Stephen A. Smith Doesn’t ‘Give a Damn’ When He’s Criticized

ESPN has suspended reporter and commentator Stephen A. Smith for remarks he made about domestic violence last week. ESPN president John Skipper, said that Smith’s remarks on the ESPN2 show “First Take” last Friday, “did not reflect our company’s view, or our values.”

In a 2011 Media Beat interview, Smith told us criticism doesn’t bother him: “In my heart of hearts, I really don’t give a damn. I cannot emphasize enough how little it bothers me. It bothers me when nobody’s criticizing me.”