Yahoo News Stephen A. Smith: The Media Would Treat Tom Brady's Antics Differently If He Were Black
ESPN Stephen A. Smith before the game between the Memphis Grizzlies and the Brooklyn Nets on March 23 in Memphis, Tennessee. (Photo: Justin Ford via Getty Images)
ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith believes the media would’ve treated Tom Brady’s profane antics differently if he were a Black man.
On Monday’s “First Take,” Smith gave his perspective about Brady’s tongue-lashing toward his fellow teammates on Sunday’s game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Pittsburgh Steelers.
“We need to be consistent,” he began. “Was Tom Brady passionate? Or was he the angry white guy? … Because if that was somebody else doing what he was doing with his offensive lineman, if that was a Black man, we would have been talking about his temper. We would’ve been talking about the fact he might not need to act like that with the cameras rolling.”
Smith said he took no issue with Brady’s actions, because if his offensive linemen weren’t blocking him, “you damn right you should get in their face.”
“All I’m trying to say is that when a Black quarterback does that, I don’t want to hear nothing about it,” Smith continued. “Since nobody is saying anything about Tom Brady doing it.”
Brady went on a profanity-filled rant toward his teammates on the sidelines on Sunday, after the Buccaneers were down 10-6 to the Steelers in the second quarter. Tampa Bay eventually lost to Pittsburgh, 20-18.
“You’re so much better than the way you’re f**king playing ... Get your f**king act together!!” he screamed. The video footage of his exchange has gone viral across social media platforms, with some users believing his pending divorce from Gisele Bündchen has to do with his recent performance.
Tom Brady with some words to his offensive line. pic.twitter.com/qBqjD7vfKg
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) October 16, 2022
The seven-time Super Bowl champion has a history of taking out his frustrations on the football field, with him breaking tablets and slamming his helmet in recent years.
This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.
