It all started when ESPN’s “First Take” host Stephen A. Smith made a joke about Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa while praising his teammate Tyreek Hill as an explosive receiver. The question was whether Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa deserved to be crowned NFL MVP after the first six weeks of the season.
Whether Smith was applauding Hill or embarrassing Tagovailoa when he said that all the quarterback had to do was throw a two-yard pass and Hill would do the rest, Hill viewed it as an insult to his team’s quarterback. And thus began their verbal conflict.
Stephen A. Smith brutally claps back at Tyreek Hill
On Tuesday’s First Take, Stephen A. Smith suggested an unpopular opinion, claiming that a substantial portion of Miami Dolphins quarterback Tagovailoa’s recent success could be attributed to a wide receiver’s strategic move that has the potential to help the team dominate.
He said Tagovailoa can only throw two-yard passes and that wide receiver Tyreek Hill comes into the play to turn the tables.
It seems that his contentious comment may have missed the mark. The numbers don’t lie, and they paint a clear picture of Tua Tagovailoa’s dominance on the field this season. With an impressive 1,876 passing yards, a remarkable 9.5 yards gained per attempt, and a staggering 14 passing touchdowns, Tua stands tall as the most proficient quarterback of the season.
Tyreek Hill counter-argued the veteran analyst’s comment, saying, “If he really just watched the games and watch how we play, none of our routes are really like 2 yards, you feel me? Quarterback is like the hardest position in the league”.
Stephen instantly hit back at the wide receiver, saying, “I got seven TVs in my basement. To accuse me of not watching the game. Tyreek Hill, please watch your mouth. You don’t know what you’re talking about. Okay. But I wasn’t saying to, was throwing three passes. I was saying that’s all he had to do to accentuate my point, that you are so great. I believe you deserve to be the MVP candidate. For the Dolphins, even more than Tua.”
What did Tyreek Hill call Stephen A. Smith?
The commentator, Stephen A. Smith‘s claim about Tagovailoa really got on Tyreek Hill’s nerves as he responded, “I’m sick and tired of people bashing my quarterback for no reason. I’m sick of it. I’m standing on the table and saying right now, I’m sick of people bashing my quarterback.”
Hill added, “For a guy to even be considered (an MVP candidate), that’s next level. For Stephen A. Smith to go out of his way and say Tua isn’t worthy of being an MVP is crazy to me. If you look as, besides Lamar Jackosn, all of the past MVPS, they had guys. They had receivers to throw the ball to. Just because a guy has talent around him and he’s succeeding doesn’t mean he’s not worthy of being a candidate for MVP.”
The popular ESPN analyst, Dan Orlovsky, did not shy away from expressing his disapproval of Smith’s comments earlier this week. Smith’s seemingly dismissive attitude towards Tagovailoa’s accomplishments did not escape the attention of fans and pundits alike. And it wasn’t just Hill who had a strong reaction to Smith’s comments; this incident sparked a wave of similar responses throughout the sports community.
