Dec 18, 2019; Philadelphia, PA, USA; ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith broadcasts before a game between the Philadelphia 76ers and the Miami Heat at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Stephen A. Smith’s baseball coverage could still use some work.
The prominent ESPN personality got roasted for a very embarrassing error on Wednesday’s episode of “First Take.” Smith, a Bronx native, unleashed an epic rant about the reeling New York Yankees, who have lost 11 of their last 13 games. You can listen to Smith’s full angry rant here.
At one point in his rant, Smith said of the Yankees’ struggles that “even Hank and Hal [Steinbrenner] ain’t tolerating that.” Unfortunately, Hank Steinbrenner died in 2020 at the age of 63 after a lengthy liver illness.
Does Stephen A Smith think Hank Steinbrenner is still alive? If you’re going to rant, uh, try to get your info, right?
— Staceball (@StaceGots) August 17, 2022
Stephen A Smith not knowing Hank Steinbrenner is dead is peak ESPN
— RyanGarciaESM (Lab is Back) (@RyanGarciaESM) August 17, 2022
Hank was the eldest son of legendary Yankees owner George Steinbrenner, who died in 2010. Upon his father’s death, Hank became a part-owner of the Yankees, along with younger brother Hal (who still controls the day-to-day operations of the team).
As for Smith, the NBA has always been his bread and butter, but ESPN often features him in their coverage of a variety of different sports. That has led to the criticism that Smith spreads himself too thin and speaks on sports that he is not up-to-date on (as we have also seen with Smith’s NFL coverage).