Stephen A. Smith’s brutal nickname from ESPN colleagues ‘revealed’ amid analyst’s hunt for new $25million-a-year contract
With a contract extension likely coming soon for Stephen A. Smith, his ESPN colleagues have reportedly come up with a dastardly new nickname for the “First Take” host.
Smith is seeking a huge contract extension with ‘The Worldwide Leader in Sports’, but that may have ruffled some feathers behind the scenes.
According to The American sunjournalists working on the show are reportedly concerned that the attention his contract dispute brings will have a detrimental effect on the show.
They have resorted to calling Smith “Mr. Greed” while mocking his desire to earn a $25 million contract from the company.
‘The situation where Stephen A. Smith pays a lot of attention to his salary requests and the fact that he wants to be the highest paid man on TV and asks for 25 million a year adds a lot of tension to the team, to the journalists who are not in his ‘small circle, the king’s court’ and in the crew, because this will literally explode the show’s budget,” a journalist on the show told The US Sun.
‘First Take’ journalists are reportedly growing concerned about Stephen A. Smith’s pursuit of a new contract with ESPN that could bring in tens of millions of dollars
As a result, some of his colleagues have reportedly nicknamed him ‘Mr. Greed’
‘That he so frequently gives interviews and public appearances at countless places and events, and speaks so often about himself and his requests, is seen as him campaigning for himself, the ‘Stephen A. Smith circus on tour’ as we call it now in between mentioning us because it’s getting pretty ridiculous and a lot of people are really mad at him and pissed off.
“Many of us are concerned that these requests will prompt ESPN to cut costs to give him his money, and that many of us, and people on the crew, will be fired if the decision is made.”
The Sun’s source also believed that if Smith were to earn a bigger contract, it could put a bigger drain on the show’s budget, putting jobs at risk.
“We’re not just talking about Stephen A. Smith’s salary claims, we’re also talking about how this will impact his inner circle of guys on the show,” the Sun’s source continued.
“Those who are not in his circle feel pushed away, and they are stressed, very stressed about the weeks and months ahead.
“Many people are afraid of being kicked out of their jobs because of Mr. Greedy’s enormous appetite for money and power, and of being the center of attention and being the exclusive decision maker about anything.”
According to The US Sun, “Many members of First Take feel this way about Stephen A. during these tense months of his contract negotiations.”
Some believe that if Smith gets a huge contract, their jobs could be on the line
Another source told the outlet they believe Smith is only interested in the money.
“I mean, every time he does an interview, or makes a public appearance, or even opens his mouth, it’s ‘me, me, me’ and ‘money, money, money’ all the time,” says one member from the production team told the American Sun.
‘Every day in our group chat on WhatsApp we always have a lot of quotes and stuff about Stephen A. Smith. It’s very frustrating because this is getting out of hand.
“He’s on a huge PR campaign to show the world that he’s the ‘best’, the ‘top guy on TV and in the sports industry’, and it’s getting really sad to be honest with you.”
This source also told the outlet that they were concerned about Smith speaking out in an effort to protect their jobs.
“Many of us are tired of this constant ‘Stephen A. Smith show’ but we can’t say anything because we’re afraid his requests will be granted and that could cost us our jobs since the money he’s asking for is huge I think it’s madness,” the source continued.
“The negotiations are taking forever, but until a decision is made and the new contract is signed, our situation is very unpredictable because many of us are afraid that they will have to make cuts on the one hand, the crew, the workers, to to give him his money.
“It adds a lot to an already very, very tense situation, and there is no peace, no serenity in our work right now, with everything going on. His requests add even more to that, that’s for sure.’