WEBVTT - TOM's Talks | Stephen A. Smith 0:00:00.320 --> 0:00:03.640 This podcast is part of the seventy Sixers podcast network 0:00:04.000 --> 0:00:08.760 search seventy Sixers podcast wherever you get your pods. This 0:00:08.800 --> 0:00:12.719 week's edition of Tom's Talks is a conversation with ESPN 0:00:12.800 --> 0:00:17.080 commentator Stephen A. Smith. Stephen covered the seventy six Ers 0:00:17.160 --> 0:00:19.759 twenty plus years ago as the beat writer for the 0:00:19.800 --> 0:00:23.760 Philadelphia Inquirer. Growing up in Hollis Queens in New York City, 0:00:24.000 --> 0:00:27.840 Stephen played basketball to Thomas Edison High School, which eventually 0:00:27.880 --> 0:00:31.280 led him to Winston Salem State University. I spoke to 0:00:31.320 --> 0:00:34.680 Stephen from the set of ABC soap opera General Hospital, 0:00:34.960 --> 0:00:37.920 where he appears in a recurring role as the character Brick. 0:00:38.520 --> 0:00:43.560 Here's my conversation with Stephen A. Smith. Welcome to another 0:00:43.720 --> 0:00:48.080 edition of Tom's Talks, and we're joined by ESPN Stephen A. Smith. 0:00:48.159 --> 0:00:50.159 And what a treat this is. Stephen. We so much 0:00:50.159 --> 0:00:53.720 to appreciate your time. You covered the Sixers some twenty 0:00:53.800 --> 0:00:56.920 years ago. I've known you for at least that much time. Man, 0:00:57.840 --> 0:01:01.720 So happy for your success. You've done extremely well. How 0:01:01.760 --> 0:01:05.080 are you doing right now? Well, I'm doing fantastic. First 0:01:05.120 --> 0:01:06.720 of all, it was great talking to you, is great 0:01:06.720 --> 0:01:09.640 seeing you, buddy, I'm glad you told h your audience. 0:01:09.680 --> 0:01:11.880 We've known each other for more than two decades. You're 0:01:11.880 --> 0:01:14.440 the best in the business, and you're a good man, 0:01:14.520 --> 0:01:16.720 and I'm honored to be here with you. And I 0:01:16.800 --> 0:01:19.480 miss you, and I miss all the guys associated with 0:01:19.600 --> 0:01:22.600 the Sixers organization. Y'all will always be family to me. 0:01:23.760 --> 0:01:26.480 I've been very, very blessed, There's no doubt about that. 0:01:26.520 --> 0:01:30.000 A very fortunate work, very hard to get to where 0:01:30.000 --> 0:01:32.280 I am. And you know I never stopped. You still 0:01:32.319 --> 0:01:34.039 got to put in that work every single day. He 0:01:34.040 --> 0:01:36.960 can't take anything for granted, but my roots, on my roots. 0:01:37.000 --> 0:01:39.760 I got a newspaper background, I got a journalistic background 0:01:39.880 --> 0:01:44.080 covering the NBA. I'm now I've exceeded what twenty five 0:01:44.200 --> 0:01:48.080 years covering the NBA now, So it's been an incredible honor. 0:01:48.200 --> 0:01:50.920 A lot of good things have happened for me. I'm 0:01:51.000 --> 0:01:52.880 very happy with that, but I miss a lot of 0:01:52.920 --> 0:01:56.320 that stuff. Man, covering Alan Irison and Larry brown Billy King, 0:01:56.400 --> 0:02:00.760 Pack Croachy and everybody you know for those years Philadelphia 0:02:00.800 --> 0:02:04.360 from ninety ninety six to basically the two thousand and 0:02:04.440 --> 0:02:07.440 three in and Larry Browning and arrived in ninety seven, 0:02:07.440 --> 0:02:10.320 as you well know, but some of the greatest experiences 0:02:10.320 --> 0:02:12.799 of my professional career, and I still hold on to 0:02:12.960 --> 0:02:15.880 it very very much so because if it wasn't for 0:02:15.919 --> 0:02:19.320 those experiences, I don't think i'd be where I am today. Well, 0:02:19.320 --> 0:02:20.920 and that's what I was going to ask you, because 0:02:20.919 --> 0:02:23.959 it is different when you get to your level on 0:02:24.280 --> 0:02:27.120 the national stage where you're not boots on the ground. 