Second chances are hard to come by. And Stephen A. Smith learned it the hard way recently as he messed up his once-in-a-lifetime chance pretty badly. The ‘First Take’ personality’s ‘First Pitch’ at Yankee Stadium went horribly wrong sparking a raging fan reaction.
After much excitement and anticipation, Smith failed to match the hype. What followed was a series of mockery as the viewers even made fun of his old comments.
What exactly happened?
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The New York Yankees fan Stephen A. got his opportunity to throw his first pitch before an MLB game. Right before the start of the home side’s match against Toronto Blue Jays, the 55-year-old took center stage. Wearing a Derek Jeter jersey, Smith had prepared himself for this moment for some time.
It all went in vain as his nightmares became a reality as soon as the ball left the palm of his hands. The baseball failed to make it even to the home plate as it dropped about four feet in front of it. Stephen A. felt embarrassed as it became visible all over his face.
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He later shared his thoughts on the incident as he felt “disgusted with” himself for his actions. “There’s no excuse. It was a choke job,” the sports columnist added, criticizing himself harshly for falling short miserably.
As it turned out, Smith was not the only one uttering these sorts of words, as an entire community soon joined him.
How did the NBA fans react to this iconic Stephen A. Smith incident?
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The mockery started as soon as the hype came crashing down. One fan in particular made fun of Smith for his comments on his former colleague, Max Kellerman. “Bro said nobody would listen to Max bc he?s not an athlete or columnist and throws the ball like that,” the fan wrote, taking a jab at him.
It turned out to be just the beginning of what soon became an uncontrollable teasing from the supporters. One fan account called him out saying, “SA you failed all man kind”.?Another hit his ego commenting, “He fighting for his life in the studio”.
A few fans made fun of the ball dropping on the ground too early as one mentioned, “Looks like someone throwing with their off hand”.?The supporters continued to mock him for his past opinions on various athletes. Thus, iconic remarks such as “This man?s a bonafide scrub, he can?t play,”?took precedence over time.
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After criticizing athletes for years, Stephen A. Smith might not be able to shake this off easily. What did you make of this moment? Let us know in the comments below.