Full Show: Eagles Crushed the hapless Chiefs, NBA Star hurt again, and Jake Paul goes nuclear.

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Stephen A. Smith Show

Episode: Full Show: Eagles Crushed the hapless Chiefs, NBA Star hurt again, and Jake Paul goes nuclear
Release Date: February 10, 2025

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1. Super Bowl 59: Philadelphia Eagles vs. Kansas City Chiefs

Overview: Stephen A. Smith provides a comprehensive breakdown of Super Bowl 59, where the Philadelphia Eagles delivered a dominant performance against the Kansas City Chiefs. The Eagles showcased a formidable defense and a highly efficient offense, securing a decisive victory with a final score of 40-22.

Key Points:

• Defensive Dominance: The Eagles' defensive front relentlessly pressured Chiefs' quarterback Patrick Mahomes, sacking him six times and registering 11 quarterback hits. Notably, the Eagles did not employ a single blitz throughout the game but still managed to apply pressure on Mahomes 16 out of his 42 dropbacks.

  Quote:
  Stephen A. Smith [05:15]: “The Philadelphia Eagles, since week five, ran the ball more than anybody in the National Football League and threw the ball less than anybody in the National Football League.”

• Offensive Efficiency: Jalen Hurts, the Super Bowl MVP, displayed near perfection by completing 17 of 22 passes for 221 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. He also rushed for 72 yards, setting a new record and becoming the only quarterback with multiple 50-yard rushing games in the Super Bowl.

  Quote:
  Stephen A. Smith [07:45]: “Jalen Hurts is the MVP. He's worthy of being an MVP. He shut a lot of people up.”

• Strategic Execution: The Eagles' offense effectively utilized their strengths by attacking the right sideline with A.J. Brown and Devonta Smith, stretching the Chiefs' defense and maintaining possession time.

  Quote:
  Daniel Jeremiah [12:11]: “They had a great game plan, but they had the personnel to be able to execute that game plan.”

Analysis: Stephen A. lauds both the Eagles' defense and offense, emphasizing Jalen Hurts' pivotal role in the victory. He also highlights the strategic shortcomings of the Chiefs' coaching and player execution, questioning the future dominance of Patrick Mahomes if such deficits persist.

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2. Halftime Show: Kendrick Lamar's Historic Performance

Overview: The halftime show featured Kendrick Lamar, marking the first time a hip-hop artist headlined the Super Bowl halftime. Smith shares his enthusiastic reception of the performance, emphasizing its cultural significance and Kendrick's bold statements.

Key Points:

• Performance Highlights: Kendrick Lamar's 13-minute mashup included hits like "Luther" from GNX and collaborations with SZA, culminating in the provocative performance of "Not Like Us," a diss track aimed at Drake.

  Quote:
  Stephen A. Smith [28:15]: “Kendrick went on to perform a 13-minute mashup of some of his biggest hits. Halfway through, he was joined by SZA to perform 'Luther' from GNX and all the stars from the Black Panther soundtrack.”

• Audience Reception: While listener reactions were mixed, with 39% hating the performance, Smith aligns himself with the 26% who loved it, particularly praising the boldness of including "Not Like Us."

  Quote:
  Stephen A. Smith [39:50]: “But that's not why I'm giving this an A grade. Because the brother played 'Not Like Us.' That's why. He went a step further...he ain't budging. He gonna stand on what he's gonna stand on.”

• Cultural Impact: The inclusion of Serena Williams and the symbolic gestures during the performance underscored themes of resilience and authenticity in hip-hop.

Analysis: Smith commends Kendrick Lamar for his fearless performance and the cultural statements made during the show. He appreciates the artist's ability to blend entertainment with meaningful messages, reinforcing Lamar's status as a significant figure in music and social commentary.

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3. NBA Update: Anthony Davis' Injury Concerns

Overview: Stephen A. addresses the disheartening news for Dallas Mavericks fans as Anthony Davis suffers an adductor strain, sidelining him for several weeks. This injury exacerbates concerns about Davis' durability and the recent trade involving Luka Doncic.

Key Points:

• Trade Implications: The Mavericks' decision to trade Luka Doncic for Anthony Davis is scrutinized, especially in light of Davis' history with injuries and durability issues.

  Quote:
  Stephen A. Smith [28:33]: “It's the worst thing they could have seen. Anthony Davis came out...played like a monster, then got hurt in the third quarter.”

• Fan Reactions: Mavericks fans express frustration over the potential long-term impact on the team's performance and the uncertainty surrounding Davis' availability.

  Quote:
  Stephen A. Smith [29:20]: “Nico Harrison security detail has been upgraded. We need to keep him safe. That's how pissed off people are because they love Luka in Dallas.”

• Comparison with Luka Doncic: Smith contrasts Davis' situation with Doncic's rising star status, highlighting the Mavericks' dilemma in balancing immediate performance with long-term team dynamics.

Analysis: Smith critiques the Mavericks' management for prioritizing star power with Davis over Doncic's younger, more durable presence. He emphasizes the recurring concerns about Davis' health and its detrimental effects on team morale and performance.

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4. Boxing News: Jake Paul vs. Canelo Alvarez Showdown Falls Through

Overview: The episode delves into the contentious fallout between YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul and four-division champion Canelo Alvarez. Paul accuses Alvarez of avoiding the fight by signing a lucrative deal with Riyadh Season, sparking heated debates.

Key Points:

• Jake Paul's Outburst: Paul publicly criticized Alvarez on social media, claiming that Canelo is ducking him in favor of financial gains through the Saudi deal.

  Quote:
  Jake Paul [50:05]: “Oh, Canelo, you puta. Time to expose them.”

• Stephen A.'s Perspective: Smith acknowledges Paul's marketing acumen and contribution to boxing's visibility but questions the legitimacy of calling out a seasoned champion like Alvarez.

  Quote:
  Stephen A. Smith [50:43]: “Jake Paul deserves a lot of credit. He is to be respected. I hope to ultimately see him in a ring with a big-time boxer so we can really, really see what he's made of.”

• Expert Analysis with Nate Thompson: Nate Thompson explains that the alleged contract between Paul and Alvarez was actually a confidentiality agreement, suggesting misinterpretation on Paul's part. He further discusses Alvarez's strategic career moves to secure future fights and legacy.

  Quote:
  Nate Thompson [57:07]: “Jake Paul feels aggrieved because Canelo has gone and done a four-fight deal with Al Sheik from Saudi Arabia to do real fights.”

• Impact on Boxing: The conflict underscores ongoing issues within boxing promotions, with Paul striving for more autonomy and transparency, challenging traditional promoter-dominated structures.

Analysis: The show presents a balanced view, recognizing Jake Paul's role in revolutionizing boxing promotions while critiquing his approach to challenging an established champion. The discussion highlights the tension between emerging personalities and traditional boxing hierarchies, emphasizing the complexities of modern boxing career strategies.

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5. Positive Story: Nate Robinson Receives Kidney Transplant

Overview: In an uplifting segment, Stephen A. Smith shares heartfelt good wishes for former NBA star Nate Robinson, who successfully underwent a kidney transplant after battling kidney issues for nearly two decades.

Key Points:

• Robinson's Journey: Robinson publicly shared his struggle with kidney problems during his time with the New York Knicks and expressed gratitude upon receiving his new kidney.

  Quote:
  Nate Robinson's Instagram [30:26]: “I'm here to celebrate and thank the Lord for all he has done in my life. Today is the day I get my new kidney.”

• Smith's Sentiments: Smith conveys deep emotional support and admiration for Robinson's resilience, acknowledging the challenges he faced and celebrating his path to improved health.

  Quote:
  Stephen A. Smith [72:30]: “I can't say how happy I am for him. It was real painful to watch him on social media... So for him to finally receive that transplant and see him on a path to good health, what more can you say?”

Analysis: This segment serves as a poignant reminder of the personal battles athletes often face off the field. Smith's genuine celebration of Robinson's good news adds a compassionate and humanizing touch to the episode, highlighting themes of perseverance and community support.

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Conclusion

In this episode, Stephen A. Smith delivers a multifaceted analysis of major sports events, blending in-depth critiques with personal insights. From the Eagles' Super Bowl triumph and Kendrick Lamar's groundbreaking halftime performance to critical NBA trade evaluations and the intricate dynamics of modern boxing promotions, the show offers a rich tapestry of sports discourse. Additionally, the heartfelt coverage of Nate Robinson's medical triumph underscores the show's commitment to celebrating both athletic excellence and personal victories.

Notable Quotes:

• Stephen A. Smith [07:45]: “Jalen Hurts is the MVP. He's worthy of being an MVP. He shut a lot of people up.”
• Daniel Jeremiah [12:11]: “They had a great game plan, but they had the personnel to be able to execute that game plan.”
• Stephen A. Smith [28:15]: “Kendrick went on to perform a 13-minute mashup of some of his biggest hits.”

