Chris Sprow of ESPN the Magazine interviews FNC anchor Shepard Smith for its upcoming issue, and discusses how sports and politics are interlaced, among other topics.
“I’ve always thought of politics are like sports in that you choose who your team is, and then you just sort of stick with that, and it’s more about ‘yay us’ and ‘boo them’ then it is about issues,” he said. “And when your team or candidate is getting crushed, you tend to go sit down and do something else.”
Smith is also asked to name his favorite SportsCenter anchors, and he jokes, “I loved Dan Patrick, and there was the other one who I’m supposed to hate now, but he was great, or at least they were great. But now, there’s such a rotating carnival that you don’t know them as much anymore.” Hmm, Stuart Scott?
When asked his take on FNC colleague Bill O’Reilly’s season with a minor league baseball team, Smith is surprised. “Dude I tell you, he’s a big guy, he’s a frightening man,” he said. “His office is right next to mine, and if Bill O’Reilly says he can throw a fastball, I’ll be damned, he can throw a fastball.”