Michael Smith's comments were unprofessional and foolish but i could care less what he has to say, he just isn't that important.
If MS or ESPN were smart they'd realize that there are plenty of people who enjoy mainstream American sports and cycling. they aren't mutually exclusive. derogatory comments are more likely to harm than help viewership/readership in the long run. Programs like ATH and PTI put sportswriters in a compromising position in which they start to forget their role as journalist and begin to see themselves as entertainers. It should be no surprise... does anyone know what the acronym ESPN stands for? MS and others like him start to think they're celebrities or worse, that they have real comedic talent. when the foot is inserted into said mouth they quickly realize they aren't especially talented and are easily replaceable. MS's 15 minutes are about up anyway so he should be careful.
i'll also add that as someone who is a follower of many sports, MS isn't particularly insightful in his reporting of the NFL, NBA, MLB, etc, either.
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