Dropping like Flies....

And I'm actually not speaking about Jose Guillen, though I finally get to write a sports-themed blog post! (This means Jim and Graham can roll their eyes and tune out...)

A moment of silence, if you please. Which in itself is ironic, considering the subject matter. I'm mourning right now; mourning the loss of a friend and confidant who guided me through my day, and gave me a fresh perspective (both culturally and geographically) on the topics I tune into.

Stephen A. I hardly knew thee, it seems. Like a north breeze on a muggy Missouri day, like a raving prophet with "the-end-is-nigh" plastered on cardboard... you showed up on my ESPNRadio dial and woke me up. No more of the same overstuffed white male analysts. No more careful eggshells when someone decided to play the race card. No more understated, dry humor.

Yours was a raucous, laugh out loud, in your face radio show; which obviously had polarizing effects here in Mid-Missouri. And at some level, the bad reviews must have outweighed the good. But people rarely call to complain about shows they like. (The "squeaky wheel" syndrome)

So here it is, in all its cliched glory my tribute to the passing of a great hour of my day, 2:00-3:00pm weekdays, The Stephen A. Smith Show on ESPNRadio:

(in full S.A.S intensity and volume) Quite frankly, I hope ESPN knows what it looks like. I hope they know... exactly what this move looks like to the demographic population of its listening radius. Shame on you, ESPN. You think Dan Patrick is going to bring us back? You think there is another Cowherd or Kornheiser waiting around every corner? My voice spoke where no other voices have gone, lately. And I want you to know that.

I'm not Isiah. I'm not Pacman. Don't send me off. My tail will not go between my legs, I will not cower and hide. It is YOUR loss ESPN. It is not me that you punish with my muting, but your own listening audience. You punish them by not letting another side of the story be heard.

But make your business decisions and do what you will. My voice gets stronger, even while you flip my switch "off". Thank you, and good day. See you tomorrow somehow, same bat time, different bat channel, peace out.


It will be interesting to see where ESPN goes with the extra hour. If DP makes an appearance, I guess I will just have to stream Colin online, and then tune into for just the Big Show, and let all those daytime advertising dollars fall on deaf ears.