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For those who missed the live broadcast, this summary encapsulates the essence of the discussions, providing a thorough understanding of the episode's key themes and insights.

Transcript

[Stephen A. Smith]

Are you still quoting 30 year old movies? Have you said cool beans in the past 90 days? Do you think Discover isn't widely accepted? If this sounds like you, you're stuck in the past. Discover is accepted at 99% of places that take credit cards nationwide and every time you make a purchase with your card, you automatically earn cash back. Welcome to the now it pays to Discover. Learn [e-mail] credit card based on the February 2024 Nielsen report what's up everyone?

[Greg Rosenthal]

It's Greg Rosenthal and I'm teaming up with the King of Spring, Daniel Jeremiah. He requires me to say that we're going to be bringing you 40s and free agents, the only podcast you'll need this NFL draft season. From DJs mock drafts to my top 101, free agents will have it covered for you with all new episodes every Thursday keeping you up to date as we head to the NFL Draft. Listen to 40s and free agents starting on March 6th on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

[Chris Carter]

I expected a lot of things in New Orleans. I expected a Super bowl matchup, no doubt. I expected to see Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts. What I didn't expect was an ass kicking. I mean, Lord, what a beat down. I didn't expect that. But guess what? That wasn't the only beat down that took place at Super Bowl 59. There were others right in the same stadium, right on the same field. I'll explain exactly what I'm talking about in a second. Stephen A. Smith show let's go. What's up everybody? Welcome to the latest edition of the Stephen A. Smith show, coming at you over the digital airwaves of YouTube as I love to do at least three times a week. Okay, thanks. As always, I'd like to take a moment, pause for a second, and thank my subscribers and followers. On top of the millions of downloads we've received over the last few months courtesy of iHeartRadio, we've also received about 1.808 million new subscribers over the last 22 plus months or so. So I can't thank y'all for the love and support enough to keeps on growing. And since it keeps on growing, clearly because of your support, I'm gonna keep on coming with it, keep bringing the love and support and I'll make sure to do the same. To continue to like and follow the show, just click the bell and you'll be notified of all of our newest content right here on the Stephen A. Smith show. And you'll consider yourself a part of the Stephen A. Smith show family. And while you're doing that, make sure to pick up a copy of my New York Times best selling book, Straight Shooter, A memoir of Second Chances and First Takes, now in paperback. Just go to straightshooterbook.com to get yourself a copy. Once again, that Straight Shooter book to get yourself a copy. Let's get started where the world, the sports world anyway, has to get started and that's What Super Bowl 59 in New Orleans that beat down that took place in the Bayou. The Philadelphia Eagles went into the Superdome and handed the Kansas City Chiefs a flat out ass whipping that we haven't seen in a long time. In the Super Bowl, Phillies defensive front dominated the game, sacking Patrick Mahomes six times, registering 11 quarterback hits in the midst of a 40 to 22 win. They were up 34 to nothing. By the way, the stat that's probably most telling is that the Eagles didn't send a single blitz the entire game at Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and still managed to get pressure on 16 of his 42 drops. As for the Eagles offense, Super Bowl MVP Jalen Hurts was nearly perfect, completing 17 of 22 passes for 221 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. He he also rushed for 72 yards, breaking his own record of 70 yards set just two years ago when the Eagles lost to the Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII 3835 Hurts is now the only quarterback with multiple 50 yard rushing games in the Super Bowl. He's also the first NFL player to have at least five passing touchdowns and five rushing touchdowns in a single postseason and 10 of each overall in the playoffs. Jalen Hurts is the mvp. He's worthy of being an mvp. He shut a lot of people up. A lot of people had questions. Now, I'm not one of those people that's gonna sit here and apologize for ask for having questions. After all, I did pick the Eagles to win the super bowl and I picked Jalen Hurts to be the mvp. I did that Friday morning. I'm not apologizing. I don't owe him an apology and I don't think most people owe him an apology. And here's the reason why. The Philadelphia Eagles, since week five, ran the ball more than anybody in the National Football League and threw the ball less than anybody in the National Football League. So clearly this team, this offense belonged to Saquon Barkley in the eyes of a lot of people, including that of the Philadelphia Eagles. But when called upon to show up because the Kansas City Chiefs actually did a great, great job of neutralizing Saquon Barkley. That is what Jalen Hurts did. Throwing a pass down the right sideline to A.J. brown, throwing that bomb to Devonta Smith, picking them apart, running with the football efficiently, moving the chains, stretching the defense, doing what he does and what he can do so effectively. Here's the bottom line about Jalen Hurts. All he does is win. All he does is win. And when you look at it from that standpoint, he has to, he has to get credit. But I got to tell y'all something. When we talk about an ass whipping, how can anybody come before the Eagles defense, specifically their front four? Did you see what this cat sweat? Did Josh sweat? Did you see DeJean intercepting Patrick Mahomes for a pick six? Did you see the Eagles front four waving off the rest of their defense, saying we got this, you don't need to blitz, we don't need any help. They were up in Patrick Mahomes ass. It was that bad. It was a straight beat down, no way around it. And I'm saying to you that when you look at it from that standpoint, ladies and gentlemen, I got some of the numbers in front of me in the first half. These were the, these were the numbers for the Chiefs offense. Down 24 to nothing. They had a grand total of one first down. They had a grand total of 23 total net yards. Patrick Mahomes was already intercepted twice. A pick six and then one of his own 14 yard line, which led to another touchdown by the Philadelphia Eagles. So he basically gave them 14 points. The Eagles doubled them up on time of possession. Neither Travis Kelsey nor DeAndre Hopkins had a single reception. And on top of it all, the Kansas City Chiefs were 0 for 6 on third down in the first half. Ladies and gentlemen, they didn't cross midfield until a few minutes remained in the third quarter. It's Patrick Mahomes. They didn't cross midfield until a few minutes remained in the third quarter. Patrick Mahomes never faced that kind of deficit in his career. He had never been sacked six times in his career. I mean, Lord have mercy. They got in his ass and he was tap dancing in the pocket like the late great Gregory Hines, God rest his soul, because he felt like he was being blitzed because they were like piranhas. They were all over him. That to me was the story of the game. Jalen Hurts was efficient. He deserved mvp. AJ Brown got off. Devontae Smith got off. Nick Sirianni looks good today. Howie Roseman looks like a genius today as the Eagles GM Jeffrey Laurie, who once demoted Howie Rosen in favor of Chip Kelly before realizing the error of his ways, firing Chip Kelly and bringing Howie Roseman back. He ends up looking good today, but nobody, I mean nobody look better than that. Eagles front four on defense, make no mistake about that. But Jayla Hurts still deserved the mvp, no doubt. Having said all of that, anything else that I've got to say, it's best that you know, I don't leave it to myself. I bring in an expert voice. But not before I show you my sponsors for a minute. They've got something to say to you. You know Prize Picks. You've heard of them, you should have. They make you so much money. All right, everybody, listen up. With all the big time sports action that's happening each and every day, the Stephen A. Smith show wants to make sure you are taking advantage of it all. That's why we've partnered with prizepix, the largest fantasy sports platform in all the land, to help you cash in on all your sports knowledge. You see, Prize Picks is a daily fantasy app where you pick two or more of your favorite players and then you select more or less on their projected stats for the game. Choose from any of your favorite players, Luka Doncic, Jimmy Butler and Zach Lavine all in the same entry. Then sit back and watch. The list is endless. 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[Stephen A. Smith]

Are you still quoting 30 year old movies? Have you said cool beans in the past 90 days? Do you think Discover isn't widely accepted? If this sounds like you, you're stuck in the past. Discover is accepted at 99% of places that take credit cards nationwide and every time you make a purchase with your card, you automatically earn cash back. Welcome to the Now It Pays to Discover. Learn more at discover.com credit card based on the February 2024 Nielsen report.

[Hunter]

I'm Hunter host of Hunting for Answers on the Black Effect Podcast Network. Join me every weekday as I share bite sized stories of missing and murdered Black women in America. There are several ways we can all do better at protecting Black women. My contribution is shining a light on our missing sisters and amplifying their disregarded stories. Stories like Tameka Anderson. As she drove toward Galvez, she was in contact with several people talking on the phone as she made her way to what should have been a routine transaction. But Tameka never bought the car and she never returned home that day. One podcast, one Mission. Save Our Girls. Join the search as we explore the chilling cases of missing and murdered Black women and girls. Listen to Hunting for Answers every weekday on the Black Effect Podcast Network, iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Chris Carter]

Joining me now to break down Super Bowl 50 Niners hall of Fame hall of Fame wide receiver, the one and only Chris Carter. All he did was catch touchdowns. What's up big time? How are you doing man? How's everything?

[Daniel Jeremiah]

Thank you for invitation Day after the Super Bowl. It wasn't the type of game that we would like, but you got to give it up to Philadelphia.

