Stephen A. Smith deals with firestorm over Rihanna Super Bowl remarks - New York Post

1 year ago 54

Stephen A. Smith officially pissed disconnected “The Navy.”

The “First Take” big posted a three-minute apology video aft helium said that Rihanna “ain’t nary Beyonce” portion discussing RiRi’s upcoming Super Bowl halftime performance connected the “Sherri” amusement Wednesday.

“I’m gonna ain it,” Smith said successful a video posted to Twitter and Instagram aboriginal that day. “I cognize what y’all trying to do, but I’m gonna ain it due to the fact that I get paid to talk for a living, truthful I request to beryllium much careful.

“I privation Rihanna to know, you’re a superstar, you’re sensational, you’re spectacular, you’re nary gag and you are a worthy idiosyncratic to beryllium doing the Super Bowl halftime show.”

Smith said helium noticed helium made headlines for his comments astir Rihanna aft helium finished taping Wednesday’s installment of ESPN’s “First Take.”

“… I’m a Beyonce fan,” Smith said successful his apology video. “I deliberation that Beyoncé is not lone a phenomenal performer, but the phenomenal performer. The lone crushed immoderate benignant of examination came into play is due to the fact that Beyonce performed astatine halftime astatine the Super Bowl, not conscionable by herself [in 2013], but 1 abstracted show with Bruno Mars and Coldplay [in 2016] — and I thought those were 2 of the top shows that I’ve ever seen.

Rihanna performs during the 60th Annual GRAMMY Awards astatine Madison Square Garden connected Jan. 28, 2018 successful New York City.

“… I meant it arsenic nary disrespect to Rihanna. I cognize she is phenomenal and she is my sister. Nothing but emotion for her, but Beyonce is my sister too. I got emotion for the some of them. I conscionable deliberation that Beyonce is the top performer retired determination today. That’s me, that doesn’t mean I’m hating connected anybody other and that doesn’t mean I’m damn good wishing for Rihanna to fail. I deliberation she’s going to beryllium great.”

Smith past apologized to Rihanna and wished her luck earlier she takes the Super Bowl halftime signifier adjacent period successful Arizona.

“Rihanna, spell bash your thing,” Smith said. “I apologize for creating immoderate brouhaha comes of this. I gotta beryllium much careful, wherever radical twist it and crook it into thing it ain’t. My atrocious connected that.”

The sports personality made his archetypal comments erstwhile Sherri Shepherd asked if he’s excited astir Rihanna’s upcoming Super Bowl gig — and “The Navy” [Rihanna’s fanbase] wasn’t blessed astir what helium had to say.

“I don’t privation to accidental I’m not excited,” Smith said. “She’s fantastic. That’s not wherever I’m going with this. Ladies and gentleman, she’s a batch of things, she’s spectacular and congratulations connected caller [motherhood].

“There’s 1 happening she’s not, she ain’t Beyonce,” Smith said arsenic the assemblage fto retired a corporate gasp. “The lone crushed I brought up Beyonce is because Beyonce precocious performed astatine the Super Bowl… there’s levels, you know.

“Rihanna’s euphony is fantastic, she’s great, she’s a sister. I emotion her dearly, I perceive to her music, I’m gonna enactment her ’til the cows travel home. I’m conscionable telling you for me, determination is Beyonce and past there’s everybody else… She’s going to beryllium good. She can’t beryllium bad, she’s excessively large not to beryllium good.”