Stephen A. Smith Name-Calling, Teasing the Hell Out of Upcoming Jason Whitlock Rant

Stephen A. Smith is a master showman and didn't wait long after Pat McAfee's announcement that an Aaron Rodgers-sized problem had been removed from the upcoming schedule to veer ESPN back into the performative WWE-type stuff by promising to speak his mind on a "no-good fat bastard." On the podcast he owns, of course, not the flagship channel because that would just be ridiculous. It didn't take much detective work to figure out who he was talking about and that realization only added to the excitement.

A few hours later Smith offered a second, more thorough tease of the full evisceration promised later tonight. Many of us had issues playing his original video so another with music overlaid has been included below.

"Jason Whitlock," Smith began while rolling up his sleeves like he was able to do some real manual labor. "I said that name. It's not a name I've uttered. I normally don't do that but it's necessary to do now. I've had enough of that fat bastard. That piece of shit. And I wanted to make sure before I got to break, I want anyone out there who watches me, anyone out there who knows me, anyone out there no matter what you think, I want you to remember I never talk about him. I never talk about my colleagues. This is a first. But it's necessary."

"I literally called my pastor and asked for his forgiveness and understanding in advance because he's not going to recognize the person he's about to hear," Smith continued somberly, letting the stakes seep in. "I did the same when I emailed the bosses at ESPN. This is my podcast, I own and operate this, I do what I want on this podcast but it doesn't mean that I still don't harbor a responsibility to at least give my daytime employers a heads-up as to what I'm about to do. My sisters, my nieces and nephews, my boys in the industry, everybody that I could reach out to in time has been warned. It's time for me to address this. I'm only going to do it once. Because this bastard is worth less than a damn cockroach. He wanted my attention, he's got it."

Back in October, Smith had some scathing words for a person who we feel pretty damn confident is Whitlock. It's really the "fat, no-good bastard" line that gives it away.

"There's a lot of people out there who want me to address other names," Smith said at the time. "There's one particular person who will remain nameless and I will not deny it: I think he's a fat, no-good bastard who I despise to the core. But it doesn't mean that I wish him harm. It just means I know what he is. It ain't hard to figure out who the hell I'm talking about. But even then, I wish him no harm even though he has made a career out of maligning and ridiculing and trying to wish others the worst. I'm where I'm at, that particular individual is where he's at."

Eventually we'll adjust yet it still feels crazy that the new ESPN allows this type of thing. Sure, it's not on their air but everyone associates Smith with his primary employer so it may as well be. Whenever this complete rant it will find a fairly receptive audience over at TBL but it still feels like responding — even once — is giving Whitlock exactly what he wants.