on FOX announce team, while Kevin Kugler, Devin Gardner, and Jake Butt are the #2 team.

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FOX is ready for the United Football League (UFL) season and recently announced its broadcast lineup for the upcoming season. Curt Menefee returns to the booth alongside Joel Klatt to make up the primary UFL commentary team. Joining Menefee and Klatt from the sidelines will be former NFL and University of Washington QB Brock Huard.

Menefee and Klatt will call the season-opening matchup between the defending two-time USFL Champion Birmingham Stallions and the reigning XFL Champion Arlington Renegades on Saturday, Mar. 30 at 1 p.m. ET. The second team of Kevin Kugler and former Michigan quarterback Devin Gardner will call the second game of the day when the St. Louis Battlehawks take on the Michigan Panthers at 4:00 p.m. ET on FOX. Former Denver Broncos tight end Jake Butt will man the sidelines for that game.

Former NFL and USC QB Mark Sanchez was also mentioned in the FOX news release but details of his involvement were not made clear.

The UFL season kicks off on FOX this weekend and continues over on ESPN. Both networks will split coverage of the league all season long.

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