Published in: Notice, Sports, TV, TV, Youtube | Tagged: Caitlin Clark, espn, notice, pat mcafee, Stéphane A. blacksmith
Just discussing Caitlin Clark, ESPN’s Pat McAfee drops “white b****” and Stephen A. Smith plays defense about his past coverage of the WNBA.
So it appears that college basketball sensation and WNBA rookie Indiana Fever Caitlin Clark became a very popular topic in sports discussions lately – mainly because there are so many levels that the topic brings to the table. Is Clark getting too much attention — and too much credit for the WNBA’s success? Is Clark not getting enough credit and has become a target on the court for jealous players looking to make a statement? Where was all the coverage of the WNBA before Clark arrived? In between these questions are questions related to race, gender equality and much more. Just to be clear? We’re not going to go into much of that – because sometimes the media needs to know when to say upfront, “You know what? anything that might add to the conversation. But what’s in our wheelhouse is when big issues like these start to impact that gray area where sports and entertainment blur the lines – like we had with ESPN. Stephen A. Smith And Pat McAfee.
Pat McAfee defends Caitlin Clark – right? Because we’re not so sure…: Just to make it clear? By the time you try to solve such a complex problem by going the “game show sketch” route, things are already off to a shaky start. During a segment on today’s edition of The Pat McAfee ShowMcAfee decided to take up Clark’s cause and push back against those who claim the WNBA’s growing popularity is a result of the entire incoming draft class (including Angel Reese, Cameron BrinkAnd Kamilla Cardoso) and not just Clark. He did this by offering a rundown of stats and numbers to demonstrate that Clark was the one who elevated the league – which is fine. It is his prerogative to do so.
But when he brought up the issue of race and the argument made by some that Clark is only popular because she is white, McAfee’s response was seen by many as insulting and condescending towards Clark and not not defending her (assuming that was his intention). “I wish the media would keep saying, ‘This rookie class, this rookie class, this rookie class.’ No, just call it what it is – there’s a white female dog for the Indiana team who’s a superstar,” McAfee says at one point – with his use of the term “white bitch” attracting “Is there any chance that people would just like to watch her play basketball because of how electrifying she was, what she did, what she stood for, how did she do to achieve what she was looking for? Maybe,” McAfee added. “But instead we need to hear people say that we all like her because she’s white and that she’s only popular because the rest of the class recruits do what they do.”
Stephen A. Smith Gets a Reality Check from Basketball Analyst Monica McNutt: Ouch. Unsurprisingly, Clark was also a big topic on ESPN. First take – for the very reasons we explained above. As Smith, McNutt, co-host Molly QerimAnd Shannon Sharpe Debating the topic from multiple angles – sometimes very intensely – Smith noted that he resented feeling like he had to “watch every syllable” when it came to discussing the WNBA. “Welcome to the world of being a woman, Stephen A., and how you have to dance about your choice of words and how you have to please everyone as you navigate your being,” McNutt responded – which leads to a conversation about the experiences of black women and men in society.
“Who talks more about the WNBA, who talks more about women’s sports than ‘First Take’?” Smith asked at one point – and while it might have been rhetorical, the question was answered very clearly by McNutt. “Stephen A., respectfully, with your platform, you could have done this three years ago if you wanted to,” the ESPN analyst responded. Although Smith seemed shocked (“wow”) by what McNutt had to say (and Qerim and Sharpe looked shocked/nervous), she also doubled down on the fact that Smith was late to the WNBA train.
Did you enjoy this? Thank you for sharing on social media!
Stay informed and support the site by following Bleeding Cool on Google News today!
