Stephen A. Smith says he wants to run for president of the United States, but there's one enormous roadblock ... MONEY!
TMZ Sports caught up with the ESPN star, who previously told us he had no interest in running, during Kenny Smith's The FlyHouse All-Star Bash presented by Resorts World in Los Angeles, who told us straight up, "The country sucks."
"I think the country is devoid of leadership, the kind of leadership we have, we don't need. The kind of leadership we should be getting, nobody is stepping up and doing. I don't desire to be a politician, but in the same breath, the opportunity to go on a debate stage and call out these politicians for the things that they've done to damage this country is something that very much appeals to me," SAS told us matter-of-factly.
One of college football’s most iconic voices may be facing his toughest battle yet: Lou Holtz is reportedly in hospice care.
Holtz, 89, is one of the most accomplished coaches the game has seen ... forever tied to Notre Dame’s classic 1988 national championship.
The kind words for coach have flooded social media following the reports.
"Oh at some point I think we all knew we’d be lucky to hold on to Lou and legends like him much longer," announcer Tim Brando posted onXThursday night. "So many we've looked up to and many I had the honor and privilege of not only covering but working alongside eventually head to their next life of eternal glory. My thoughts are with his family, especially my dear friend (Skip Holtz) his wife Jen and their extended family. His beloved wife Beth awaits. Coach Holtz has always been a National Treasure."
Abella Danger wishes she could've watched her Miami Hurricanes compete without her face being plastered all over national TV ... with the adult film icon telling TMZ Sports she's sorry to anyone offended by her cameo appearance during Monday night's championship game.
The current Miami student's mug popped up during ESPN's broadcast of the Hurricanes' College Football Playoff Championship matchup with the Indiana Hoosiers at Hard Rock Stadium ... right when her fav team was down 10 with under seven minutes left in the game.
The crowd shot was intended to show Canes fans' emotions during the crucial moment in the contest ... and it succeeded, 'cause it looked like she was really going through it.
J.J. Wattmissed his former team's "Monday Night Football" big victory over the Dallas Cowboys ... and it's all 'cause despite making nearly $130 million in his career, he'll be damned if he signs up for yet another streaming service.
The retired NFL defensive end issued his rant on X ahead of the Arizona Cardinals' primetime road matchup at AT&T Stadium ... and unfortunately for Watt, he didn't get to see them get the dub over America's Team.
Watt is in the same boat as all YouTube TV users ... who can no longer watch ESPN or ABC due to a dispute between Disney and the streaming service -- that is, unless they cough up even more money for a new subscription.
ESPN's long-running morning show "First Take" is officially getting some new blood ... because Shae Cornette just signed on to serve as the host of the hit program.
The network confirmed the selection in a statement to Front Office Sports, and Executive Vice President David Roberts said Shae would be a "great addition" to the show's cast.
Stephen A. Smith also spoke about her hiring, describing her as a "pro’s pro" on Thursday's episode of the show.
Shae isn't unfamiliar to "First Take" fans ... she's been a fixture on the program since September. She's set to make her official debut on November 3, according to Variety.
Cornette worked with ESPN for several years, and she's been an anchor on "SportsCenter," which she'll finish on October 25th.
Shae's being brought in to replace longtime host Molly Qerim, who abruptly announced she'd be leaving the program last month, according to the New York Post.
Qerim was reportedly offered a new contract by ESPN, although she ultimately decided sticking with the network wasn't for her.
Michelle Obama thinks Stephen A. Smith and Andy Cohen have a lot in common, at least when it comes to their day jobs ... 'cause the former First Lady says ESPN programs are just like the 'Real Housewives' shows -- a bunch of yelling.
Michelle shared her own first take on her 'IMO' podcast with her brother, Craig Robinson, this week ... claiming she's had to defend her entertainment preferences against Barack and other family members.
Michelle explained her bro and Barry O. believe sports content reigns supreme over her beloved reality TV shows ... but when she tunes in to what's going on over at ESPN, it's the same product -- just a different topic.
Shannon Sharpe opened up Wednesday evening on his ESPN ousting ... and he sure didn't sound like a guy who's all that torn up over the split.
The NFL legend said on his "Nightcap" podcast he's "at peace with" the network's decision to give him the axe following his settlement with his rape accuser ... explaining, "They did what they felt they needed to do."
