Podcast Summary
Podcast: The Sage Steele Show
Episode: Jason Whitlock Calls Out Stephen A. Smith | EP 83
Date: November 19, 2025
Host: Sage Steele
Guest: Jason Whitlock
Episode Overview
This in-depth, lively conversation features Sage Steele interviewing Jason Whitlock—renowned and often controversial sports journalist. The discussion spans his critiques of Stephen A. Smith, authenticity in sports media, regrets about personal choices, the shifting landscape of journalism, race, faith, friendships, women in sports, and the cost of speaking out. Whitlock is unfiltered and personal, offering insights on both the sports industry and his own life decisions.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Jason Whitlock vs. Stephen A. Smith
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Heat from all sides:
- Whitlock and Stephen A. are both lightning rods for criticism in the sports media, but Whitlock feels their approaches and authenticity are drastically different.
- Whitlock: “I don't find Stephen A's political talk authentic.” (03:36)
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Authenticity & Audience:
- Whitlock feels Smith’s “positions…change so often” and that, unlike McAfee or Cowherd, Smith’s audience is inherited from ESPN and would not follow him elsewhere.
- Whitlock: “When they get ready to take [the ESPN platform] away from Stephen A., it...won't exist.” (05:06)
- Sage: “He has created some separation there with his YouTube...I give him credit for convincing them to promote his YouTube show on First Take.” (06:01)
- Whitlock: “Without ESPN, it all goes away.” (06:29)
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Political Maneuvering:
- Smith is described as strategic, shifting positions when it’s safe, and possibly maneuvering for a future in politics.
- Whitlock: “His book is written as a prelude to him running for president.” (09:46)
- Whitlock: “Yeah, I would take Stephen A. seriously as a political candidate because if he does it, if someone powerful has told him, we gotcha.” (11:13)
2. Critique of Race, Media, and Journalism
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“Reacting vs. Driving” the conversation:
- Whitlock laments sports media’s shift to hot takes and reaction, rather than meaningful, journalism-driven dialogue (especially around Black journalists).
- Whitlock: “I want journalists to drive the news cycle, not someone else telling you, this is what we're talking about. Now you react to it.” (18:09)
- Whitlock: “Most black people just...go the way the wind is blowing. If the wind and the money says be a personality, claim racism...that's what they do.” (21:41)
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Naming real journalists:
- Whitlock provocatively singles out Candace Owens as, in his view, the only Black public figure “driving conversations,” decrying a lack of such voices in sports.
- Whitlock: “People's heads explode when I say it...but it would be Candace Owens.” (23:18)
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Industry Changes, Double Standards, & ESPN:
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Discussion includes ESPN’s relationship with leagues, the silencing of dissent, and the rise of identity-based rather than merit-based hiring.
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Sage: Highlights double standards in accountability for on-air talent, notably Ryan Clark.
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Whitlock: “Ryan Clark's the kind of black journalist that Bob Iger can support...He stirs up racial division.” (27:10)
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Notable moment: Whitlock expresses deep regret for the trend toward “stirring up racial division” and absence of truth-driven journalism:
- “If you're interested in bringing people together, you have to unpack the truth…We don't have that anymore.” (28:09)
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3. The Personal Cost of Speaking Out
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Regrets & Relationships:
- Moving into a more vulnerable space, Whitlock shares his lifelong regret of not marrying or having children, fearing how his outspoken journalism would affect them.
- Whitlock: “I did a cowardly thing and...made decisions that really, really I regret.” (37:03)
- Sage brings empathetic perspective, noting parenthood is never perfect or safe, regardless of circumstances or race. (48:09)
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Friendship and Betrayal:
- Whitlock details losing friendships—sometimes due to political differences, sometimes as collateral damage from his controversial stances, and sometimes out of a need to shield friends from “the heat.”
- Whitlock: “I've definitely lost some friends...I withdraw from some people because I think that they're too unaware of what the heat around me could eventually lead to.” (57:07)
- Sage: Discusses how getting older lessens the need for others’ approval. (66:41)
4. Women in Sports Media—Standards, Sexism, and Debates
- Women as “eye candy”:
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Whitlock defends his infamous “top 10 eye candy” list, sparking spirited debate about looks vs. journalistic merit and the changing expectations for women on air.
