GFT of the Week: Stephen A. Smith

This is the inaugural Giant Effing Turd post, a new feature on Big Grinder With Cheese, that will highlight an event, person, or action from the past week that left a such an awful taste of bile and poop in my mouth that I feel the need to eviscerate and disembowl them with my literary pooper scooper.

The lucky winner of this week's GFT is none other than the universally hated and unbearably annoying blowhard of all blowhards, Stephen A. Smith. Smith posted an article yesterday that outlined the gambling, and alcohol troubles of Allen Iverson, with what amounted to a call to Iverson's inner circle to mount an intervention. Whether or not you are fan of Iverson, it is very sad to see a person who has so much going for him and is descending down a path that could lead to being abandoned by his family, gambling his $200 million in career earnings away, and even a possible early death.

I would like to know what makes it ok for Steven A. Smith to make Allen Iverson's personal struggles public? This strikes me as a grasp for attention by an egotistical asshole that sees his star slipping. A person that was once a tv and web personality for ESPN, until the network got fed up with his tired schtick and "decided to go in a different direction" and has been relegated to local print and radio in Philadelphia. Not exactly the career arc a self-promoting ego-maniac such as Smith is looking for is it?

Then along come insider NBA rumors that Allen Iverson has severe drinking and gambling problems. Smith saw this as an opportunity to look like the good guy for once. He wrote an article that comes off as a plea to Iverson to get help and in the process exposes Iverson's issues. Smith picked a great time to release this news, just days after Iverson's wife filed for divorce, and weeks after he announced he will not play the rest of the season, in effect ending his NBA career, in order to be with his sick daughter. You don't have to be Dr. Drew to realize that Iverson is in a very fragile and precarious state right now. The littlest thing could push him off the edge, not to mention someone publishing behaviors of his that he is battling and likely very ashamed of. Smith would probably say that he cares about Iverson and this is his way of trying to help. I say bull crap Stephen A. Smith, you Giant Effing Turd!!! If he really wanted to help Iverson, he would have kept this information private and contacted Iverson's "inner circle" to offer his help. Rather, he bared Iverson's darkest secrets to the world in a move that could very well cause Iverson to isolate himself more and accelerate his descent down the shame spiral he is surely on into more drinking and gambling. But hey at least we're all remembering who Stephen A. Smith is right?

I'm not sure why, but Allen Iverson's struggles have left me feeling sad for him and hoping that he is able to get better. Maybe it is because until recently he always played with all his heart and put his body on the line to help his team win games. It is hard not to root for someone who puts forth such determination and effort. I want to leave you with two videos of Iverson. On a lighter not, the first is possibly the best sports press conference of all time. All I need to say is "We talkin' 'bout Practice?". Lastly, I defy you to watch this video of Iverson at an event for his scholarship chartity speaking about his life and not have a new found respect for him and a hope that he is able to get the help he needs and take back his life.

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