Posted on 07/12/2021 12:37:33 PM PDT by NohSpinZone
Shohei Ohtani has 33 home runs and a 3.49 ERA, but Stephen A. Smith believes the Angels’ two-way star is detrimental to Major League Baseball.
During Monday’s episode of ESPN’s “First Take,” the show’s host, Molly Qerim, asked Smith and Max Kellerman if “it’s good for Major League Baseball that Ohtani is the top attraction.” In response, Smith answered “not to me,” reasoning that Ohtani’s use of a Japanese interpreter diminishes the sport’s popularity domestically.
“The fact that you got a foreign player that doesn’t speak English, that needs an interpreter, believe it or not, I think contributes to harming the game to some degree, when that’s your box-office appeal,” said Smith, who is paid a reported $12 million annually to share his opinions with the ESPN audience. “It needs to be somebody like Bryce Harper, Mike Trout, those guys. Unfortunately at this moment in time, that’s not the case.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
BTW, Smith himself barely speaks understandable English. Quit throwing stones.
Sounds racist.......................
Wow, he needs a re-education camp!
Funny, Steven A. Smith barely speaks English.
Even that other dips*** Olbermann thinks so
https://twitter.com/KeithOlbermann/status/1414646779858112517
Keith Olbermann
@KeithOlbermann
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.
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.
Even a stopped clock............................
A few months ago, an executive of the Seattle Mariners was fired for making similar comments about a player.
Damn, when you’ve lost Keith Olbermann.
And I love Ohtani, he’s the best thing that’s happened to baseball in years. If not for him, I wouldn’t have watched a single pitch of MLB this year.
There’s a great clip of Ohtani going up to his idol, Ichiro, the other day when the Angels were in Seattle.
He’s just a joy to watch, always has a smile, and shows respect.
Is he respectful to the US flag and this country?
If so - shut up. He’s got for more integrity than most woke sports millionaires.
English fluency is the least of Baseball’s real problems.
Nine innings is just too long for some of the younger fans.
Shoot, many of the Latin ballplayers from the ‘60s & ‘70s weren’t too comfortable with English. They learned.
What next? Will Smith complain Ohtani drives his Honda only 40 mph on the expressway?
Actually, Ohtani is an even better icon for baseball because he doesn’t speak! It should be all about the game, and what he does on the field.
More anti-Asian hate from an African-American.
I heard some of his remarks. I don’t know if they were racist - but sure stupid. They were a losing team at the time and the last thing on his list should be their speaking abilities to the press. (His comments were related to press meetings, not training or understanding coaches, etc.)
IIRC Ichiro rarely spoke English at a press conference and used a translater.
He seems like a really nice kid. As you say, always has a smile on his face, and shows respect for the game. Best story in baseball.
I seem to remember that Yu Darvish could speak fluent English but chose not to, and always chose to speak in Japanese, until a few years ago.
This is a funny clip of Ohtani being checked by the umpires.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Np7-eDtXZfM
Blacks can't be racist in our country..these days.
But I'd call this by Stephen A. Smith ,,,racist.
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