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Whitlock: “Every show has a woman on the show. And I'm like, I can't have the discussions I want to have if there's a woman here.” (79:14)
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He details why he opposed having certain women as co-hosts:
- “Because she didn’t have anything to offer other than her looks. …I wanted to do a show with more substance than that.” (78:29)
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Sage pushes back, defending professionalism and self-control as core values for both men and women in broadcast environments.
- Sage: “It's just called professionalism...and self control, because it's not like women don’t think things too.” (80:47)
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Both discuss the “double standard” women face in sports media regarding attractiveness and wardrobe, with Sage challenging the premise that you have to see people “who look like you” to aspire (90:50).
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5. Faith, Worldview & Legacy
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Turning Point through Faith:
- Whitlock credits a career setback at ESPN with bringing him back to his faith, stating his grandmother’s church-rooted biblical worldview shapes him now—professionally and personally.
- Whitlock: “After getting let go at ESPN...I was like, man, you got to get right with God. You got to change up your habits.” (101:16)
- Whitlock: “Just someone that stood up for biblical truth and took all the heat that went along with that.” (105:08)
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Legacy as a Journalist:
- He expresses (perhaps with some self-aware ego) that he wants to be remembered as “the boldest sportswriter ever because of his biblical worldview” (105:49).
- Whitlock: “I've always had the same worldview. I just didn’t fully understand where it came from.” (107:02)
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- On Stephen A. Smith’s authenticity:
- “None of Stephen A's positions, in my view, are authentic. And so the heat that he catches doesn't feel authentic either. It's like that's his job.” — Jason Whitlock (03:36)
- On the platform ESPN provides:
- “ESPN has given Stephen A. an audience. And they can take it away. When...they get ready to take it away from Stephen A., it...won’t exist.” — Whitlock (05:06)
- On personal regrets:
- “I did a cowardly thing and...made decisions that really, really I regret.” — Whitlock (37:03)
- “Family and kids is real wealth, not what's in your bank account.” — Whitlock (50:25)
- On standing for biblical truth:
- “Just someone that stood up for biblical truth and took all the heat that went along with that.” — Whitlock (105:08)
- On living with controversy:
- “I've definitely lost some friends. Yeah, I draw a level of heat that's too hot for some people, and that's why I'm not upset.” — Whitlock (57:07)
Important Timestamps
- 01:00 | Episode Introduction: Sage previews discussion on Whitlock’s regrets, race, politics, and Stephen A. Smith
- 03:36 | Whitlock questions Stephen A. Smith’s authenticity
- 05:06 | Discussion of the power ESPN holds over its talent
- 09:46 | Whitlock claims Stephen A.’s book was written as a political launchpad
- 18:09 | Whitlock on the role of journalists: driving vs. reacting to the news
- 23:18 | Naming Candace Owens as an exception among Black journalists
- 27:10 | Critique of Ryan Clark and race division in media
- 37:03 | Whitlock describes regrets about marriage, kids, and legacy
- 50:25 | “Family and kids is real wealth...” — Whitlock on value of family
- 62:43 | Betrayal and painful loss of friends due to controversy
- 79:14 | Whitlock explains why he resisted female co-hosts for his FS1 show
- 101:16 | Whitlock’s faith journey after ESPN ouster
- 105:08 | Whitlock’s legacy: standing for biblical truth
Tone & Style
The conversation oscillates between bracing honesty, combative media critique, and deeply personal reflection. Both hosts challenge each other—Sage provides both empathy and pushback, keeping the dialogue dynamic, self-reflective, and occasionally humorous. There are candid admissions of fault, especially from Whitlock, and spirited debate on gender, journalism, and race, all rooted in an atmosphere of mutual respect.
Summary for Non-Listeners
This episode provides a raw, engaging look at the intersection of sports journalism, race, authenticity, and personal conviction. Whether deconstructing sports-media power brokers, laying bare personal regrets, or debating the role of women in broadcasting, Whitlock is candid and complex. The episode is as much a window into the changing face of sports media as it is a portrait of a man wrestling—often publicly—with what it means to live authentically, love honestly, and stand firm in the face of criticism.