Life is looking pretty good for Stephen A. Smith these days. After months of negotiations, the outspoken sportscaster signed a massive five-year, $100 million deal with ESPN, making him the first $100 million man in sports media. At $20 million a year, Smith is now earning more than many of the athletes he regularly critiques. Comedian Karlous Miller, for one, isn’t impressed.
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In fact, he’s a little bit annoyed by Smith’s over-the-top TV antics and what he called “embarrassing” takes. Miller admitted he struggles to understand what exactly Smith’s job is, claiming the sportscaster often gets emotional over topics that don’t actually impact anyone’s lives.
According to Miller, Smith’s opinions carry little weight, and he doesn’t get why people still tune in. To drive his point home, Miller launched into a hilarious impersonation of Stephen A., using Kevin Durant as an example.
He joked that Smith might say something absurd like, “Kevin Durant doesn’t eat breakfast—and that’s why the Suns never should’ve signed him!”
“I don’t know what his real job is. Just yelling about nobody cares about. It’s just be in a sports world. It don’t really be like no real argument…Who cares?…What the hell are you mad about?” he said on the Big Podcast with Shaq.
The comedian mocked Smith’s tendency to generate hot takes for clicks and views, suggesting that Smith often gets fired up about things that ultimately don’t matter.
Smith is currently making $20 million a year for delivering such takes and being “mad” on TV. He became the first $100 million man at ESPN. But when it comes to the world of sports casting and media, he is still not the top dog.
That title still goes to none other than Tom Brady, who earns $37.5 million from his deal.
Charles Barkley also out-earns Stephen A. Chuck brings in an impressive $21 million annually. Troy Aikman earns $18 million annually, as does Tony Romo. Pat McAfee gets $17 million per year for bringing his Pat McAfee Show to ESPN, while Shaquille O’Neal is getting $15 million alongside seasoned veteran analyst and commentator Joe Buck.
