America's most popular sports media figure tells it like it is in
this surprisingly personal book, not only dishing out his
signature, uninhibited opinions but also revealing the challenges
he overcame in childhood as well as at ESPN, and who he really is
when the cameras are off. Stephen A. Smith has never been handed
anything, nor was he an overnight success. Growing up poor in
Queens, the son of Caribbean immigrants and the youngest of six
children, he was a sports-obsessed kid who faced a number of
struggles, from undiagnosed dyslexia to getting enough cereal to
fill his bowl. As a basketball player at Winston-Salem State
University, he got a glimmer of his true calling when he wrote a
newspaper column arguing for the retirement of his own Hall of Fame
coach, Clarence Gaines. Smith hustled and rose up from a high
school reporter at Daily News (New York) to a general sports
columnist at The Philadelphia Inquirer in the 1990s, before getting
his own show at ESPN in 2005. After he was unceremoniously fired
from the network in 2009, he became even more determined to fight
for success. He got himself rehired two years later and, with his
razor-sharp intelligence and fearless debate style, found his role
on the show he was destined to star in: First Take, the network's
flagship morning program. In Straight Shooter, Smith writes about
the greatest highs and deepest lows of his life and career. He
gives his thoughts on Skip Bayless, Ray Rice, Colin Kaepernick, the
New York Knicks, the Dallas Cowboys, and former President Donald
Trump. But he also pulls back the curtain and talks about life
beyond the set, sharing authentic stories about his negligent
father, his loving mother, being a father himself, his battle with
life-threatening COVID-19, and what he really thinks about politics
and social issues. He does it all with the same intelligence,
humor, and charm that has made him a household name. Provocative,
moving, and eye-opening, this book is the perfect gift for lovers
of sports, television, and anyone who likes their stories delivered
straight to the heart.
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!