“Apologized More than Skip Bayless for Damar Hamlin Comments”: Controversial Rihanna Statement Alongside Beyonce Leads to NBA Twitter Outburst

Being a public figure comes with a lot of responsibility. For instance, a television personality needs to choose their words wisely before they come out of their mouth because they have the power to make or break. Sports journalist Stephen A. Smith offended millions of people after he made a statement about widely-known singer Rihanna. After receiving backlashes from a large number of fans, Smith had to immediately apologize to Rihanna. Interestingly, this incident reminded many of the Skip Bayless-Damar Hamlin situation.

When Stephen A. Smith drew comparisons between two immensely talented singers – Rihanna and Beyonce, he probably didn’t think of the consequences he would have to face later. Fortunately, it didn’t take too long for Smith to realize the damage he had caused merely with his words.

NBA fans reacts to the Stephen A. Smith blunder

The Super Bowl is less than a month away and Riri fans are already super excited. The ‘Diamond’ singer will grace the stage at the Super Bowl LVII Halftime show performing a few of her biggest hits. In the latest episode of Sherri, the host, Sherri Shepherd, asked her guest Stephen A. Smith if he was excited about Rihanna’s Super Bowl performance. The response that Smith gave however, was not received well by the viewers.

“She’s a lot of things. She’s spectacular. There’s one thing she’s not. She ain’t Beyoncé,” Smith told Shepherd.

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Soon after, the radio host made a public apology through both Instagram and Twitter stating that he was only having fun and was a huge Rihanna fan himself. Twitterati gave mixed reactions to his apology and one even pointed out the difference between Smith and Skip Bayless. Below are a few of the tweets.

Skip Bayless gets bashed for his Damar Hamlin comment

The entire sports world were shocked by the unfortunate incident that took place during the Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals game. Bills safety Damar Hamlin was rushed to the hospital after the player collapsed mid-game and had to be resuscitated on the field. While fans and several star athletes were praying for his speedy recovery, sports commentator Skip Bayless tweeted regarding the suspension of the game instead.

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Bayless stated that suspending a game late could effect the entire season. Of course, fans and athletes did not react well to his tweet. Several NBA legends including Shaquille O’Neal criticized Bayless for his ‘insensitive’ comment. Bayless eventually apologized for his tweet. He explained that he was misunderstood and nothing was more important than Hamlin’s health.