0:02:27.160 --> 0:02:28.880 If you will cover the team as you did with 0:02:28.919 --> 0:02:32.120 the Sixers as the beat writer for the Philadelphia Inquirer, 0:02:32.320 --> 0:02:35.200 you're also a columnist here in Philadelphia. How did that 0:02:35.320 --> 0:02:37.600 shape your career and what do you remember most about 0:02:37.639 --> 0:02:40.560 that time? Well, well, for me, I think that you know, 0:02:40.800 --> 0:02:43.800 you become more human because you realize the power of 0:02:43.880 --> 0:02:46.520 words even more so. You know, I'd always aspired to 0:02:46.600 --> 0:02:49.560 be a general sports columnist. I wanted the license to 0:02:49.600 --> 0:02:53.320 open and the editorialize and really really express my opinion, 0:02:53.320 --> 0:02:55.200 and I was willing to put in the work to 0:02:55.240 --> 0:02:59.000 get to that point. Remember, back then, it wasn't social media, 0:02:59.040 --> 0:03:02.560 it wasn't Twitter, face Book and Instagram, and you couldn't 0:03:02.560 --> 0:03:05.639 become a columnist by being a blog or anything like that. 0:03:05.680 --> 0:03:08.800 You actually had to work in the print industry, and 0:03:08.880 --> 0:03:11.640 you had to really really make your bones, you know, 0:03:11.680 --> 0:03:14.840 pounding that pavement and reporting and making sure that you 0:03:15.040 --> 0:03:18.000 established yourself as a journalist who a strong degree. All 0:03:18.000 --> 0:03:21.359 of those things came into play. But for me personally, 0:03:21.440 --> 0:03:24.560 I think that your friend in mind, the late Phil 0:03:24.680 --> 0:03:28.079 Jazz and the God bless his wonderful soul. I can't 0:03:28.080 --> 0:03:30.320 emphasize enough how much he helped me because he was 0:03:30.360 --> 0:03:33.720 such an absolute pro doing what he did covering the 0:03:33.760 --> 0:03:36.520 Philadelphia seventy six ers for as many years as he did. 0:03:37.000 --> 0:03:38.720 To walk in there as a B writer for the 0:03:38.720 --> 0:03:42.080 Philadelphia Inquiry, knowing that I had him to go up 0:03:42.120 --> 0:03:45.720 against every day, that was the challenge, and you had 0:03:45.720 --> 0:03:47.760 to dotch your eyes, You had to crush your teas, 0:03:48.080 --> 0:03:50.320 and you had to stand out in certain respects. You 0:03:50.720 --> 0:03:53.480 definitely had to do your reporting, but you had to 0:03:53.520 --> 0:03:56.960 cultivate resources. You had to do networking, and then you 0:03:57.000 --> 0:03:59.160 had to be about the ground of writing every day 0:03:59.160 --> 0:04:01.440 and putting in that at work. Because you knew that 0:04:01.480 --> 0:04:04.960 man was always working. You wondered when he slept, You 0:04:05.120 --> 0:04:07.920 wonder when he would take a break. You certainly knew 0:04:07.960 --> 0:04:10.880 that he wasn't gonna have any mercy upon beating your 0:04:10.920 --> 0:04:14.120 brains in as an opposing beat writer and knowing that 0:04:14.200 --> 0:04:18.840 you were going up against that challenge. It just you know, 0:04:19.040 --> 0:04:23.240 you just really really had to get your feet wet 0:04:23.279 --> 