During Monday’s edition of ESPN’s “First Take,” Smith commented on the Los Angeles Angels outfielder and pitcher using an interpreter when speaking to the media.
“When you talk about an audience gravitating to the tube or to the ballpark to actually watch you, OK, I don’t think it helps that the No. 1 face is a dude that needs an interpreter so you can understand what the hell he’s saying,” Smith said.
The social media backlash was swift.
Great thing about #MLB there’s no narratives being forced down fans throats. Baseball is a global game. Ohtani, Tatis Jr, Mookie, Judge all are faces for the game. MLB is thriving @stephenasmith pic.twitter.com/b5Sr0mqFrS
— Jerry Hairston, Jr. (@TheRealJHair) July 12, 2021
Watching more of this segment and it did NOT get better https://t.co/2cUADUBgvV
— CJ Fogler #BlackLivesMatter (@cjzero) July 12, 2021
Former “SportsCenter” host Keith Olbermann tweeted in a thread that Smith should be suspended and apologized for his comments.
I’ve supported @stephenasmith when he’s been big at @espn and when he hasn’t, and when he’s been right and when he’s been wrong.
— Keith Olbermann (@KeithOlbermann) July 12, 2021
But this, about Shohei Ohtani, is straight up racism at a time of dangerous anti-Asian violence.
This requires an apology, and a suspension. Now. pic.twitter.com/dgYRUxWdvI
“I mean, imagine something even vaguely like this, said about any black athlete or female athlete or even an athlete who doesn’t speak to the media, by anybody else. The commentator would have been fired by now,” Olbermann said.