Stephen A. Smith Q-and-A Part 6: "I've always had thick skin"
==On reports that he used to write columns on his Blackberry for the Inquirer:
"No, that’s total fabrication. I wrote my column on a Blackberry one time, at the (2004) NBA draft, I was on vacation (from the newspaper). But while I was doing the draft for ESPN, Jameer Nelson from St. Joes, who at the latest was supposed to get drafted by Cleveland at No. 11, fell to No. 20 with Orlando. It’ s a big story in Philadelphia. I called my boss Jim Jenks and said, 'I only have my Blackberry but I can write a column because I can’t write on a big computer on the desk since I’m on national television and don’t know when cameras coming to me. This is the big story, do you need it?' It was only time every done that. But everywhere I look, everybody writes (I used to do colmns on my Blackberry).
"It’s funny until you realize that stuff behind what people say, what a disgrace it was writing on your Blackberry… woah, I was on vacation, I did it one time as a favor to my boss while I on the set. And (criticism) by the same people that write this stuff are the same people who see me in the press box and never once ask me what happened. Ever. They just assume (I wrote) columns on the Blackberry. Again, its depressing when people accuse so many of us without knowing the facts. What shocks me is they don’t ask. Come up to me and ask me and I’ll tell you.
"It’s an unwillingness to know because of personal agendas, someone has an axe to grind or they don’t like you or whatever, the opportunity to say what they want to say. But the one thing you learn and develop is thick skin. The thing that’s dangerous about me is I’ve always had thick skin. Now that I’m in this business, it’s even thicker. So it just doesn’t bother me. And not only that, but I could hurt these people anytime I want with retaliation, but I won't do it. It’s not my style. I don’t want to hurt anybody. I’m in a blessed position. I’m doing very well and why hurt someone else and their credibility. You’d just wish that someone would recognize: Listen, we’re all supposed to be family. I challenge anyone to come to talk to me about when I talk about my collegues in a negative fashion. Doesn’t happen. Just doesn’t happen."
==On other misconceptions people may have of him:
"The fact I’m always bombastic ... people who know me, know better. I pride myself on being cool and having a little style. .. I do get a little loud on the airwaves sometimes, there’s no question about that, and I do need to tone it down. Sometimes I don’t even know how loud I sound. That’s something I’m working on, literally. I don’t want to be straining my vocal chords.
"The perception is that I’m this TV guy … all that stuff. My foundations are rooted in newspapers. It doesn’t matter where I go from here, I know where I come from and there’s a level of respect I’m always going to have for my colelgues and the people of my profession and I’m not going to violate that.'
==On the story that he came out to the USC-UCLA game two years ago with bodyguards:
"Here’s what happened. Anytime you’re at a live event of that magnitude -- and we were out there tailgatging among thousands of people -- if you're ESPN talent, ESPN has security for you. (Up in the press box), the newspaper folks are up there. … I had to run to the bathroom, so I said 'I’m going up there.' (The security guys said), 'We have to come with you.' I was like, 'all right.' I understaood what people are saying. I didn’t know they were behind me up in the press box when I got out of the elevator.
"My problem wasn’t the story was wrong, but it was only half right. There’s another side to it. They never asked. I was in the press box for an hour, mingling, talking to guys I usually see (and) nobody asked. They just assumed and wrote it.
"It drives you nuts. It would drive me considerably less nuts if I was just a public figure. But more times than not, I’m sitting next to these people in the press box writing. My contemporaries. Why would they not ask me? You just realize when people talk jealousy and everything, what other excuse could you possibly have? Or it’s not, 'I won’t talk to you.' What do you want to know? It’s ridiculous. You just look at people and say, 'I guess you just really wanted to write this."