0:04:24.800 in that regard. You had to put your feet in. 0:04:24.839 --> 0:04:27.599 It ain't so more for the Philadelphia Inquired was a 0:04:27.640 --> 0:04:29.919 tremendous help and a tremendous boost to my career. Guys 0:04:29.960 --> 0:04:34.159 like Mike Brewton, Mike Bruton, Bob Ford and those guys 0:04:34.240 --> 0:04:43.160 the great Bill Lyon and his ride just a poet 0:04:43.440 --> 0:04:47.240 in motion. I had the luxury and the benefit of 0:04:47.480 --> 0:04:50.160 working with from those guys. And I can't ephasize enough 0:04:50.279 --> 0:04:52.880 Mike Bruton in the things basis, I'll never forget it 0:04:52.920 --> 0:04:55.440 as long as I live. And had great bosses like 0:04:55.600 --> 0:05:00.120 Robert Rose and Doll and Phil Dixon and Bore and 0:05:01.040 --> 0:05:04.239 you know Tim Dwire and you know a whole bunch 0:05:04.240 --> 0:05:06.760 of other guys, Rob King, and I just had so 0:05:06.760 --> 0:05:11.640 many people that I'm connected to Phil of course, the 0:05:11.760 --> 0:05:15.520 great Sunny Hill and the great John Cheney I covered. 0:05:15.640 --> 0:05:18.320 I covered John Cheney before I covered the Sixes. All 0:05:18.320 --> 0:05:21.719 of those people helped me tremendously and I wouldn't be 0:05:21.760 --> 0:05:23.360 where I am again if it wasn't for that one, 0:05:23.360 --> 0:05:27.440 I say, the Philadelphia experience, I'm talking about it all. 0:05:27.880 --> 0:05:31.240 I'm talking about me elevating my wardrobe. And I go 0:05:31.279 --> 0:05:33.839 to a norsetrooms and somebody's waiting at the bottom of 0:05:33.839 --> 0:05:36.280 the escalator for me time. And it was an employee 0:05:36.279 --> 0:05:38.400 for the Norse strooms, that King of Prussia, and I 0:05:38.400 --> 0:05:40.760 didn't know who it was. And they said, you're Stephen 0:05:40.760 --> 0:05:43.320 a Smith. Pat Crowchie called us ahead of the time 0:05:43.320 --> 0:05:45.480 to let us know you were coming to body these shoes. 0:05:45.560 --> 0:05:47.760 And I had no idea because Pat Croch and them 0:05:47.800 --> 0:05:49.680 and Larry Brown like need to upgrade, you need to 0:05:49.760 --> 0:05:52.840 improve your wardrobe, stuff like that. And Billy King used 0:05:52.880 --> 0:05:55.279 to tease me, and Amaron McKee used to tease me 0:05:55.360 --> 0:05:58.560 about my wardrobe all the time, all of those different things. 0:05:58.600 --> 0:06:01.120 I still talk to these guys all the time, and McKey. 0:06:01.160 --> 0:06:03.080 I reach out every now and then to George lynch 0:06:03.120 --> 0:06:05.880 Ewick Snows of the World, Alan Irvson and I talk 0:06:05.920 --> 0:06:08.640 at least three four times a month. So I am 0:06:08.680 --> 0:06:10.800 Billy King and I do as well. So and I 0:06:10.920 --> 0:06:13.120 just won't Delie Brown now on the day. So it's 0:06:13.160 --> 0:06:14.719 a family to me, to be quite honest with you, 0:06:14.800 --> 0:06:16.839 and you're included in that, by the way. That's great, 0:06:17.200 --> 0:06:18.880 that's great that hey that first of all, it's a 0:06:18.920 --> 0:06:21.359 tremendous praise for Phil. I'm sure his son Andy and 0:06:21.400 --> 0:06:24.120 his family would totally appreciate that. I used to say 0:06:24.240 --> 0:06:27.360 somewhat in jest, that I followed the Sixers through Phil 0:06:27.440 --> 0:06:31.200 Jester with the Daily News and then relative to here Nordstrom. 