Stephen A. Smith Q-and-A Part 2: "I detest" the "Screamin' A" label

==Continued from Part 1:

==On how the media has portrayed him, pro and con:
"Sports Illustrated and the New York Times did pieces on me that were incredibly fair. I had no problems with it. I understand I’m a polarizing figure in that I know everyone’s not going to love you. I always aspired to be a general sprots columnist and knew what came with that terrotiry: Being front and center, in your face and come at you like a Mack truck. Because of that, everyone wasn’t going to be fond of that approach. My mentality has always been growing up and seeing people, seeing if they’re being reserved or holding back their thoughs or opinions or whatever. I always just wanted people to give it to me.

"That’s why when people compared me to Howard Cosell, it was an honor, but at the same time highly inappropriate. I wasn’t nearly as intelligent as him. My background wasn’t as extensive as his way, certainly couldn’t articulate as well as he could, and still can’t, but I had a level of admiration for him because everytime I looked at him, he had the believeability factor down pat. You knew when he spoke he meant exactly what he said. And that falls in line with my personality.

"I’m the guy who got in trouble in the fifth grade because I told my teacher the truth and went home and got my butt whipped and put in punishment because I refused to lie. I’ve always been that kind of person. When people consider me polarizing, and they come at me, that never bothers me. What bothers me is some of the little stigmas, like the ‘Screamin’ A.’ thing. I detest that.

"I deal with it. It’s not to say I don’t scream. But it’s not al lthe time. The people who labeled me that, let's look at their intent behind it. What were they trying to say. All right, well he’s bombastic, he’s demonstrative. How about the fact I’ve been a journalist for 14 years. How about as a beat writer covering the NBA, I broke one story after another and usually had my way with opposing beat writers. I was extrememly successful as a journalist -- which means you had to think, do your reporting, back up your facts … but that takes a back seat to my bombastic or occasional demonstrative ways. And what bothers me about it -- the people who labeled me that are the ones you see screaming on television. Now, if we’re all in it together, then I’m not offended. It’s like, 'OK, fine.'

"The Skip Baylesses of the world –- who I love, he’s a friend of mine, contrary to popular belief (and pictured above, right, with Smith on the left)–- these people scream. They go off. They’re in your face. But I’m 'Screamin’ A'? It makes me wonder why. And it makes me say, 'What’s the intent behind it?'

"So when I go on the air and bring up stuff like race or what have you, I know how I was raised – I’m the first person to call a black person out just like I’ll call anybody else out. It doesn’t matter. But what I do is point out the unfairness in how stuff is portrayed and deciminated to the masses.

"You call me Screamin’ A. What do you mean by that? It doesn’t offend me that it’s 'Screamin’ A' ... it rhymes. (But) I’ll never ask. This is journalism 101 – I’ve had people write about me, I’m in a press box, sitting right next to you. You say nothing to me. And I turn around the next day and something is written about me. Where I’m from as a journalist, if I’ve got something to say about you, and you are right there, I’m going to walk up to you and talk to you and tell you that I’m going to write about you. I’m not going hide and duck and weave. That happens constantly to me now. And I will openly acknowledge that’s the one and probably only thing about my success that has hurt.

"The radio (work) has been successful. Televison has obviously been successful. But my roots are grounded in newspapers. I didn’t cheat the industry. I busted my tail to get to where I was and then ventured out and capitalized off other opportunities. But I never forgot where I came from and what the newspaper industry means to all of us. Every day a radio host that says before he goes on the air that he doesn’t read the newspaper is a liar. We all do. You’d think that listening to some of these folks talk about me like I wasn’t part of the newspaper family, that hurts. It was like when I had my TV show, who did I bring on? Newspaper writers. I made sure to make sure the world recognizes talented reporting to our information culture. You would think people would appreciate it and remember it and unfortunately I don’t get that impression. I have my friends in the industry and never have to worry. With my mouth and my contacts I can respond in any way at any time. I choose not to. But I open acknowledge that it hurts."