“Apologized More than Skip Bayless for Damar Hamlin Comments”: Controversial Rihanna Statement Alongside Beyonce Leads to NBA Twitter Outburst
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Being a public figure comes with a lot of responsibility. For instance, a television personality needs to choose their words wisely before they come out of their mouth because they have the power to make or break. Sports journalist Stephen A. Smith offended millions of people after he made a statement about widely-known singer Rihanna. After receiving backlashes from a large number of fans, Smith had to immediately apologize to Rihanna. Interestingly, this incident reminded many of the Skip Bayless-Damar Hamlin situation.
When Stephen A. Smith drew comparisons between two immensely talented singers – Rihanna and Beyonce, he probably didn’t think of the consequences he would have to face later. Fortunately, it didn’t take too long for Smith to realize the damage he had caused merely with his words.
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NBA fans reacts to the Stephen A. Smith blunder
The Super Bowl is less than a month away and Riri fans are already super excited. The ‘Diamond’ singer will grace the stage at the Super Bowl LVII Halftime show performing a few of her biggest hits. In the latest episode of Sherri, the host, Sherri Shepherd, asked her guest Stephen A. Smith if he was excited about Rihanna’s Super Bowl performance. The response that Smith gave however, was not received well by the viewers.
Has been removed. My social management team will never make a mistake like this again. My apologies again to @Rihanna. And just to be clear, I’m a huge fan. Sherri and I were just having fun. That is all.
— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) January 18, 2023
“She’s a lot of things. She’s spectacular. There’s one thing she’s not. She ain’t Beyoncé,” Smith told Shepherd.
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Stephen Curry, Donovan Mitchell, and Klay Thompson Join the NBA World in Prayers for Bills’ Damar Hamlin After Collapsing Mid-Game
Soon after, the radio host made a public apology through both Instagram and Twitter stating that he was only having fun and was a huge Rihanna fan himself. Twitterati gave mixed reactions to his apology and one even pointed out the difference between Smith and Skip Bayless. Below are a few of the tweets.
Stephen A apologized more for this than Skip Bayless apologized for his Damar Hamlin comments no way 😂😂
— bagh (@baghdadsburner) January 18, 2023
My respect level just went down for you 20%!!!!! You apologized for having your own opinion. You let social media shame you into apologizing. Keep this same apologetic energy when you say something disrespectful to one of these male athletes you criticize
— Kevin Shell (@shellone2010) January 19, 2023
What’s wrong with what he said lol he said he preferred another singer…
— Gian (@xFloridaMan) January 18, 2023
Jesus…. Stop apologizing. Who the hell cares how fans feel? Stop being SOFT
— John Mihai (@J_Mihai19) January 18, 2023
Should have never been said in the first place…. If you can’t say something nice….don’t say anything… Both ladies are beautiful and talented they should not be pitted against one another. They deserve much more!
— Cynthia (@1CynthiaSerra) January 19, 2023
Stephen A realized he might be blocked from the halftime show. Brother smart move
— r hodge (@pastorhodge) January 18, 2023
My man, they got you pressed over this, huh?😂
This is your 4th different tweet on the matter😭
— Brandon (@brash22) January 18, 2023
There obviously no room for fun anymore, every word must be considered
— Matty Eley (@EleyMatty) January 18, 2023
Imagine living in a world where you have to apologies for saying one artist is better than another artist but meanwhile both artist are worth over $1B 😂😂😂
— Crypto_Journeyman44 (@Crypto_God44) January 19, 2023
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Skip Bayless gets bashed for his Damar Hamlin comment
The entire sports world were shocked by the unfortunate incident that took place during the Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals game. Bills safety Damar Hamlin was rushed to the hospital after the player collapsed mid-game and had to be resuscitated on the field. While fans and several star athletes were praying for his speedy recovery, sports commentator Skip Bayless tweeted regarding the suspension of the game instead.
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Bayless stated that suspending a game late could effect the entire season. Of course, fans and athletes did not react well to his tweet. Several NBA legends including Shaquille O’Neal criticized Bayless for his ‘insensitive’ comment. Bayless eventually apologized for his tweet. He explained that he was misunderstood and nothing was more important than Hamlin’s health.
Edited by:
Gideon Mathson