0:06:31.279 --> 0:06:33.200 That's pretty good because I was going to the Lord 0:06:33.240 --> 0:06:35.599 and Taylor there in Bala Kinwood. And when you mentioned 0:06:35.600 --> 0:06:38.920 Mike Bruton, I sat down right there at that restaurant 0:06:39.680 --> 0:06:42.799 next to that shopping complex with Mike when I first 0:06:42.800 --> 0:06:46.680 came to Philadelphia, all the way back in nineteen ninety five. 0:06:46.760 --> 0:06:49.880 So that's straight that you remember all those people. Let 0:06:49.880 --> 0:06:51.920 me ask you because, as you said, you were a writer, 0:06:52.640 --> 0:06:56.440 and as a writer, you're an artist. And so my 0:06:56.560 --> 0:06:59.680 question is when did you find your voice? And I 0:06:59.680 --> 0:07:02.719 don't mean like the radio voice or your television but 0:07:03.160 --> 0:07:05.520 you know, like where you and for me and you 0:07:05.600 --> 0:07:07.720 helped me out here. But when you used to go 0:07:07.760 --> 0:07:09.840 on like drive up the North Jersey and go on 0:07:09.920 --> 0:07:12.720 with Bruce Beck at the time it was CNA or 0:07:12.800 --> 0:07:16.040 loot Elly on Delaware Avenue or Michael Barkind at the 0:07:16.080 --> 0:07:19.920 then Comcast Sports Net where you were, you know, commentating 0:07:19.960 --> 0:07:22.800 on the Sixers, but you found to me, I would 0:07:22.800 --> 0:07:25.200 think that was some of the underpinnings of what your 0:07:25.200 --> 0:07:31.640 television career has become. Is that accurate? Oh? Very accurate? 0:07:31.800 --> 0:07:34.920 Very accurate, because what happened is that the first time 0:07:34.920 --> 0:07:38.640 I went on television, this was my thing. CNA wasn't 0:07:38.640 --> 0:07:41.000 paying you, Bruce Beck Lutillian, those guys weren't not paying you, 0:07:41.040 --> 0:07:42.640 but they were kind enough to have me on. I 0:07:42.720 --> 0:07:45.240 was breaking my shaft stories obviously, and things were going 0:07:45.280 --> 0:07:48.440 well since I had no television training, but I knew 0:07:48.440 --> 0:07:51.360 I had the information because I was myself and guys 0:07:51.360 --> 0:07:54.400 like Phil we would have once reporting. My attitude was 0:07:54.640 --> 0:07:57.760 just say what you know, okay, because nobody else is 0:07:57.760 --> 0:08:00.320 covering the team like you two are. Then once you 0:08:00.440 --> 0:08:04.040 articulate your thoughts, articulated in a fashion that you think 0:08:04.040 --> 0:08:07.000 will resonate with viewers and listeners, but be as authentic 0:08:07.040 --> 0:08:08.960 as you possibly can be, because it needs to be 0:08:09.000 --> 0:08:11.880 something that's going to be sustainable. If you're faking it, 0:08:12.160 --> 0:08:14.720 then that's not gonna last. People will see right through it. 0:08:14.720 --> 0:08:17.440 It's phony. It's not going to come across as authentic, 0:08:17.440 --> 0:08:19.720 and you're not gonna last two minutes. So I was 0:08:19.800 --> 0:08:23.360 really really focused on being my true, authentic self. But 0:08:23.560 --> 0:08:27.560 still as you're doing that, you don't know how it 0:08:27.600 --> 0:08:30.680 really is going to resonate on television per se. And 0:08:30.720 --> 0:08:32.840 that's where the bruce becks and the lutilities of the 0:08:32.840 --> 0:08:36.120 world really really came in. And Angelo Catoldi is another 0:08:36.200 --> 0:08:38.400 name because he would bring me on his morning radio show. 0:08:38.760 --> 0:08:41.720 All the time. As you're talking to these people and 0:08:41.760 --> 0:08:44.719 they're gravitating towards you and wanting more and more and 0:08:44.760 --> 0:08:48.319 more of it, you're watching yourself. You're seeing what they 0:08:48.400 --> 0:08:51.360 love about you, and you just go about the business 0:08:51.400 --> 0:08:56.040 of continuing to provide the viewer, the listener, etc. What 0:08:56.120 --> 0:09:00.040 you know they're going to know, while also maintaining a 0:09:00.200 --> 0:09:03.960 true authentic self, recognizing that phoniness is never going to work, 0:09:04.000 --> 0:09:06.000 and so for me to hone in on it to 0:09:06.160 --> 0:09:09.280 master doing what it is that I do. I would 0:09:09.280 --> 0:09:12.560 say again, the Philly roots played a very pivotal role 0:09:12.600 --> 0:09:14.800 in all of that, because you knew how to find 0:09:14.800 --> 0:09:17.280 a voice, first of all by being a columnist, but 0:09:17.320 --> 0:09:20.600 then it was augmented and elevated once the lutilities and 0:09:20.640 --> 0:09:23.240 the Bruce Becks of the world and Angelo Cataris of 0:09:23.280 --> 0:09:27.520 the world started bringing on their airwaves asking you to 0:09:27.679 --> 0:09:30.680 disseminate the kind of message that you were writing about already. 0:09:30.920 --> 0:09:33.839 And I think that's why I say the Philadelphia roots 0:09:33.880 --> 0:09:37.040 definitely come into play there profoundly. We'll have more of 0:09:37.080 --> 0:09:41.360 my conversation with stephen A. Smith after this. In this 0:09:41.440 --> 0:09:46.360 time of social distancing, Novacare Rehabilitation is offering physical therapy 0:09:46.480 --> 0:09:49.559 from the comfort and safety of your home. Through their 0:09:49.640 --> 0:09:54.000 new tel A Rehab program. Novacare will virtually bring their 0:09:54.040 --> 0:09:58.000 services to you so you may heal, build strength, and 0:09:58.120 --> 0:10:00.920 get back to the things you love. Tel A Rehab 0:10:01.040 --> 0:10:04.760 let you easily connect with one of Novocare's licensed therapists 0:10:04.800 --> 0:10:09.079 through web based technology that is Hippo compliant. For more information, 0:10:09.200 --> 0:10:13.440 visit novacare dot com. Now back to my conversation with 0:10:13.600 --> 0:10:16.760 stephen A. You've been a writer, and as you said, 0:10:16.960 --> 0:10:19.400 you've put in the work and all the way back 0:10:19.480 --> 0:10:23.360 to Winston Salem State and as a college a student, 0:10:23.920 --> 0:10:26.520 and then all the way untill now and everything you 0:10:26.600 --> 0:10:29.439 just said about Philadelphia and all your stops along the way. 0:10:29.640 --> 0:10:32.239 And I mean this is high praise as a compliment 0:10:32.679 --> 0:10:36.400 because it's one thing to chase your passion, but in essence, 0:10:36.480 --> 0:10:39.560 and this is from your bosses. If you will at ESPN, 0:10:40.000 --> 0:10:43.240 you get paid to be you. I mean, how many 0:10:43.280 --> 0:10:46.040 people get to say that you're yourself, as you said, 0:10:46.320 --> 0:10:49.360 your authentic self and bringing this you know, WorldWind of 0:10:49.400 --> 0:10:52.320 knowledge and your world experience, your knowledge of sports and 0:10:52.520 --> 0:10:55.400 athletes and covering it, but you get to be you. 0:10:55.600 --> 0:10:58.920 That's pretty unique. It is unique, and I'm very blessed 0:10:58.920 --> 0:11:00.840 and fortunate. I wish I could tell you there was 0:11:00.840 --> 0:11:02.680 a skill that came with that, but that's a lot 0:11:02.679 --> 0:11:05.360 of luck, a lot of blessings that have come by way. 0:11:05.400 --> 0:11:07.840 There's no way, there's no way around that. And I'm 0:11:07.880 --> 0:11:11.120 so incredibly humbled by it and thankful to so many 0:11:11.120 --> 0:11:13.520 people because I certainly didn't get here by myself. So 0:11:13.520 --> 0:11:15.880 many people helped me get to where I am today. 