<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>FIVE MONTHS after stripping him of his column, the Inqwaster on Friday fired Stephen A. Smith, citing job abandonment, we're told. Inqwaster editor Bill Marimow offered us no comment. In August, Marimow axed Smith's column and asked him to stay with the paper as a sports reporter. Instead, Smith, an ESPN NBA analyst, took an unpaid leave for several weeks, and was at one point scheduled to return but has repeatedly failed to do so, we're told. Smith also hosts ESPN Radio out of New York along with former 610 WIP yakker Mike Missanelli. As we reported two months back, Smith has hired a team of lawyers to deal with the Inqwaster in some sort of legal situation. Smith's counsel did not return our calls or e-mails yesterday. Bill Ross, a local representative of the Newspaper Guild of Greater Philadelphia Local 10, confirmed that the company fired Smith Friday and said that the union "will file a grievance and continue to defend him on our end as we also continue to cooperate with his private counsel." Efforts to reach Smith, who is now blogging at stephenablog.typepad.com, were unsuccessful yesterday. Wendy still off Power 99's air Wendy Williams is still off the air at Power 99, though she remains on the station's Web site. We told you earlier this month that the host had said on her WBLS show in New York that she had some problem with Power 99. When we called her show, we were referred to Power, which said she was on vacation. We're now told her new syndicate, Westwood One, is trying to work out a deal with Power 99. A Power 99 spokeswoman referred us to operations manager Thea Mitchum, who didn't return our call. A Westwood One executive couldn't be reached last night on the matter. WWE draws boldface crowd Phillies outfielder Shane Victorino led the crowd in "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye" in the ring at WWE Raw at the Wachovia Center Monday night, after a ladies tag-team wrestling match. Victorino's in town from his off-season home in Las Vegas. Also at the match were Flyers forward Riley Cote and wife, Holly, sitting with 94 WYSP morning host Kidd Chris. Blake from Sales, from the Kidd Chris show, sat near the cameras and was shown on USA repeatedly in a Kidd Chris shirt and a mask. Q102's Chris Booker and CBS 3 exile Alycia Lane were also among the WWE Raw crowd. Booker said on his show yesterday that WWE boss Vince McMahon has offered Alycia a job on camera for the WWE, but a WWE spokesman was unable to confirm this information yesterday. Shenk shanks Eskin in speech Retiring Phillies spokesman Larry Shenk was honored with the Lifetime Achievement award at Monday night's Philadelphia Sportswriters Association Dinner and also received more props, by way of laughter, with the closing line of his speech. Shenk defined "mixed emotions" as "when your new Lexus has been driven off the Walt Whitman Bridge . . . by Howard Eskin." Bashoff on 'Lost' and Broadway Northeast native Blake Bashoff, who graduated from George Washington High in 1999, will be seen on three episodes of "Lost" this season. The 26-year-old plays Karl, one of "The Others," on the ABC hit, which premieres tomorrow. Bashoff is making his Broadway debut in "Spring Awakening." Jill Scott chills at Cuba Libre Soulful songbird Jill Scott clutched a gold handbag as she arrived with three friends for dinner at Cuba Libre (10 S. 2nd) late Monday night. Grammy winner Scott was recently nominated for three more for "The Real Thing." She and her group went for house-made sangria and concept chef Guillermo Pernot's classic Cuban shredded beef brisket, and a coastal seafood soup with crabmeat, oysters, rock shrimp and mussels. Matt & Huggy have Web show 94 WYSP exiles Matt & Huggy are broadcasting online at wirnonline.com from 9 to 11 Tuesday and Thursday nights. On Feb. 16, Paul Marturano, who sang "The Stalker Song" to Paula Abdul on "American Idol," will be a guest at their live broadcast at Curran's (6900 State Road) in the Northeast and will sing it live. *</div> Source: Philly.com
STEPHEN A. SMITH DOES NOT NEED THE INQUIRER! QUITE FRANKLY, THAT PAPER IS WORSE THAN SLA-VA MED-VE-DEN-KO!
Not really a surprise based upon how contentious things have been between Smith and the paper. Anyone else bummed out by this title? I was hoping it was ESPN that fired him.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (cpawfan @ Jan 30 2008, 01:13 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Anyone else bummed out by this title? I was hoping it was ESPN that fired him.</div> Thats exactly what I was hoping for...maybe this is just the start of it
Am I the only person who likes him? I find him very funny to watch with his comments, my favorite is right after the Gasol trade went through. He said something alone these lines: "It's not bad enough to trade away your best player for Kwame Brown...KWAME BROWN...but then to trade for Jason Collins! You can't do that to your fans, that's just tourture."
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Beltramba13 @ Feb 12 2008, 06:25 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Am I the only person who likes him? I find him very funny to watch with his comments, my favorite is right after the Gasol trade went through. He said something alone these lines: "It's not bad enough to trade away your best player for Kwame Brown...KWAME BROWN...but then to trade for Jason Collins! You can't do that to your fans, that's just tourture."</div> Yeah I saw that. "KWA-MAY BROWN? KWA-MAY BROWN?!?! He is a scrub!" I don't dislike Stephen A. as much as most people. I think he is pretty entertaining at times, he's just full of himself. For example, a Stephen A. Smith interview I saw a while ago: ESPN Interviewer (forget who): "Kwame Brown is owed about $9 million this season, before his contract expires in the summer time..." As the guy is trying to finish a thought and actually ask Stephen A. a question, Stephen interrupts. Stephen A: "Yes, that is correct." (in a Mr. Know-It-All tone) OK Stephen A, you aren't the only member of the ESPN crew that knew Brown's salary, so stop acting all superior.
