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I am a firm believer that some people should just learn to keep their mouth closed because every time they open it SOMETHING DUMB COMES OUT OF IT!!

Stephen A. Smith, ESPN Analyst has made yet another statement that may land him in the hot seat.  It also appears that he’s trying to “clean up” what he obviously messed up!!!

Read about it as reported by Huffington Post:

 

 

On Thursday, the NFL punished Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice with a two-game suspension after the player allegedly knocked out his fiancée during an altercation in February.

While many around the league have been highly critical both of Rice’s conduct and of what’s been perceived as a lenient punishment, ESPN panelist Stephen A. Smith sought to temper that criticism during a “First Take” segment on Friday.

In a long-winded statement, Smith acknowledged a man has “no business putting [his] hands on a woman,” then slowly worked toward the conclusion that women should also do their part not to give men a reason to beat them.

“We know [abusing women is] wrong,” Smith concedes, though toward the end of his monologue he casts doubt on who, exactly, is to blame for said abuse, given “the elements of provocation.”

Michelle Beadle, a female ESPN host, tweeted a response to Smith’s statement, alluding to the rationale of a rapist who believes the victim asked for it by wearing provocative clothing:

In February, after TMZ obtained security camera footage of Rice dragging his unconscious fiancée out of an elevator, Smith, while critical, ultimately defended the player at the time. “It’s important to recognize and reiterate [that] we do not know what happened … inside that elevator,” said Smith, concluding, “There is absolutely nothing … that has ever brought [Rice’s] integrity into question until now. … He deserves the benefit of the doubt.”

UPDATE: 2:30 p.m. — Smith responded to the storm of controversy with a series of tweets Friday, seeking to clarify his original comments:

UPDATE: 4:40 p.m. — Smith has released a longer, more succinct statement, in which he strongly condemns domestic abuse and apologizes for any confusion stemming from his earlier comments:

Source: Huffington Post

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