[Chris Carter]

That's where I was going. It was an ass kicking. It was an ass kicking. Chris. 42 to 40 to 22 does not indicate how dominant this damn game was. Make no mistake about it. What stood out most to you about this game?

[Daniel Jeremiah]

I was totally shocked that they were able to rush four people the minimum amount of rush people and put the maximum amount of pressure by doing that. And I know that Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes have been doing this the last 5 year with Hocus Pocus, but they really got exploited as far as their weakness on that offensive line. Their left tackle is not a left tackle and their right tackle is not a good right tackle. So Philadelphia was able to do that and play all their zone coverages and keep all eyes on Patrick Mahomes. It was a great game plan, but they had the personnel to be able to execute that game plan.

[Chris Carter]

Chris there's one thing for me, if I see a game and it's like something's developing and you recognize that you might have an advantage, so you exploit it. It's another thing entirely when the Philadelphia Eagles appear to walk into the game knowing exactly what they were going to be able to do, seemingly having little to no concern whatsoever about their defensive line being neutralized in any way by the Kansas City Chiefs offensive line. Is that what you saw?

[Daniel Jeremiah]

Well, I think that they had a lot of confidence coming into the games. Anytime that you see a dominant defense, if we've seen top defense in the NFL be in this game 13 times now, 11 times that top defense has won the championship, only losing twice. So when you have two weeks to prepare, you can find out the weakness of the opposition like no other week during the season. So there was a time in two bowls we saw a lot of blowouts. Now not of late, we've had a lot of close matchups, but this was a blowout from the beginning in it because one unit, and that was the defensive front. Yeah, they had a great game plan. They didn't have to put their safeties and their linebackers in man to man. And you didn't. And you didn't have to blitz Patrick Mahomes because that's what Fangio has figured out in the last eight times that he fakes Patrick Mahomes, guess what? I haven't beaten him. Guess what? I did. I blitz an awful lot. He's great against the blitz. So he was able to have that game plan, have the personnel, be able to play a style that he wanted to. And he got the support of the offense, putting points on the board, which led to Kansas City's panel.

[Chris Carter]

You know, I'm looking at some of these numbers, cece, and I got to tell you something, when the Eagles were up 24 to nothing in the first half, which was a shock in and of itself, I knew Patrick Mahomes had already thrown a pick six. I knew he had thrown another interception at his own 14 yard line. But I'm looking at some of these numbers. 24 to nothing, zero first downs, one total one first down. I'm sorry, 23 total net yards, zero for six on third down. What about Patrick Mahomes here?

[Daniel Jeremiah]

Well, we have seen the greatest players in this game and that's why football is the ultimate team game. We give credit credit to the quarterback all the time and then we also give blame to the quarterback. But he can't do his job if he can't get to the top of his drop. When you have a four man rush and he has five people protecting them. And the numbers advantage is on the offensive side. The Philadelphia, they flip that. So yes, Patrick Mahomes, he played an average game. All he had was 250, you know, three touchdown passes. But the pick sixes and trying to force the ball was because he saw that not only do we not have an answer to this defense, but you know, offensively, Philadelphia is also putting points on the board. So that sped up Patrick Mahomes clock. Even though in the previous two bowls that he won he had been down by 10 points. This was a different beast that he was facing. In yesterday's Super Bowl I saw the.

[Chris Carter]

Kansas City Chiefs get blown out by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. I now seen them get blown out by the Philadelphia Eagles. In Super Bowls they've been outscored by 40 points. In three Super bowl losses, Tom Brady has been outscored by just 15 points. Somehow, some way, no matter what the Giants pass rush look like not once but twice, no matter what the Philadelphia Eagles, you know, you know their defense looked like no matter what the Legion of Boom looked like when he ended up beating Seattle because Pete Carroll and Darrell Bever decided to for Russell Wilson to try to throw a pass at the half yard line instead of giving it up to beast mode. We've never seen Tom Brady look so lost, so discombobulated, so destroyed in a game the way that we saw Patrick Mahomes. Is the goat conversation over? For now anyway?

[Daniel Jeremiah]

Well, I wouldn't hold my breath about it. You know, people try to get ahead of what history really is. People try to prognosticate compared to watching it and seeing where it goes. I mean, Tom Brady was never put in this situation also because Tom Brady had Bill Belich. Bill Bellich would have never had a game plan like that against an offensive line like that. You know, so that, that's part of the, the equation there. When you talk about Tom Brady, you have to put Bill Belich, I thought him at the super bowl, excited to see what he's going to do for the North Carolina top heroes. But preparation, that to me that line was not prepared mentally nor physically for what the Philadelphia Eagles are going to do, which we didn't see in Tom Brady. So now when you start to separate, now he's three and two in Super Bowls, Tom Brady seven and two, seven and three in Super Bowls. It's a hard time to get back up that mountain. But there's a lot of football left to be played. But I doubt, I doubt that he's going to pass Tom Brady as the greatest quarterback that we've seen play in the National Football League.

[Chris Carter]

No, I was just talking about the goat conversation for the time being. But you know, you brought up Bill Belichick. This is. Andy Reid is no slouch. Andy Reid is one of the great, great coaches in NFL history. So what, so what are we to think about Andy Reid and how ill prepared the Kansas City Chiefs looked to go up against The Philadelphia Eagles especially since he made virtually no attempt to run the football at all yesterday.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

Right. I think Andy Reid's going to go back and look at it just like he did in Tampa Bay. They do a good job as far as personnel and given some of the economics since then, as far as some of the players, they had to get rid of Tyreek Hill to be able to afford Patrick Mahomes his new contract, they'll retool. They realize that their left tackle is a very good all Pro guard and he can't play left tackle. They realized the right exact was going to jump offside an awful lot and he's only going to be an average player. So they will retool. Their defense was very, very good, outstanding, didn't have a good day yesterday. So that's what they'll do from a personnel department. They're going to put good players around Patrick Mahomes. His receiving core will be absolutely better next year than the one he had this year just because of injury, subtraction, adding subtraction and he hasn't been loaded at the wide receiver spot for the last couple years. So there's ways that they can improve the roster. Don't panic, retool and they will. Patrick Mahomes will play another Super Bowl.

[Chris Carter]

Spagnola, the defensive coordinator, the legendary defensive coordinator in the eyes of many who should be a Hall of Famer in his own right. Not once but twice he's been lit up by Philadelphia Eagles. Now he gave up 35 points and Super Bowl 57. The Eagles dropped 40 yesterday even though a pick six and another interception basically set up another touchdown. You know, by interceptions by Patrick Mahomes. What are we to make of Spagnolo?

[Daniel Jeremiah]

Well, if you look at the personnel, this defense does not match up well against Philadelphia because especially this year's version of where they can smash it at with Barkley. Everybody thought, oh, make them throw the football. That's not what you want to do. Because when you do make them throw the football, typically you're in man to man because you got to put all those guys up at the line of scrimmage because of the box. And Jalen hurts ability to be able to be accurate with the football at an all time high. He only keeps getting better. He got benched in the national championship game for Tua Tua come back and throw and throws one. He has to transfer, goes to Oklahoma, starting to learn the passing game. Doesn't get drafted in the first round. He still learned the passing game. He never gets enough credit all he does is win. All he does is get better. And the personnel around, offensive line, 6, 6, 6 Stephen A. 330, they're monsters in, in, in the NFL. They are monsters. I mean, they look behemoth compared to Kansas City's defensive front, and that's what they're getting. And let's not forget I'm going to say this. Philadelphia has been the best team in the NFL in the last year and a half. Last year they started the season 10 and 1. Now their head coach is growing. They had some in inside stuff going on in the team, but they were 10 and 1. And then now we know they fell apart. And then this year they win the Super Bowl. So they've been doing a lot of winning there in Philadelphia, ironing stuff out. And I do believe their head coach is only going to mature even more. And the players play hard for him. It's a special combination. So I can understand Spaghdo. Yes, he does a great job, but the personnel, Philadelphia, Devontae Smith, AJ Man, Saquon, Kurt, man, they provide mismatches that he doesn't necessarily have answers to. And that's why they've been so productive in those two meetings.

[Chris Carter]

Let me, let me throw something out at you about Jalen Hurts, because I don't listen, the man deserves major, major props, no doubt. Congratulations. The whole nine. But when I think about Jalen Hurts and what he's done in the postseason over the last three postseasons, people don't realize this about him. His record is 6, 2. He's been to two Super Bowls. He's now won a Super bowl championship. He's completed 69 and a half percent of his passes, 102.5 passer rating, 19 touchdowns, just two interceptions, nine pass 10 runs and two, just two turnovers. So those are great numbers on the part of Jalen Hurts. What I would push back on you, though, Chris, is this. People act like folks were just hating on them. And I'm of the mindset, wait a minute. We needed to see. We suspected you could do it, but we needed to see it. And there's no crime there because since Week 5, the Eagles have rushed the football more than anybody else in the National Football League. And they've thrown the football, you know, less than anybody in the entire National Football League. So whatever question marks we may have had about Jalen Hurts was created by the Eagles more so than anybody else. To that you say what?