0:11:15.920 --> 0:11:18.080 And if it wasn't for their contributions in my life 0:11:18.080 --> 0:11:20.920 on a personal level, willing to support me, willing to 0:11:21.000 --> 0:11:23.120 guide me, willing to do to me, willing to tell 0:11:23.160 --> 0:11:26.040 me the dudes and don't the right and wrongs. I 0:11:26.080 --> 0:11:29.360 wouldn't be here today, and so that definitely definitely comes 0:11:29.400 --> 0:11:32.200 into play. I can't deny that. But the other side 0:11:32.200 --> 0:11:35.600 to it is that just remembering that journalistic background and 0:11:36.160 --> 0:11:39.439 acknowledging the importance of being human, Can I be bombastic? 0:11:39.480 --> 0:11:41.800 Of course I can? Can I be demonstrators? Of course 0:11:41.800 --> 0:11:44.280 I can. But I would like to believe that anybody 0:11:44.320 --> 0:11:48.360 who truly truly watches me and goes beyond that would 0:11:48.360 --> 0:11:51.120 see a person that strives to be a human being. 0:11:51.160 --> 0:11:56.280 At all times, I can criticize or even excoriate what 0:11:56.360 --> 0:12:00.360 you do without seeing that who you are. I'm going 0:12:00.400 --> 0:12:02.280 on an incident or an incident or a case by 0:12:02.360 --> 0:12:05.360 case basis, because none of us are flawless, none of 0:12:05.400 --> 0:12:08.360 us are perfect. We all make mistakes, and I think 0:12:08.400 --> 0:12:11.480 that I try to make sure that that comes across 0:12:11.520 --> 0:12:14.160 and I also try to make it come acrosse journalistically 0:12:14.200 --> 0:12:18.400 in terms of really appreciating people like yourself and newspaper 0:12:18.480 --> 0:12:21.400 guys out there, not just yourself, for newspaper guys out 0:12:21.440 --> 0:12:24.320 there as well that are pounding that pavement, covering a 0:12:24.360 --> 0:12:26.959 team every day. I can talk about the Philadelphia seventy 0:12:26.960 --> 0:12:29.520 six is based on what I see, but I don't 0:12:29.520 --> 0:12:31.920 cover them every day, the way that I used to 0:12:32.000 --> 0:12:34.120 and the way that you always have, and the way 0:12:34.120 --> 0:12:37.840 that other guys like Tom Moore and others and Delaware 0:12:37.920 --> 0:12:40.360 have covered this team for so many years. They know 0:12:40.559 --> 0:12:42.680 more about the team than me. So when I have 0:12:42.720 --> 0:12:45.560 a national platform, I might say something, but I don't 0:12:45.559 --> 0:12:48.120 hesitate to say. I read this in the Philadelphia Inquirer. 0:12:48.320 --> 0:12:51.080 I heard this person say that this is the person 0:12:51.160 --> 0:12:55.320 covering the team. They know because it's the respectful thing 0:12:55.360 --> 0:12:58.839 to do, because it's fair. They're the ones covering a team, 0:12:59.200 --> 0:13:01.440 not me. Those are the kind of things that I 0:13:01.520 --> 0:13:03.720 try to bring to the industry that I'm in now, 0:13:04.000 --> 0:13:06.280 so they'll remember, just because you're in front of the camera, 0:13:06.320 --> 0:13:08.760 you're getting paid a lot of