Stephen A. Smith Should Apologize To The Texans For Calling Them Racist At This Time Last Year

Stephen A. Smith is currently in Houston, TX helping “First Take” cover the CFP National Championship game. That’s good for him, since it helps him avoid having to offer an apology for one of the worst takes of his career.

At this time last year, the 2022-23 NFL season had ended the day prior for 18 franchises, as is the case today. One of said franchises was the Texans, who finished last in the AFC South with a 3-13-1 record (earning the No. 2 draft pick in the process). Houston fired head coach Lovie Smith, a predictable result given the dreadful finish.

But that didn’t satisfy Stephen A. Smith. The “First Take” personality went on air and blasted the Texans for hiring Lovie Smith and letting him go after just one year. He suggested Houston made a racist decision, and said black head coaches shouldn’t apply for the job opening.

“The Houston Texans organization, I’m going to say something loud and clear over the national airwaves and I don’t give a damn what anybody thinks,” Stephen A. said. “African Americans need not apply. This is not an organization that has been fair to African Americans.”

The Texans Did Not Fire Their Head Coach For Racist Reasons

You see, Smith thought it was racist for an NFL team to fire a black man. But as OutKick’s Dan Zaksheske pointed out at the time, there were several reasons why this happened.

Houston wasn’t going to hire anyone long-term until they found the guy they truly wanted. They just couldn’t find him in 2022, so they picked a guy who would be easy to replace after an inevitable bad season. Sound slimy? Maybe, but it certainly isn’t racist.

Stephen A. Smith Got This Situation Horribly Wrong

Fast-forward to this year. With the No. 2 pick, the Texans landed C.J. Stroud. Houston then hired DeMeco Ryans as head coach, who ironically is black. That pairing led them to an AFC South title after going 10-7 and the team’s first playoff berth in three seasons.

However, we have yet to hear any apology from Stephen A. Smith for smearing the Texans’ reputation and calling them an “atrocity.”  Fortunately, he’s working in the same city - heck, the same staidum - where the Texans play. So he could apologize to team owner Janice McNair and general manager Nick Caserio in person - like a man. He should also take the advice of Houston sports reporter Harley Dougan and make his apology heard.