[Daniel Jeremiah]

Well, most teams run the football because they have a dominant offensive line, they have a great running back. Or philosophy or the fourth thing is their quarterback doesn't have the arm talent to be able to lead the team and throwing the ball 40 times. The Eagles, they don't have that in Jalen Hurts, but their other answers to winning are better than him dropping back 40 times because of their offensive line, say, for the last eight or ten years they've been dominant and now they have won the best running back that they've ever had in their history. So now how am I going to choose to win games after the bye week? They said, Jeff Stouton, offensive line coach, great guy, underrated in their system, we're going to run the football. Everyone bought into it. So when they're running the football, they get a lot of man to man on the outside. So there's a lot of ways to win games. Jalen hurts. His development has been very, very different than a lot of other quarterbacks that we've seen. So a lot of times to me, I'm like, I need to see a little more too. So I can understand that. Yes, you need to be able to see more. But sometimes people are not just running the ball because lack of arm talent. It's because of the overall way to be able to win a football game, utilize the talent that we have. As far as man, we're bigger than them, we're more physical than them. And there's a mentality from the team that goes through the fan base and the mentality of Philadelphians. So I think those different windows and his and his passing is still developing. It gave people that opportunity to say, you know something? He's not as good as Lamar, he's not as good as Patrick, he's not as good as Josh and some of these other players.

[Chris Carter]

Well, is he now? Yeah.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

You gotta give it to him.

[Chris Carter]

All right. Give it to him. Whoa, whoa, whoa. I'm asking you a specific question. Give it to him. How do you have him as a top five quarterback in the National Football League right now?

[Daniel Jeremiah]

Right now, if I got a draft and if Jalen Hurts is not drafted right after that, it's just because we are in the elite time in quarterbacks. Okay, Now I'm gonna tell you something. Do you think if Joe Burrow wasn't in Philadelphia, they wouldn't have won some Super Bowls? If Josh Allen wasn't in Philadelphia, they wouldn't have won a Super bowl if Lamar was in Philadelphia. So I'm not going to say top five, but he should be in the top 10. And just because he's not in the top five that is not a slap in the face, man. We are in the golden age of dudes that can throw that football.

[Chris Carter]

Got it.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

He happens to be one of them.

[Chris Carter]

Let me move on to a fraternity that you are a member of the hall of Fame. Their class of 2025 was revealed. It obviously includes Antonio Gates, Eric Allen, the one and only Sterling Sharpe, who I was just with the other night. And former Viking Jared Allen. Your thoughts on a class that includes only four inductees this year?

[Daniel Jeremiah]

People think it's just a no brainer. Every year, six, seven, eight guys are going to go in. That's not the truth. The hall of Fame is still trying to be selective and you need to get 80 of the vote. So guess what happened this year, Stephen a. We have four people that got 80% of the vote. Now would I like to see another receiver get in given the receivers that are on the and have been waiting. That being Tori Hope, that being Reggie Wayne, that being Stephen A. Smith senior. All these guys are going to be hall of Famers. But I had to tell some of them too. Even after this, hey, if you would have gotten in, Sterling Sharp wouldn't have gotten in. But let me tell you something which you might not know. And I had to go back to. Maybe your daddy was thinking about courting your mom. This dude was a beast. This dude was one of my role.

[Chris Carter]

You talking about Sterling Shop? You talk about Sterling Shot? Yeah. Oh, he was. He was a monster. People don't realize of a monster. He was.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

Hall of Fame was a crime.

[Chris Carter]

And that's right.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

The reason why he hadn't reached the accolades for which he should have received was the guy broke his neck, Right? So for me, man, this is one of the greatest stories ever. Not only his story to get to the hall, but by the way, man, he grew up in an awful situation with another kid who's in the Hall. The first time it ever happened.

[Nate Thompson]

That's right.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

Now, Stephen A. I'm gonna give you some numbers. 350 million people have played football in some form or fashion. 28,000 of us played the National Football League. Only 14,000 of us played more than four years. Only 382 of us in the hall of Fame. And now sterling number 382. It's an unbelievable story, man. It is unbelievable. I'm not moved deep in my soul, man, have them guys in the hall because of their ability to be able to overcome adversity and make themselves better through football.

[Chris Carter]

He deserves.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

Last thing I'm gonna say about Sterling, go ahead he gave me my first opportunity to go to the Pro bowl when he heard his neck. We were at the super bowl in Atlanta. We were in the hospitality suite. He found out that I was the alternate. It was my first thousand yard season. And he was like, you know, bro, man, congratulations. I was like, yeah, you just. He had just finished his third straight 100 catch season and he's congratulating me on a thousand yard season. And I said, yeah, man, I'm altered. He got on the house phone and called Green Bay and came up with an injury, called the training room, said my hamstrings hurt. The NFL called me 20 minutes later in the hospitality suite and I was able to go to my first provo of eight Provost. But at that time, Sterling Sharp, Michael Irvin, Jerry Rice and Andre Rising, those were the receivers in the NFC and it was him. And Jerry Rice is the. Who's the best? All right. So I can't make people forget that conversation. That dude was worthy of it. The other Cats, they will get their recognition. A great class, small class, you know, ea, you know, from Philadelphia, came into the league after my second year in the league. Him and I had a lot of battles, man, in practice and then throughout the league. Jared Allen, how special he was at, you know, to rush the passer. Like all these guys have just unusually, very, very, you know, special, special stories that will be told in Canton this summer. I'm looking forward to it.

[Chris Carter]

I totally agree with you. And it was great seeing him. I was there that night when he got the announcement. Obviously his brother, you know, Shannon is my dog and you know, and just, it was, it was real emotional for them. But I've known Sterling for many, many years, man, and he's a great, great guy. And people don't realize what a great receiver he was when he was healthy. It was Jerry Rice and it was him. People forget that this is before Randy Moss, so everybody forgets that. Last question for you. Sticking with the hall of Fame, Travis Kelsey will be in the hall of Fame without question when he retires. Is it time for him? Do you believe it's time for him or do you think that after such a catastrophic loss yesterday, he's going to come back?

[Daniel Jeremiah]

No, I think he's going to come back. You know, I, I know him very well. He works out here in South Florida. He came down here, I'm getting ready for the combine and he's been coming back every year with the trainer who worked out in the gym I'm very familiar with. So I look for him to use this as fuel. That's what the great players do. He has no need to look at any part of this season besides this game because there was no hint, there was no breath, there was not even a stench that he had lost his edge. Even given the high profile relationship that he's in, people might question that he's handled that strategically. Amazing and still playing at a high level. No, I look for him to come back. But the thing about it is, as you get older, people exploit your weaknesses. One thing that Philadelphia last night, they was not worried about him being a blocker right now. Him not being a dominant blocker in the line of scrimmage, that's been a tremendous advantage. But as you get older, they start. They start. They start honing in on your fastball. They start making you do things that you're not as comfortable doing. So that's something you have to be able to manage. So I think they'll keep growing that offense. They'll do some things to protect him. But I see him playing another two seasons.

[Chris Carter]

Two seasons, not one, two.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

I see him playing another two seasons when he starts trying to go home. And he ain't special. Like, ain't nothing special. He do like football. I know he's doing his podcast and all that, but hey, there's a lot of pressure right there with the woman these days. I don't think she gonna quit no time soon. So I keep going to work.

[Chris Carter]

David, cc, I holler back at you, my brother. Appreciate all your contributions to the show during the football season, man. Had to cap it out with you, man. Thanks so much, bro. You take it easy, right?

[Daniel Jeremiah]

No, thank you, bro. All love, bro.

