Michelle Beadle doubles down on Stephen A. Smith digs as radio feud intensifies

New York Post

a day ago

Michelle Beadle had plenty more to say after Wednesday's news that her former ESPN colleague, Stephen A. Smith, will replace her time slot on Mad Dog Sports Radio with his new Sirius XM show launching this September.
Beadle, who went off about it Wednesday on her and Cody Decker's show, 'Beadle and Decker,' doubled down on her comments in an interview with Front Office Sports, acknowledging 'there's no love lost' between her and Smith.
'It's a reminder: We're just all pieces of s–t to someone. If you forgot, there it is,' Beadle said in an interview published Wednesday evening, adding she was 'blindsided' by the news when she found out.
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4 Michelle Beadle at 'Beadle & Decker' at the SiriusXM Studios in New York City.
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''The Hollywood Reporter' comes out — and there's his face. I was like, 'I should have known.' That was just kind of gross. I don't care that we're being replaced or what have you. It happens all the time. But a little respect would have been nice. Good Lord. I was totally blindsided. Just really embarrassed, to be honest.'
Beadle, who left ESPN in 2019, explained that she's been at odds with the 'First Take' host for years — dating back to 2014, when she called out Smith on social media for controversial comments he made on domestic violence in the wake of ex-NFL player Ray Rice's violent assault on his now-wife.
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'I don't respect him,' Beadle said of Smith. 'I don't respect his work. He doesn't like me. This goes back to the Ray Rice stuff. He made some really piggish comments on the air. I responded; he got suspended for like two weeks. I think that was sort of the beginning of the end for anything.
'I just don't respect him. I think he gets things wrong all the time. I'm not talking about opinions; those can never be wrong. But factually, when you spread yourself so thin, it's hard to be right. Not a fan.'
Smith, who made comments suggesting Rice's wife may have provoked the domestic violence attack, apologized and was suspended for one week by ESPN.
4 Stephen A. Smith speaks before the Game 2 of the 2025 Western Conference finals.
NBAE via Getty Images
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Beadle told FOS that her contract with SiriusXM runs through August, but she expects to finalize a buyout before then.
'It was sort of therapeutic … I thought we did a pretty cool show for two years,' she said.
Smith's new SiriusXM show will debut Sept. 2, taking over 'Beadle and Decker,' which airs every weekday from 12-3 p.m. ET on the Mad Dog Sports Radio channel.
4 Michelle Beadle and Cody Decker speak on SiriusXM at Super Bowl LVIII on February 7, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Getty Images for SiriusXM
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During Wednesday's show, Beadle was not happy about the news and explained how she and Decker found out that Smith's show would take over their time slot a few hours before it became public.
Smith, who will offer his takes on the biggest sports headlines, announced his multi-year agreement with SiriusXM during an appearance on 'The Howard Stern Show' on Wednesday, and 'The Hollywood Reporter' followed with additional details.
As a part of the deal, Smith will launch a second show, described as a 'weekly current events, pop culture and social commentary-focused show,' in September.
4 Stephen A. Smith and Chris 'Mad Dog' Russo speak on SiriusXM at Super Bowl LVIII on February 7, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Getty Images for SiriusXM
Although Beadle said she won't rant any further, she won't shy away from the topic of Smith.
'We'll show up. We'll have a hockey game to react to — and a basketball game to preview,' she told FOS. 'I can't help the callers. I'll be honest with you: they're crazy. So whatever happens, happens. But we won't entice them to do it, I guess.'
Before FOS published Beadle's interview, Smith responded to comments she made on her Wednesday show about being 'blindsided' by the news.
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'I want to state for the record just so everyone knows what kind of man I am and what kind of teammate I am. I had no idea that folks did not know,' Smith said on SiriusXM's VSiN Live program with Patrick Meagher and Dustin Swedelson. 'I was told by SiriusXM to wait until this morning on 'The Howard Stern Show to make the announcement.' Whatever communication they had with anybody who's there, where they're staying, where they're being moved to. Who's staying, who's going or whatever. It's none of my business.'
Smith added he 'would never in a million years be unprofessional and inconsiderate of a contemporary or a colleague.'
Beadle, who previously hosted ESPN's 'NBA Countdown,' is the host of 'Run It Back,' an NBA-focused talk show on FanDuel TV with former players Chandler Parsons and Lou Williams.