During this season of wishes, Stephen A. Smith has a doozy for his podcast.
It is sure to evoke a variety of emotions, perhaps even excitement in Cowboys fans.
The 56-year-old Smith, whose podcast has over 435,000 subscribers, wants to produce a show from “Jerry World.”
“One of my dreams is to do a show from the parking lot of AT&T Stadium during a tailgate party, before the game,” Smith recently told USA TODAY Sports.
Can you imagine that?
A broadcasting icon who has spent his career spouting a seemingly endless supply of bulletin board material, wants to record a podcast right in front of those he continues to shade, at their own house.
During a recent interview with USA TODAY Sports, the ESPN icon couldn’t help but continue to troll Cowboys fans.
“Their fans are the disgusting, nauseating fanbase that gets on my last damn nerves,” said Smith.
The popular host and author of New York Times Best Seller, Straight Shooter: A Memoir of Second Chances and First Takes, continued his verbal assault saying, “I think Dallas Cowboys fans are born delusional.”
And for good measure he added this zinger: “I don’t think there is anything that’s really sane about them.”
But despite insisting the insults are “all in fun,” and conceding that Cowboys supporters are, “arguably the greatest fanbase in sports,” some fans still hold a grudge.
An example occurred at the Dallas airport.
“I had an old Black lady in her 70s come up and punch me in the arm like I was Felix Unger from the Odd Couple,” said Smith. “(She said), you leave my Dallas Cowboys alone. It was adorable; what are you going to say?”
Talk on the Cowboys represents just a sliver of the diverse topics its host approaches on the Stephen A. Smith Show, which added its video component in March.
And that is by design.
“I certainly haven’t touched the surface of what I aspire to achieve in my career,” said Smith.
Smith has recently appeared on Fox News to speak about the race for the presidency and react to the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down affirmative action in college admissions. He has also had lively discussions on his podcast with non-sports celebrities including Philadelphia mayor Cherelle Parker.
He also continues to have a recurring role on General Hospital.
But while he’s ventured into other realms, Stephen A. is still the face of the nation’s premier sports network, ESPN, which is not affiliated with his podcast.
ESPN is where he became the “must-see and hear” personality he has evolved into.
“I’m incredibly happy at ESPN,” said Smith. “In my perfect world, I will retire there.”
Still, there is also an intense desire from Smith to build on his ESPN legacy – one that has placed him in elite, possibly GOAT-tier company.
And that’s where the Stephen A. Smith Show comes in.
It’s a work in progress, but with 8.9 million average monthly views, it’s trending in the right direction.
A clip from the show quickly went viral earlier in December, featuring Smith arguing with a live caller about the GOAT of the ‘Cars’ universe: Lightning McQueen or Strip Weathers.
But Smith and his show have a few more hurdles to clear towards their goal – specifically the blue-bloods of podcasting including Joe Rogan, Bill Simmons and the Kelces.
But as sure as Jets QBs realize their health is in severe jeopardy on each drop back, podcasting’s leaders should know there’s a newcomer with a long resume – one whose sights are squarely locked on the top spot.
His message about eventually being number one is clear and right to the point.
“Oh, it’s going to happen!” said Smith.