[Chris Carter]

All love always. Coming up. It was not a good weekend for the Dallas Mavericks as Anthony Davis went down with an injury. I'll get into all of that. But first, more from Super Bowl 59, specifically halftime, where Kendrick lockdown put on the show. You'll see what I'm talking about. I know you're not getting that up yet. You thinking. I'm just thinking about the show. There was a show within the show. I'll explain next right here on the Stephen Esper Show. Don't go away. This message is being brought to you by Cologuard, a non invasive cola cancer screening test. Listen, guys, we need to talk about colon cancer screening for a second. And you know I'm a straight shooter, so I'm not gonna sugarcoat this. Colon cancer is considered the most preventable yet least prevented cancer. It's the second leading cause of cancer related deaths in the United States and it's on a rise in people under 50. But the good news is that when caught at early stages, colon cancer is survivable in 90% of people. So screening and early detection are key to reducing overall colon cancer deaths. And I'm sure a lot of you guys are hearing this and thinking you can tune me out because you're not in your 50s yet. But guess what? The American Cancer Society recommends that if you are at average risk, you begin screening for colon cancer at age 45. And a great way to do that is is with the Cologuard test. It's delivered right to your door and it allows you to collect a sample comfortably at home on your own schedule. We're talking about a screening with zero downtime that's both convenient and affordable. Most insured patients pay $0. The Cologuard test allows you to feel more in control of your colon cancer screening and do it on your own schedule with none of the prep time off or an invasive procedure that is required of a colonoscopy. So if you're 45 or older and at average risk, ask your healthcare provider about screening for colon cancer with the Cologuard test. You can also request a Cologuard prescription [e-mail] podcast. The Cologuard test is intended to screen adults 45 and older at average risk for colorectal cancer. Do not use a Cologuard test if you have had adenomas, have inflammatory bowel disease and certain hereditary syndromes, or personal or family history of colorectal cancer. The Cologuard test is not a replacement for colonoscopies in high risk patients. Cologuard test performance in adults ages 45 to 49 is estimated based on a large clinical study of patients 50 and older. False positives and false negatives can occur. Cologuard is available by prescription only.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Are you still quoting 30 year old movies? Have you said cool beans in the past 90 days? Do you think Discover isn't widely accepted? If this sounds like you, you're stuck in the past. Discover is accepted at 99% of places that take credit cards nationwide and every time you make a purchase with your card, you automatically earn cash back. Welcome to the now it pays to Discover. Learn [e-mail] credit card based on the February 2024 Nielsen report I'm Hunter, host.

[Hunter]

Of Hunting for Answers on the Black Effect Podcast Network. Join me every weekday as I share bite sized stories of missing and murdered Black Women girls in America, there are several ways we can all do better at protecting Black women. My contribution is shining a light on our missing sisters and amplifying their disregarded stories. Stories like Tameka Anderson. As she drove toward Galvez, she was in contact with several people talking on the phone as she made her way to what should have been a routine transaction. But Tameka never bought the car and she never returned home that day. One Podcast, One Mission. Save Our Girls. Join the search as we explore the chilling cases of missing and murdered Black women and girls. Listen to Hunting for Answers every weekday on the Black Effect Podcast Network, iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Chris Carter]

Welcome back to Stephen Le Smith Show. I want to get back to the super bowl in that halftime show we saw with Kendrick Lamar. This was the first time in super bowl history that a hip hop artist was the headliner for the halftime show. And in my opinion, Kendrick didn't disappoint. The performance started with Samuel L. Jackson dressed as Uncle Sam, who introduced the Compton rapper who was surrounded by dancers dressed in red, white and blue. Kendrick went on to perform a 13 minute mashup of of some of his biggest hits. Halfway through the performance, he was joined on stage by SZA and the two performed Luther from GNX and all the stars from the Black Panther soundtrack. Towards the end, Kendrick of course did the smash hit Not Like Us, the diss track for Drake, and in the performance, Serena Williams, the condom native and Drake's one time rumored girlfriend can be seen Crip walking on stage. I asked you all on my Twitter page if you liked it, loved it or hated it. Here's what you had to say. All right, but here are my thoughts as well. You see that 39%, 35%, 39 hated it. 39% liked it. 26% loved it. I'm with the 26%. I'm with the 26%, you understand. First of all, all the Stars is one of my favorite songs. Let me get that out the way first. All right, Sza. I like her as an artist too, and I love hearing her voice. That's true too. But that's not why I'm at a 26%. That's not why I'm giving this an A grade. I'm going to tell you why I'm giving this an A grade. Because the brother played not like us. That's why. That's what I wanted to see. You see the suspense that came with Kendrick Lamar's halftime performance surrounded whether or not we Were going to play that song. We could sit up there and bull jive all we want to, but the fact of the matter is, he won five Grammys over a little over a week ago. Why did he win those five Grammys? You know why he won those five Grammys? Because they're not like us. That's why. We can sit up there and haggle around it all we want to. Not like us. That music had to be played. I wasn't sure he was gonna be allowed to play the lyrics. I wasn't sure he was gonna be allowed to perform it. I really, really wasn't. But I said there's no way on earth that he could show up in New Orleans on Super bowl weekend for the halftime show and not play that song. At least the music. At least the beat. Da da da da. Got to do it, got to do it. But this brother went a step further. He teased it brilliantly, and he kept teasing it throughout the performance. And then finally, he was talking about worrying about getting sued and all of this other stuff. So he had to watch what he said. But then he went ahead and performed the song. That's representing Compton, that's representing hip hop, that's representing himself. Letting you know he ain't budging. He gonna stand on what he's gonna stand on. He meant what he said about Drake. And if you are Drake, let me say this. I didn't take sides. All I've ever said is this, he got you on this song. Drake is an incredible artist. But all I said was he got you on this song. And in the world of hip hop, you don't answer that with lawsuits. You go into the studio and you make your own record to one up him or you bow down and say, he got me. Drake handled it a bit differently. A bit differently. And because he handled it a bit differently, you had a lot of people clamoring, salivating for Kendrick Lamar to play that song. Now, in fairness to moi, before Super Bowl Sunday, I had the pleasure of being on Good morning America Friday morning, live from New Orleans, or New Orleans, Louisiana, site of the Super Bowl 59. And good morning America interviewed me about the Super Bowl. And then the Kendrick Lamar subject came up. I want to show you what I said before Kendrick Lamar's super bowl performance. Two days before, to be exact. Listen up. If you're not doing not like us, you just won 5 grammys in large part because of the success of that one particular song. And we know what kind of brouhaha it created. Halftime arrived Sunday evening, and no one hears that song is going to be a huge, huge disappointment. As great and as phenomenal as he is, not like us took him to another level. You have to at least play that beat. The crowd that's not. Not just on national television, but in attendance, has to hear that music from the song playing. But you're not. Has to happen. You're not expecting Drake on the stage. I'm not expecting Drake in the country. I don't think he'll even be in the United States. Yes, I said it. And sure enough, if the rumors are correct, Drake wasn't in the country. Hell, he wasn't even in his own country. Canada. That brother was in Australia on tour. It don't matter how far away he was. However, it can't escape what Kendrick did to that brother. He played the song, y'all, he spit the lyrics, and then he was sideways, and then he turned the camera say, drake, remember that? That's what he did. And then after he did that, he took out the word pedophile, okay? Because that's what got the legal matters, you know, stirring, per se. And then in the aftermath of all of that, he sat up there and said A minor, and it sounded like the entire damn crowd said it with him. I mean, that's very, very bad. That's very, very bad. Very bad. Okay, but there's something that y'all might have missed. Serena Williams is a Compton native. That's true. So her doing the Crip walk and her being on stage with Kendrick Lamar on his face, ain't nothing wrong with that. That's pretty damn cool. But she used to mess with Drake, according to the reports. I mean, if we talk about Kendrick Lamar, is that brother cold or what? That's not her brother to mess with. Cause that dude not only had Serena Williams on stage, but dancing. She's a tennis star, by the way. The greatest tennis star that ever lived. You understand what I'm saying? She's a tennis star. I ain't a dancer. She's a tennis star. All right? But she crib walking on stage. If that wasn't bad enough, because she used to be with Drake. They said Cecil used to be with him, too. So Drake. I'm sorry. Kendrick Lamar got both exes on the stage celebrating him going after Drake. Damn, it's kind of harsh. And he closed it out with Game over, emblazoned for the world to see inside and outside the Superdome. It is Game Over. You know what I saw on social media yesterday? You know how somebody dies and you see A photo of them sort of sideways and in the photo is their full name with their date of birth and the day they passed away. That was what they showed about Drake. He gonna make his money. He gonna be successful. Drake is a superstar. Drake is legit. No doubt about that. But he will forever be synonymous with Kendrick Lamar for all the wrong reasons. And that much is a fact, no matter what he does. As for Kendrick Lamar, he also showed the world who he was, closing out the show in the fashion that says he ain't the one to mess with. If you gonna do it, that's how you do it. That's why I'm of the 26% that I showed you earlier. I don't need another reason to give that brother an A for that performance. I'm just letting you know. I'm just letting you know. Coming up, Jake Paul gets pissed. Nate Robinson finally gets help. And Anthony Davis goes down. All that up next right here from Stephen A. Smith Show. Welcome back to Stephen A. Smith Show. Want to get to a few headlines from the weekend that caught my eye. Let's start in Dallas, Texas, all right. Where the Mavericks fans are really sick this morning after news that Anthony Davis will be out several weeks with an adductor strain. This is not what Maverick fans wanted to see after GM Nico Harrison traded away international superstar Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis. A matter of fact, it's absolutely miserable. It's the worst thing they could have seen. Anthony Davis came out, ladies and gentlemen, in the first half like a monster. Came out in the first quarter like a monster. Had about 20, 24 and 10 at the half, okay? His brother was doing damage reminding you what an all star he was looking at the fans and Dallas and I'm here, I'm here busting Houston's you live in. You know what? Because he's that kind of player. The issue has never been Anthony Davis skill, however. It's always been his health and his durability. And so when you combine that with the fact that Luka Doncic was six years younger and he is the international superstar and he is the 28 point per game scorer and he is the one that was traded away by the Dallas Mavs, okay, for Anthony Davis and you go out there and you play lights out, you wreak havoc until you get hurt in the third quarter, it's exactly what Dallas fans were fearful of. Nobody ever questioned the greatness of Anthony Davis as a player. You question his durability. Remember Charles Barkley and the TNT crew Made him famous. They called him Street Clothes. And then, remember last year he played 76 games. This year for the Los Angeles Lakers. He wasn't missing too many games because he got tired of hearing that label attached to his name. Street Clothes. That's what they called him because he was always in street clothes. And you arrive in Dallas the first game and you go down. And when you went down, what did you do? You got up, you walked off the court and you looked at the media in the locker room and you said, it ain't that serious. 24 hours later, just announced you're gonna be out probably for the month. For about a month. See, that's the stuff right there that has Dallas fans worried, because you can't really enjoy him because you're always wondering how long he's going to last. Now, is that fair to Anthony Davis at this particular moment in time, based on the level of production and his availability over the last year and a half? No. But if you're the Dallas Mavs, their fan base, Luka Dunc is going. And, oh, by the way, 24 hours before Luka is to debut as a Los Angeles Laker, that's when you get the news that Anthony Davis gonna be out for a month. So what if Luka comes out there for the Los Angeles. What if he starts dropping 40 or 50 or 70 like he's done before? Ask the Atlanta Hawks. What if he does that while Anthony Davis is sitting on the bench of Street Club? Could you imagine how hard it's going to be? I will remind everybody, I say this with no pleasure, no glee in my face. I think fans are short for fanatics for a reason. I don't like it one bit, but there have been reports that Nico Harrison security detail has been upgraded. It's been more intensified. He can't even sit in the same seats he's a customer sitting in because of the heckling and the fact that they're called. This is according to the reports. We need to keep him safe. That's how pissed off people are because they love Luka in Dallas. And then you got the board of governor for The Dallas Mavs, Mr. Dumont, sitting there talking about Jordan and Kobe and people like that and LeBron and talking about their work ethic. Somebody that's committed every day to pursuing excellence in championships. Basically implying that's not what Luka was about, which is why we moved his ass out of here. If Lucas shows up and shows out for the Lakers, it's not gonna be good. It's not gonna be Good times in Dallas. And Lord help us if Luca, when LeBron makes a playoff run in the Western Conference and Dallas is home. Oh, Lord. Oh, Lord. It's not gonna be good. It's not gonna be good. Not rooting against the Lakers. Cause that would be rooting against Southern California, which I would never do because I like to be there. Come May and J you and apologize if that's anybody. But I will say this. I don't wish this on the Dallas Mavericks as an organization. I don't miss this on Nico Harrison as an individual. I don't even wish it on the fans in Dallas. I only got issues with Cowboy fans, not Mavs fans. Just thought I'd tell you that. Now let me get to some boxing news where Jake Paul made headlines this weekend when he called out Canelo Alvarez in a social media post going viral. Paul took the social media and accused the four division champion of ducking him by choosing to sign a lucrative four fight deal for the Riyadh season. All right, that was on Thursday. The first fight of that deal will take place on May 4th in Saudi Arabia where Alvarez will face William Scull for the undisputed Super Middleweight Championship of the world. Now, for those of you who didn't see the Jake Paul post, hold your breath, pause for a second and take a look at this.

