Depending on the day, ESPN star Stephen A Smith is either laughing off rumors of a presidential run or embracing his political future with the utmost seriousness.
Most sports fans likely either roll their eyes at the whole situation or have already made up their minds on how to vote. However, it appears that at ESPN’s Bristol campus, executives are not overly focused on Smith’s position in the 2028 presidential primary horse race. If anything, they may even fall into the rolling-their-eyes camp.
This is according to longtime media reporter James Andrew Miller, the author of the ESPN oral history “Those Guys Have All the Fun.”
“I don’t think they care. And I’m not sure that they’re taking it that seriously,” Miller said in a recent appearance on the SI Media with Jimmy Traina podcast. “And I’m not sure Stephen A. is taking it that seriously.”
The timing of Smith teasing a run coincided almost precisely with the newfound freedom in his latest ESPN contract. So many connected the dots and wondered whether Smith was getting ahead of himself and could end up on the wrong side of the Worldwide Leader in short order.
Instead, Miller believes Smith is delivering for ESPN as promised.
“I think ESPN is focused on what he does for them,” Miller said.
Smith signed a five-year deal worth an estimated $100 million earlier this year, which secured his position as the host of First Take. The deal also allowed him to expand The Stephen A. Smith Show and enhance his profile as a news and politics commentator without needing to clear his bookings with Disney management.
If you believe his telling, Smith did not pursue political candidacy himself. Pollsters and strategists have encouraged him to explore a run.
That comes with the territory of those cable news appearances and the interviews he conducts with politicians. So, while ESPN may not be directly concerned about Smith’s political future so far out from the next presidential primary, it is allowing Smith to extend his reach further in a direction that could eventually lead to a run.