He did, though, say he wished ESPN had waited until next week to leak the news -- so his brother, Sterling, could get all of the attention this weekend for his Pro Football Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
News of the split just dropped minutes ago ... with the Athletic reporting ESPN sparked the split.
It's a massive decision -- 57-year-old Sharpe was a staple on "First Take" after leaving FS1 in 2023, but has not appeared on the airwaves after a woman made serious sexual assault allegations against him in April.
Shane Gillis dominated headlines Thursday morning after his -- hilarious to some, infuriating to others -- ESPYS monologue ... and TMZ Sports has learned the folks at ESPN aren't entertaining what the naysayers are spewin'.
A source with direct knowledge tells us … ESPN appreciated all of Shane's hard work on the show ... which included a live monologue that poked fun at several high-profile athletes, including Caitlin Clark and Megan Rapinoe. He also had some Epstein and Diddy quips during his time on stage.
One of the most popular/unpopular jokes ... "When Caitlin Clark retires from the WNBA, she's going to work at a Waffle House so she can continue doing what she loves most: fist fighting Black women."
Shane Gillis just lit up the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles with some spicy jokes as part of his ESPYS hosting duties ... taking aim at several superstar athletes, including Caitlin Clark.
The 37-year-old comedian grabbed the microphone to kick off ESPN's annual award show ... and he held no punches, touching on plenty of hot-button topics.
ESPN anchor Jay Harris just revealed he's been diagnosed with prostate cancer ... and while he'll be away from the "SportsCenter" desk for some time, he's vowing to come back "better than ever."
Harris -- who joined ESPN in 2003 -- broke the news to Michael Strahanon "Good Morning America" ... revealing he found out about the cancer over a month ago. He's scheduled to have surgery next week and will require some recovery time before returning to his day job.
"My doctor's quite optimistic," the 60-year-old said. "Per my last scan, nothing has spread. So, once we take out the prostate, hopefully that will be it. That's the goal."
Stephen A. Smith has an opinion on just about everything ... and that includes a rape lawsuit involving his co-worker Shannon Sharpe, who is now stepping away from ESPN amid the legal process.
Stephen A. reacted to Sharpe's decision to "temporarily" leave his duties on "First Take" in a Friday episode of his YouTube show. The media personalities are friends and folks are interested in how Stephen's processing Shannon's legal issues.
For Stephen, he says it's his personal opinion Shannon is NOT guilty ... though he admits he wasn't there for the allegations and only knows what's been reported in the media.
Shannon Sharpe is explaining why he was willing to give his rape accuser at least $10 million to not move forward with her lawsuit ... saying it was a drastic attempt to keep the "intimate details" of his life from going public -- NOT because he did anything wrong.
The Hall of Famer's legal team released a lengthy statement on Friday ... addressing a number of topics in one swift motion -- most notably, the eye-popping settlement offer that was presented to the woman earlier this year.
Mitchell Schuster, litigation counsel to Sharpe, said in the statement his client was "willing to pay her a substantial amount of money to avoid the intimate details of his personal life from being exposed, as many high-profile individuals often do when they are being threatened" ... but noted things have since changed.
The Pro Football Hall of Famer announced the decision on his X page on Thursday afternoon ... stating he's "temporarily" leaving his seat at the "First Take" desk in order to handle "false and disruptive allegations set against me."
Sharpe added, as of now, he's planning to return to his spot next to Stephen A. Smith later this summer -- right around the start of the NFL's preseason.
Stephen A. Smith says his bosses at ESPN are currently mulling Shannon Sharpe's "First Take" future ... in the wake of the explosive rape lawsuit that was levied against the ex-NFL star earlier this month.
On his "The Stephen A Smith Show" Tuesday, Smith stated he recently had a talk with ESPN honcho Jimmy Pitaro, who told told him, "We are taking this matter very seriously."
Mark Gastineau is suing ESPN ... claiming the network did irreparable harm to his reputation when it posted an edited video of his 2023 altercation with Brett Favre.
The now-viral incident took place in November '23 at a sports show in Chicago ... when Gastineau confronted the ex-Packers star about a 2002 sack he gave up to Michael Strahanthat allowed Strahan to break the New York Jets legend's single-season record.
Gastineau appeared furious with the ex-Packers signal-caller in the footage ESPN obtained ... and he could be heard in the clip telling Favre over and over again his actions during the '02 game "hurt me."
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