[G]

Oh, Canelo, you puta.

[Chris Carter]

And this youtuber.

[Nate Thompson]

I just fight real fighters.

[G]

Time to expose them. So we had a signed contract to fight here. You can see Canelo's signature and my signature to the right claiming he's not fighting YouTubers. Bullshit. Look at the poster. We were announcing Tuesday, February 11th, claiming he fights real fighters. But he's fighting Crawford, a 135 pound fighter, and. And running from a real fighter like David Benavidez.

[Chris Carter]

You bitch.

[G]

The truth is you can be bought. You're a money hungry squirrel chasing your next nut. The truth is these sports washing shady characters are paying you hundreds of millions of dollars to stop our fight from happening. Because they couldn't fathom the fact that they can't create a bigger fight than me and you. Al Heyman has made you hundreds of millions of dollars and you turned your back on him for this check. Disloyal. And you were begging to do this fight on pay per view. But I have loyalty. Loyalty to Netflix doing the biggest numbers. And you call me a YouTuber, but you've never had a boxing match as big as mine. Remember you told my team that your daughter came home and asked if you were fighting Jake Paul? She was all excited. You said that was the first time your daughter's ever asked you about a fight. And you're screwing over all your Mexican fans by doing your fights in Saudi. It just shows what type of person you are. And I promise you one thing, Canelo, any fight that you do this year, mine will be bigger. So go off to your boss, you Ring magazine employee, you pink and orange bitch, and oh, fix that herpe on your lip, you dirty Buddha.

[Chris Carter]

Couple of things. Before I even say anything, let me just say. Sources did tell ESPN that Alvarez and Paul were finalizing a deal last week to fight May 3rd in Las Vegas. However, Alvarez reportedly changed his mind and completed a four fight deal with Riyadh season. A move that effectively killed the fight with Paul that was expected to land on Netflix. Couple of things. Number one, Jake Paul. I like Jake Paul. I like him a lot. I think that he's brilliant with the marketing. Highly professional, by the way. Shows up, honest, his commitments. Deserves a lot of credit for that, number one. Number two, he's great for the sport of boxing because he shows you that you have the ability to avoid being at the mercy of promoters who have hijacked boxing for too many decades and they've hurt the sport immeasurably. The ufc, as great as it is, the number one reason it's so great is because of Dana White. Because Dana White is committed to to giving the patrons the fights they want to see, when they want to seat them, when they want to see them. And promoters for boxing never do that for us these days. So in that regard, Jake Paul deserves a lot of credit. He is to be respected. I like him. I hope to ultimately see him in a ring with a big time boxer so we can really, really see what he's made of. Having said that, I think a couple of things are excessive here. Number one, what kind of contract was that? We don't know what kind of contract it was that. Number two, talking about Canelo, Ducky. Well, Jake Paul, you're smart about the fights you pick because they need to make money. Now that's not to say you aren't going to make money. Cause obviously you would. You and Canelo would have been a big, big deal and it would have generated gobs and gobs of money. That is absolutely true. But you fought basketball players, you fought strikers in the UFC. You fought a 50 year old, you know, Mike Tyson. Yeah, the money was there, but it wasn't the toughest matches in the world. Why'd you pick those fights? Because you can make Money without it being much of a risk. Well, if you're doing that, how you gonna turn around and knock Canelo Alvarez for doing the same? Especially working in a sport that you yourself, Jake Paul, has called corrupt and abusive towards fighters. Now, I understand you're upset, you're a little bit salty about Canelo using you to get a better deal from Riyadh or, you know, or him turning down a fight with you. But what you are attempting to do and what you have done to some degree, Canelo Alvarez has done. He has fought Triple G. He has fought Mayweather. He has. I mean, even though Charlo's undersized, he was a champion. Terence Crawford is a champion, by the way. He's not 140. He's not 135. He's 147. And then his last fight, I think, was at 154. And, oh, by the way, he would move up a couple of weight classes. Now, I think Canelo needs to be fighting David Benavidez as well. But he did fight and knock out Kovalev at the light heavyweight spot. He did fight and lose to Baval. He did fight Triple G, not once, not twice, but three times. So when Canelo sits up there and says, I fight fighters, he ain't lying. His reputation does speak for itself. So I can't sit up there and flow with you, Jake Paul, on that one. I'd love to see you in the ring in a championship boxing match against a real champion. But before that happens, money aside, just talking about the purity of the sport, you should have to fight some contenders. You really, really should. Top 10 contender. One or two of them would be nice. You should have to do that. This is Canelo Alvarez we're talking about here. You understand? You supposed to be able to earn getting in the ring with him. That's just me. I know popularity matters. Gate, money matters, marketing and all of this other stuff. I got it. I totally get it. But speaking strictly about boxing, you're supposed to earn the right to get in the ring with somebody on that level because Canelo is on that level. Let's be very, very clear and respectful enough to say that. Joining me now to discuss this is a man who's written about an opponent on the sport of boxing for both ESPN and USA Today Today. He's the founder, the owner, the publisher of. What was it? Fight Freaks. Is that what it is?

[Nate Thompson]

Fight Freaks Unite on Substack. Stephen A.

[Chris Carter]

Please. Gotta let the audience know that the one and only Dan Rayfield. What's going on, buddy, how you doing?

[Nate Thompson]

Great to be on with you. I kind of figured when this topic emerged we might be discussing it.

