‘The Enemy Of African-American Employees’: Has The Stephen A. Smith vs. Pat McAfee Race To Be ESPN’s First $100M Man Sparked An Employee War?

Stephen A. Smith held his perch as the No. 1 talking head on ESPN for a long time. When former NFL player Pat McAfee came on the scene with his T-shirts and flip flops, profanity and exclusive interviews serving a large right-wing following, his popularity grew quickly and offered another voice as shocking and proud and magnetic as Smith’s, just in a different way.   Naturally, a story about tension between these two guys wouldn’t be beyond the realm of possibility. That game is very competitive, and Stephen A. sings his own praises often, letting it be known that he is the cash cow of the operation.& SAS Reportedly Turned Down $90M Offer From ESPN In June: Wants To Be First $100M Man However,& McAfee signed a five-year, $85 million contract with ESPN, currently the highest salary of anyone at the company. With& Smith’s deal expiring next June, the “First Take” ringleader is reportedly looking to top McAfee’s salary and be the network’s only $100 million-dollar on-air talent. ESPN reportedly offered Smith a five-year, $90M contract extension back in June, which he kicked to the curb. So, there could be some tension behind the scenes, and it’s not a stretch to...