"Niggergate", and Sununu "backs away".

I used to see "Screaming A. Smith" around town from time to time when he worked for our local paper, The Inquirer. All that I remember about fam is that he wore some ugly Steve Harvey type -five button- suits, and that he had a messed up hair cut.

Now my man has blown up. ESPN, NBC, books; you name it. Hell he is even being parodied on SNL. (It doesn't get any bigger than that.) Sadly, however, it seems that Stephen A. Smith (his real name) has gotten himself into some hot water. It's what one of my twitter mates is calling, "niggergate".

"Stephen A. Smith's mouth seems to have gotten him into trouble again on ESPN's "First Take" on Thursday morning. This time it wasn't any inane point that he was trying to make or illogical argument that he was staging with Skip Bayless. Rather, it sounds a lot like Smith let fly with some inappropriate language.   
 
While discussing Kobe Bryant's foot injury, Smith scoffed at the notion that the five-time NBA champion would sit out for the season opener and may have accidentally dropped a racial slur.

Here's what it sounds like Smith said:
"Opening night. Kobe Bryant is going to miss it because, 'my foot is sprained?' Are you crazy, nigga please," Smith may have said.

The Big Lead wrote "may have said" it in its headline for a post about the video clip. BuzzFeed Sports believes Smith "definitely" used that phrase.
Perhaps the most ridiculous part about this incident is that it would mark the second time in less than a year that Smith "may have" said the n-word live on ESPN. In December 2011, a frustrated Smith "may have" used it while talking about how LeBron James should be more like Kobe.
Smith denied saying it then on Twitter. He hasn't denied Thursday morning's incident yet. [Source]

I honestly don't know what to say about this one. I mean, unlike some folks, I can take the word when it is used in its proper context, or when used to express some form of artistic expression. I loved, for instance, when Touré used the word to describe how Mitt Romney and some of his surrogates wanted to paint the president. (BTW, dude was right. Have you seen how John Sununu has been acting lately? More on him later) But if Smith did use the word in that context with his white co-host sitting across the table from him, he was definitely out of line. (Double standard alert!) Had his co-host been black he might have gotten a pass from the kid. But "nigger please" isn't cutting it with me when you are in a heated discussion with your white co-host about sports.

Stephen, I know that you are denying it, but if you did use that word, you might want to check yourself. Save the word for when you are in the comfort of your home throwing some back with your boys from Winston-Salem State.

Finally, I am glad that John Shamu is backing off his comments about Colin Powell. Maybe, at last, he has reached his lunatic tipping point.

"A top adviser to Mitt Romney is backing away from his suggestion that fellow Republican Colin Powell endorsed Barack Obama because both men are black.
Former New Hampshire governor John Sununu issued a statement late Thursday night saying Powell is a friend and he respects the endorsement. He said he doesn’t doubt that Powell’s backing of Obama is based on “anything but his support of the president’s policies.”

Appearing on CNN earlier Thursday, Sununu said he wondered whether Powell had “a slightly different reason for preferring President Obama.”

Host Piers Morgan asked what reason that would be.
Sununu said, “Well, I think when you have somebody of your own race that you’re proud of being president of the United States, I applaud Colin for standing with him.”'
 
Mitt and company must realize that this is not the time to play the race card. That was for the primary. Time to put away those dog whistles. You already have the single digit IQ vote. You don't want to piss off moderate Americans by throwing race into the mix. (Again)