[Chris Carter]

Absolutely. I wanted to know your thoughts when you saw Jake Paul going off, showed the contract with the signatures on it, even though he did that relatively quickly, by the way, I didn't get the chance to really, really see it. Nevertheless, that's what he said. He's implicating that Canelo Alvarez signed to fight him. It was supposed to happen. They were supposed to announce it February 11, but it did not end up happening. Your thoughts, your reaction to what you saw from Jake Paul?

[Nate Thompson]

Well, Jake is upset, obviously, but if you take a look closely at the document that he supposedly signed, that's supposedly the fight contract. If you take a look at it closely, Stephen, a what it was was a confidential, a confidentiality agreement. It wasn't a doubt agreement. It wasn't a let's sign for the fight. This was, here's what we're working on. And then they take that so they can let the people that they're trying to sell the fight to know that they've got both sides on board. So that was maybe a little fast and loose with the truth. But the reality is Jake Paul wanted to fight Canelo Alvarez. And I don't think that Canelo was really, truly that interested in the bout. That's been his sort of thing he's been saying all along. But I think what he did was he used Jake Paul and the people at his company MVP to raise the price that he was going to get from Turkey, Al Sheik from Saudi Arabia to do real fights, to do other title defenses, to do the fight with Terence Crawford. And that was used to sort of jack up the price. And if he didn't get the price, yeah, maybe he would have gone through with it. But Jake Paul felt that he was going to and feels like he was aggrieved because Canelo has gone and done a four fight deal with Turkey Al Sheik to bring his, his talents to Saudi Arabia for three of those fights.

[Chris Carter]

That sounds like the latest dealings in the world of boxing as far as I'm concerned. That's how business goes from time to time. I can understand why Jake Paul is a bit upset set, but Canelo Alvarez is a four division, listen, four different weight classes. This man is one of the greatest in the game, arguably one of the greatest ever in a lot of people's eyes. And to me, him fighting Jake Paul would have made no sense whatsoever for him outside of just money because Jake Paul as Much as I respect him and what he's trying to do hasn't earned the right to be in the ring with Canelo Alvarez as far as I'm concerned. How do you see that, Dan?

[Nate Thompson]

Yeah, I don't disagree with that. But I think at the end of the day, Canelo Alvarez has secured a certain aspect of his legacy. I don't think there's a lot more left for him to do in terms of the legacy that you mentioned. And so in terms of the overall reason to do the fight with Jake Paul, it is about the money. He's trying to put as much money in the bank before now, you know, now in the end of his career, Jake Paul is doing the same thing and they would have both made tremendous amounts of money for this. But Jake Paul is. I respect him also. I enjoy Jake's events, interviewed him about his events, and I have nothing but respect for what he's doing in terms of trying to make himself a better boxer. But it's not at the championship level boxing that Canelo Alvarez has been at for the last more than a decade, decade plus decade and a half. And so to think about him going in the ring with Jake hall, whose only advantage is his size. You know, obviously most people would look at Canelo Alvarez and say, look, you can get him out of there easy. Now at least in these fights he's going to be fighting actual championship level boxers, maybe not superstars. Like his first fight of this deal is against a very unknown fighter named William Skull who picked up the vacant IBF belt that Canelo was forced to, that was stripped of him because he didn't fight the mandatory William Scull. It was totally unknown and brought nothing to the table. Now he's going to fight him, but he's still an actual professional fighter with real fights in his own weight class. So I get where Canelo is coming from and I get where Jake Paul is coming from.

[Chris Carter]

Let's go to, let's go to Canelo for a second. I'll get back to Jake Paul in a minute, but let's go to Canelo for a second. I mean, I don't like, I don't root against him. I respect the hell out of him. I've interviewed him on a couple of occasions. I know what a great fighter he is. I know what he brings to the table. I've seen him against Triple G, obviously against Mayweather, obviously against Charlo and others. We get that he's proven himself. Okay. The flip side to it, however, is that there's a Guy by the name of David Benavidez out there, the Mexican monster that's got to move up to light heavyweight because Canelo won't give this guy a fight. As a, as a, as an expert of the pugilistic sport that is boxing. Knowing what you know, how do you feel about Canelo avoiding David Benavidez and how foreign foreign is it for him to be avoiding David Benavidez?

[Nate Thompson]

I mean, being truthful, and I'm known as a Canelo guy, Stephen A. But it's disappointing because that's the fight, that's the real fight that fans, I think want to see. It's not like there's not other fights they'd be interested. And sure, a Terence Crawford fight will interest a lot of people in the mainstream because of all the history that goes with it and, and where both those guys are in the sport. But Benavides has earned the opportunity. He clearly is a top level fighter, whether it's in the super middleweight division or the light heavyweight division. He's now fighting in the light heavyweight division, has made it very clear that at where his body is now after having now had two light heavyweight fights, a really outstanding performance a couple weeks ago against David Morell, that he's not about to drop back down to 168. So if Canelo will ever agree to fight him, it's going to have to be in the light heavyweight division, where Canelo, by the way, has had two fights in the past, a spectacular knockout to win a world title against Sergey Kovalev and he got outboxed by Dimitri be a much different style than Benavides. So I think that Canelo realizes, look, he's, I won't say he's playing out the string, but he's making more moves that are going to benefit his bank account than perhaps to give him another loss on his record. Taking on William Skull is not a big gamble. Even frankly, taking on a Terence Crawford who's a great fighter, his own right. But the weight disparity is so great, right, that I don't think that he and his team think it's that great of a risk. And then there's two other fights on this deal which I don't even think are named in the contract or in the agreement. And he'll be able to sort of pick and choose. So he may be able to run the table on the four fights. But David Benavides poses a massive threat. He knows it. You know it, I know it. Anybody who watches boxing knows it.

[Chris Carter]

How are we to feel about Canelo Alvarez fighting people other than David Benavidez when they're smaller fighters. Like, for example, when he fought Charlo. Clearly he had to move up two weight classes to fight Canelo. We knew he didn't have the power to really fend off, you know, Canelo. I was proud that he survived, for crying out loud. When I look at Terence Crawford, I think Terence Crawford is a marvelous boxer, arguably the best in the world, pound for pound. But can you hurt Canelo? If you can't hurt, I have no doubt he could outbox him. My issue is, if you can't hurt him, what kind of a challenge can you truly, truly pose? What do you say to that?

[Nate Thompson]

No, that's. Listen, that's a great point. I mean, here's the thing. Canelo Alvarez has a historically great chin. Now, I go back, way back when he first came to the United States and started boxing. And he found himself on an HBO pay per View undercard years and years ago, fighting against the older brother of the great Miguel Cotto. His name was Jose Miguel Cotto and he had gotten a ton of hype. He had signed with Golden Boy Promotions and a lot of those of us in the media. And I had seen him a couple of times before that. This is my first time seeing him in person, really paying close attention. And he almost got knocked out in the first round. And I remember, Stephen A, all of us looking around at media row going, what the heck is this all hyped about? This man can't take a shot. He's going to get drilled. He was lucky that the fight was over, you know, that the round was over in round one, or there might have been some much more trouble. Stephen A. That was like, I don't know, 16, 17 years ago. I've never seen him wobbled. Rock physically, visibly hurt since then. He has an all time great chin going in the ring with tremendous punchers. Kovalev 2 fights with Gennady Golovkin and plenty of other fighters. So, you know, he. He has the great chin. And like you mentioned, Ken, Terence Crawford coming up. Two weight classes do any damage? Yeah, he's a slick boxer and he's also a good puncher in the welterweight division, in the junior welterweight division, in the lightweight division. But even at junior middleweight, which is where Terence Crawford had his most recent fight back in August when he moved up and he won a world title, he didn't blow the doors off. He fought a very tough, solid opponent named Israel Majimov. He gave him a good fight. It was very close. Mag's people seem to think he might have even been able to edge it out. But if you can't hurt an Israel Magimov at 154, what the heck are you gonna do with Canelo Alvarez? The sturdiest guy in the world at 168. So that aspect of it is certainly a problem. You mentioned about Charlo. Charlotte was there to get his check. I know one thing about Terence Crawford. He's not going to just come to turn up to get the check. He'll at least try. And Charlo, I don't think, really tried. There's a difference in mindset between Charlo and Terence Crawford.

[Chris Carter]

Yeah. You and I have a slight difference opinion about the Charlo thing. I think that Charlotte Charlo hit this man with a shot in the first or the second round and Canelo just walked right through him and he said, oh, my God, I cannot hurt this guy. I need to run for my life for the next ten rounds to survive. That's what I saw. But I hear you loud and clear. Back to David Benavidez since you brought his name up. He won the fight against Morrell. I walked away more impressed with Murrell than I thought I would be because the kids got. He could take a punch. He could really, really take a punch. And I was very surprised by that. And I was surprised that with the shots that David Benavidez was hitting him with that he couldn't take him down. And then I said to myself, what if he goes against and it's not baval, it's better Bev. I'm a little bit worried about that for David Benavidez. What about you?

