Veteran analysts Stephen A. Smith and Pat McAfee are known for their passionate takes on sports. Recently, these stars went head-to-head in a raging argument. While the duo might have disagreements, the open hostility is rare.

Creative differences fueled the fiery exchange and apparently resulted in McAfee being banned from Smith’s show. The rumor mill went wild after the news broke, leaving fans wondering if this was a genuine feud or just a heated disagreement. However, they are now downplaying it in a surprising turn of events. The spotlight falls on Stephen A. Smith, who recently broke his silence at a sports conference. The tension between the two ESPN stars seems to have eased, and they might be on better terms.

Smith silences what’s brewing at ESPN

According to the New York Post, things got heated during a recent phone call between Pat McAfee and Stephen A. Smith. Sounds like the argument stemmed from creative differences on a new project Smith is producing for ESPN. It escalated to where McAfee allegedly used strong language, calling Smith a “Motherf**ker.” It is also reported that Smith banned McAfee from his show, First Take. However, after the story broke, both sides denied any animosity. McAfee claims he wasn’t banned, and Smith insists there never was one.

Smith even broke the silence at the recent Sportico Sports track conference. “Me and @PatMcAfeeShow are fine.” However, he remained tight-lipped about any potential disagreement, refusing to share details even if there were any. “And even if we aren’t, I’ll never tell. It’s true, I’ll cuss your a** out, that’s me if you deserve it. After I said what I said, we are fine. With Pat McAfee, we are fine,” he said. Pat McAfee also disputed the ban reports this week. The College GameDay co-host claimed he wasn’t banned from First Take and had nothing but love for Smith. Now, the question on everyone’s mind is—what ignited the feud between these renowned personalities?

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The ESPN stars are reportedly at odds over a new show

Stephen A. Smith is a heavyweight at ESPN. He’s been in the game since 2007 and even got the lead analyst spot on their top show, First Take. Pat McAfee, on the other hand, is the new kid on the block. The former punter joined ESPN in 2019 and brought his popular Pat McAfee Show to the network. But McAfee’s show hasn’t entirely grabbed the same crowd as First Take. Only half as many people seem to tune in when it airs after Smith’s show. This power dynamic might explain the reported clash between the two.

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McAfee landed a massive $85 million, 5-year deal to bring his popular show, featuring outspoken guests like Aaron Rodgers, to ESPN. On his own podcast, Smith even admitted to admiring McAfee’s hustle. He knows it could give him some leverage when it comes to his own contract talks. But even with this supposed respect, the two ended up clashing reportedly over some creative matters. Things soon got pretty heated. However, both are in denial now, and Smith even says McAfee will be back on the show next season. Despite their apparent disagreement, it sounds like these two analysts figured out a way to co-exist. Let us know your thoughts on this reported spat in the comments below.