Social Media Blasts ESPN's Stephen A. Smith for Xenophobic Comments About Angels' Shohei Ohtani
Stephen A. Smith is taking a lot of heat for the xenophobic comments about Los Angeles Angels star [...]
Stephen A. Smith on Shohei Ohtani: "I don't think it helps that the number one face is a dude that needs an interpreter so you can understand what the hell he's saying in this country."
WTF pic.twitter.com/dTzvZuMM6U
— Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) July 12, 2021
Arash Markazi added: "This wasn't an off the cuff comment. The prepared chyron is cringeworthy too. Why the hell would it be bad for Shoehi Ohtani to be the No. 1 attraction? He's a generational talent doing things we haven't seen since Babe Ruth. Why, because he's Japanese and learning English?"
prevnext
Nobody: Shohei Ohtani is a pretty good ball player
Stephen A Smith: HE CANT EVEN SPEAK ENGLISH!!! pic.twitter.com/8JZibFWV0M
— LONG LIVE MAMBA (@lakurnashun) July 12, 2021
One fan wrote: "I don't necessarily think it matters if he can speak English. People know the name and any baseball fan respects game when they see it regardless of where they're from. If he wants/needs a translator then he can have one.
prevnext
I’d rather listen to Shohei Ohtani speak Japanese than Stephen A. Smith speak English.
— Super 70s Sports (@Super70sSports) July 12, 2021
"Roberto Clemente and so many other players over the years have heard that same diatribe of hate and xenophobia," one Twitter user stated.
prevnext
I’ve supported @stephenasmith when he’s been big at @espn and when he hasn’t, and when he’s been right and when he’s been wrong.
But this, about Shohei Ohtani, is straight up racism at a time of dangerous anti-Asian violence.
This requires an apology, and a suspension. Now. pic.twitter.com/dgYRUxWdvI
— Keith Olbermann (@KeithOlbermann) July 12, 2021
Keith Olberman added: "I mean, imagine something even vaguely like this, said about any black athlete or female athlete or even an athlete who doesn't speak to the media, by anybody else. The commentator would have been fired by now."
prevnext
Stephen A Smith saying that Shohei Ohtani, responsible for the 10 highest viewed regular season games this year and what will likely be the most watched HRD ever, shouldn’t be considered a face of baseball because he needs an interpreter. Kindly piss off
— Brain (@brian_slosh) July 12, 2021
One fan wrote: "Bro that's wild man baseball is so well diverse you get Dominican Republicans Puerto Ricans Americans Mexicans and a lot of Asian players so for him to say this is really wild lol like as long people watch who cares what nationality he is lol."
prevnext
Stephen A. Smith really went on First Take laughing at Nigerian last names and criticizing Ohtani for not speaking English.
This man needs to be stopped.
— Guru (@DrGuru_) July 12, 2021
"I'd like to see an ancestral background investigation where he found out his ancestors were from Nigeria! With 12% Asian heritage!" another fan revealed.
prevnext
And @stephenasmith just doubled down on the “translator” shit about Ohtani.
Doesn’t even address the anti-Asian prejudice contained within his earlier remarks. Pretends the controversy was about “the state of baseball.”
This. Makes. If. Worse. https://t.co/SMlger4uCQ
— Keith Olbermann (@KeithOlbermann) July 12, 2021
"WRONG! MLB doesn't have to ingratiate itself on American fans!" one person tweeted. "They don't have to whitewash baseball from a marketing standpoint to make it more palatable! WTF kind of racist talk is that? Baseball fans can handle a foreign player using an interpreter."
prev