In a leaked audio provided to O’Keefe Media Group from an anonymous source, @ESPN producer Ryan Bertnard (@ryan_betrand17) can be heard making disparaging remarks about sports commentator Stephen A. Smith (@stephenasmith), questioning his credibility for political commentary, on-air persona, and recent actions involving LeBron James (@KingJames).
“He [Smith] goes on Fox News probably like once a week, and he'll talk about like, Gaza,” revealed Bertnard, adding, “He has no idea about Gaza, but for whatever reason, Fox News will have him do a ten-minute conversation with their anchor.” Colleagues at ESPN reportedly find it baffling: “We’re like, brother, you were just talking about the Lakers, like, three hours ago. Like, what do you know about Gaza?”
He goes on to describe Smith’s TV persona as a calculated act, adding, “He plays the angry black man on TV.” Bertnard elaborates, “It's more how loud you are and how you deliver your speech,” explaining that the stereotype hinges on being loud and overbearing.
The audio also sheds light on LeBron James confronting Smith over repeated commentary about his son, Bronny (@BronnyJamesJr). “Stephen A. had been talking about LeBron's son for, like, a while,” Bertnard explained. “Long story short, LeBron confronted him at a game one time and basically said, ‘Stop talking sh*t about my son.’”
Following the confrontation, Smith reportedly tried to control the narrative through media appearances: “Ever since that, Stephen A. has been on like four different podcasts, basically like, 'I thought it was a weak move coming up to me,' and whatnot. It's just this whole embarrassing thing that we're all rolling our eyes at.”
According to Bertnard, within ESPN, Smith is seen as someone who thrives on stirring controversy. “They [ESPN Staff] just think he's crazy. Just trying to create attention,” Bertnard stated. “Which is his job, I guess. He gets paid a lot of money to do that.” Bertnard even likened Smith to a media opportunist, agreeing he’s a “grifter:” “[Smith is] very much ‘whoever's buying my bullsht, I will sell you my bullsht.’ Which, it's like Fox News sometimes, I guess.”
O’Keefe Media Group has reached out to Ryan Bertnard, Stephen A. Smith, and ESPN for comment regarding the leaked audio.
@FOXNews @SportsCenter @NBA
Rick Addante says the mission of higher education has been abandoned and sacrificed for money. From Florida Tech to the media to government, the same story plays out: shut up, or shut down.
James O'Keefe sits down with Addante on My Price Is My Life to uncover what’s really being sold, and what it costs to tell the truth.
Listen to Episode 6 of My Price Is My Life now on all major platforms.
Read the Full Article at:
https://okeefemediagroup.com/i-defied-my-government-for-love/
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“They offered us $100,000 to shut up… and then terminated us at 3:30, not even honoring their own deadline.”
Rick Addante returned to Florida Tech from family leave and was given a choice: take the money or keep his soul.
“That night we went home, we felt free. It felt like we got out of Shawshank, without having to pay the price of your soul.”
On what he hopes his kids take away from it: “I hope to give them a lifetime of experiences seeing that their father, their mother, their family does the right thing and doesn’t cave to sacrifice their integrity.”
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According to a Senior State Department Official, “The incident is under investigation. The Department has zero tolerance for individuals who jeopardize national security by putting their personal interests ahead of our great nation.”
