Stephen A. Smith has built an empire on volume.

From his booming cadence that fills ESPN’s First Take to his gleeful delight whenever the Dallas Cowboys lose, Smith’s voice, part sermon, part spectacle, has become the soundtrack to modern sports debate. For years, he’s thrived on the court of the hot take where he has the last word. But recently he’s decided to take that same energy into the political arena and the results have been… different.

September 17, 2025, Smith launched Straight Shooter with Stephen A., a talk show that promised unfiltered commentary would, “welcome notable figures from the worlds of politics, entertainment, business, and beyond.” Prompting a simple question that rippled across social media: Who asked for this?

Sure, theoretically we all understand the concept

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