[Nate Thompson]

David Morell may not have been well known to the masses, but certainly within boxing, he's well known. He was a great amateur coming out of Cuba and he has accomplishments, so don't be fooled by what the record was. 11 and oh, going into the bout against Benavides. He's a really serious quality fighter. And that was a really, you know, matchup that a lot of people were excited for. And so I wasn't surprised that David Morell, you know, gave him a good fight. I mean, I take David Benavides to win the fight for a lot of different reasons, but you talk about the, the possibility of, of David Benavides facing off against the winner. There's, there's the rematch for the undisputed title that takes place on February 22nd between Arthur Better BF, who is the undisputed champ, and Dimitri Beavel, who they fought at the end of last year, and it was a very close fight, and that was to unify the division. Turkey Alik, who runs the show with Saudi Arabians involved in boxing with Riyadh season, he said he loved to see the winner of that fight, fight against David Benavides. Now, if there is a fact that Devo wins the rematch, he's also said maybe there'll be a trilogy fight, but if better be is the winner. And they also. He invited David Benavides to come to their ringside and to check it out on February 22nd. I think that's got a really interesting and good possibility to happen. That would be a huge fight for David. I would hope they would do that fight in the United States. That's where David's got a lot of fans that would do probably quite a bit more in terms of popularity, viewership, Pay per view, etc. Than if it was taking place in Riyadh. But, you know, we're going to see the. The best fight, the best. If they can make that match. And David's up for it. I mean, he'll fight, you know, David Benavides, he's never turned anybody down. He'll fight whoever. And he's on a really good run right now. Andrew and Caleb Plant and then, of course, what he did against Vozik when he moved up, and then this fight just a couple of weeks ago with David Morrell, he's not. He's not looking to duck anybody.

[Chris Carter]

Let me get back to Jake Paul before I let you get on out of here. I really appreciate your time, Dan. Jake Paul, listen, I respect him because he's his own promoter. He shows that you don't have to be at the mercy of promoters to make a fight happen. And I really applaud what he's doing for the sport of boxing in that regard. But as I've told him to his face, I'm not being a hypocrite here. You got to fight fighters, and Mike Tyson at 58 years of age ain't cutting it no more. UFC strikers or basketball players, that ain't cutting it. You got to get in the ring with some boxes. So while I listen, Canelo used them probably to up the ante, to up the price on the back end. And I get that part. The flip side to it is, if you're Canelo Alvarez, why should you allow somebody to get in the ring with you who hasn't really fought any contenders in the sport of boxing? To me, that's what Jake Paul has to do. So I understand his outburst which was the reason I had you on. But in the same breath, I'm of the mindset you kind of brought this on yourself because you're trying to get a shot at the crown without working through, you know, the process and fighting guys that are at least contenders. To that, you say what?

[Nate Thompson]

Well, I think part of it's because Jake knows that his events are big events. Regardless of that, it's not like he's not working hard. He's not really cutting the line because if other people didn't want to watch his events, he would be in that position because he's got the certain popularity and he brought in. I mean, you looked at the Tyson fight that he had on Netflix, they did gargantuan numbers, brought up all kinds of subscriptions. That was the, the plan. So he has that in his back pocket. He brings money and he brings notoriety and a lot of eyeballs to his events, whether you think he's put in enough work in the gym to make himself into a quote, unquote, real fighter. Now, if you step back, prior to the Tyson fight, you know, he did have, dude, the one fight against the BKFC fighter in Mike Perry, but that was because Tyson was, was dealing with his, his ill, his illness, and they had to postpone the fight. But prior to that fight, he actually did take a step back. I was sort of happy about this. He fought like actual boxers, not, not big names, but guys that maybe had quality amateur backgrounds that were of around the same level of professional experience as him. As he said to me in some interviews, I'm trying to build up myself as a, as a fighter to get the reps in, to get in the experience. Here's the problem. Those fights did not do big business. So he's kind of stuck between a rock and a hard place. He can fight those developmental fights, but nobody gives a dart about him and they don't bring in the kind of money. So he's going to be fighting these bigger names, whether it's MMA guys or boxers who maybe are past their best, or try to lure a canelo in who maybe is smaller, because that's where the money is and the fans flock to it. How could you take a guy who's fighting Iron Mike Tyson and those gazillions of viewers on Netflix and say, well, now you should step back and fight a guy in an eight rounder that nobody ever heard of? I understand the predicament he's in.

[Chris Carter]

I, I definitely respect that and I appreciate that perspective as well, because that makes sense. This is the money business. You're trying to make as much money as you possibly can.

[Nate Thompson]

Price fighting, Stephen, a prize fight.

[Chris Carter]

It's prize fighting, no doubt about it. But last thing, I'll say this much, because I get where he's coming from. So where does he go from here? Because my mentality is, okay, you want to make the money. You definitely want to do that. You don't want to do things. And I applaud Jake Paul, by the way, because he promotes the hell out of his fights. He shows up, he honors his commitments. He. He's more professional than a lot of the professionals in that regard. I give him a lot of credit for that. But what are we to make of his future now that he said what he says? Particularly when he says, I promise you I will generate more money. My events will be bigger than Canelo Alvarez. I'm not so sure about this. That Dan Rayfield. To that you say, what?

[Nate Thompson]

Yeah, I mean, look, he's already played the Tyson card that that happened, and it was huge. Canelo, obviously, is not happening. That would have been big whether people loved it or not. There would have been a massive amount of people, for perverse reasons, perhaps interested in it. And so now you say, who else can he fight? He's fought all kinds of former MMA or, you know, MMA guys cross over to boxing. I. I just don't know the answer. I mean, he. Is there another famous boxer that's looking to come out of retirement to fight him? That would actually move the needle, you know, I don't know about that. I mean, was he going to get Oscar De La Hoya to come out of retirement? I mean, or Floyd Mayweather? I doubt that. So the one. The one name that's out there, then he's brought it up. And I mean, it would be a big event. I would personally not like to see it. He's talked about Conor McGregor. I mean.

[Chris Carter]

Oh, Lord.

[Nate Thompson]

I'm just saying. I mean, that's where we're at here, Stephen. A. What can I tell you?

[Chris Carter]

I mean, I mean, come on, man. I mean, I will say this. Nobody would eclipse them promotionally. That I will admit. Nobody would eclipse them promotionally. But outside of that, when it gets down to the bare bones of a real fight, Nah, I'm not feeling that. Not at all. Dan Rayfield. Dan Rayfield, obviously. Fight Freaks United. Appreciate you, buddy. Thank you so much, man.

[Nate Thompson]

You bet, Stephen. Anytime.

[Chris Carter]

All right, before we go, I want to send some well wishes to former New York Knicks guard and slam dunk champion Nate Robinson. Prayers were finally answered for Robinson last Friday when he received a new kidney at the University of Washington Medical center in Seattle, Washington. Robinson first learned his kidneys weren't functioning properly nearly 20 years ago while playing for the Knicks. He was told then that he would one day need a transplant again. That happened on Friday, and here's what he posted on Instagram right before the surgery last week. Quote, I'm here to celebrate and thank the Lord for all he has done in my life. Today is the day I get my new kidney. Thank you to all the people that sent prayers and texted my phone giving me encouragement and love. End quote. Can't say how happy I am for him. It was real painful to watch him on social media when he was doing an interview and it aired all over social media where he said he needed a kidney transplant and he was questioning whether or not he would be able to capture one. So for him to finally receive that transplant and for him to see him on a path to good health, what more can you say? I'm just happy for him. I really, really am. That's it for this edition of the Stephen A. Smith Show. Hope you all enjoyed it. Thanks again to Dan Rayfield. Thanks again of my man Chris Carter. Thanks to everybody that contributed to the super bowl because Kendrick Lamar did his thing. I know I feel that way. Eagles damn sure did their thing. Jalen Hurts did his thing as well. Thanks to everybody. Until next time, everybody, this is Stephen A. Signing off. Peace and love.

[Greg Rosenthal]

What's up everyone? It's Greg Rosenthal and I'm teaming up with the King of Spring, Daniel Jeremiah. He requires me to say that we're going to be bringing you 40s and free agents, the only podcast you'll need this NFL draft season. From DJs mock drafts to my top 101 free agents, we'll have it covered for you with all new episodes every Thursday keeping you up to date as we head to the NFL Draft. Listen to 40s and free agents starting on March 6th on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast.

[Chris Carter]

What's up everyone? Julie Swerbinks here along with former NHL player Nate Thompson.

[Nate Thompson]

We're doing a new podcast together. Here we go.

[Chris Carter]

The Name Energy Line with Nate and jsb.

[Nate Thompson]

Each week we'll get together and talk about hockey life. All topics are fair game, right?

[Chris Carter]

Exactly. And you'll never know who will drop by to join us.

[Nate Thompson]

Julie is pretty well connected. She has text threads going that you wouldn't believe.

[Chris Carter]

Listen to Energy Line with Nate and jsb on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.