money, does not mean 0:13:08.800 --> 0:13:10.920 that you get to disrespect those who are pounded the 0:13:10.960 --> 0:13:13.640 pavement and busting their tail every day to bring the 0:13:13.720 --> 0:13:16.880 content that we talk about well stated. And as I've 0:13:16.880 --> 0:13:20.880 always said, there's nothing wrong with attribution. It's okay, nothing 0:13:20.880 --> 0:13:25.440 wrong with um. So you're from Queens and you know 0:13:25.559 --> 0:13:28.800 you have a program called first Take, and when you're 0:13:28.800 --> 0:13:31.640 from New York City, you're expected to have a take. 0:13:31.720 --> 0:13:34.280 And we're all products of our own environment, and you've 0:13:34.320 --> 0:13:37.720 talked so daringly about your your late mother who sometimes 0:13:37.720 --> 0:13:40.360 would listen to your commentary here and say, oh, Steve 0:13:40.440 --> 0:13:42.360 and said, Mom, that's how I used to watch TV. 0:13:42.480 --> 0:13:45.760 I used to talk about if you're from which to talk, Kansas, 0:13:46.160 --> 0:13:49.440 you might not have evolved into yourself, right, I mean 0:13:49.480 --> 0:13:53.440 they have this maybe not, maybe not, but but it's 0:13:53.480 --> 0:13:55.679 it's I don't view it, believe it or not time. 0:13:55.720 --> 0:13:58.360 I don't view it really as aggressive. I view it 0:13:58.440 --> 0:14:01.400 as excuse me. I might be passionate about it, but 0:14:01.440 --> 0:14:04.480 we'll watching sports. I remember the late Great Commissioner David 0:14:04.520 --> 0:14:07.720 Stern guard wrested soul, was arguing with me about how 0:14:07.760 --> 0:14:10.439 I come across to a TV sometimes. I said to him, 0:14:10.440 --> 0:14:12.560 how do you watch a game when you're home? And 0:14:12.600 --> 0:14:15.160 he said, oh, my goodness, I'm losing my mind. I'm cussing, 0:14:15.360 --> 0:14:17.640 I'm throwing stuff at the TV. My wife is like, 0:14:17.679 --> 0:14:22.440 when you calm down, blah blah blah blah blah. I said, exactly, So, 0:14:22.520 --> 0:14:24.480 what do you think people want to see when they 0:14:24.520 --> 0:14:27.160 watch me talking about sports? Do you think they want 0:14:27.160 --> 0:14:31.239 me to look like I'm reclined in a chair, lounging 0:14:31.280 --> 0:14:34.040 on the beach talking about sports. That's not how you 0:14:34.160 --> 0:14:36.440 do it. You talk about it with a level of passion. 0:14:36.560 --> 0:14:39.000 It's like asking Tom again is to sit up there 0:14:39.040 --> 0:14:41.160 and to be on the radio and to be my 0:14:41.200 --> 0:14:44.760 old man. And when they are spectacular, play takes place, 0:14:44.960 --> 0:14:47.480 a dunk, a three point shot in a crucial moment, 0:14:47.560 --> 0:14:50.280 or whatever they want you to say, a nice shot, 0:14:50.480 --> 0:14:54.080 way to go. No, that's not no, that's not gonna 0:14:54.120 --> 0:14:57.120 resonate with the actual listener. And so I think it's 0:14:57.120 --> 0:15:00.240 important to recognize that even though you're trying to be 0:15:00.280 --> 0:15:03.800 true and authentic, there is a performance element that must 0:15:03.840 --> 0:15:07.040 come into the equation that you're trying to provide to 0:15:07.200 --> 0:15:11.520 the listener or the viewer so they will enjoy seeing 0:15:11.920 --> 0:15:15.640 and or listening to you. That comes with the business 0:15:15.720 --> 0:15:18.520 of what we do. And I think sometimes people forget that, 0:15:19.560 --> 0:15:21.920 no question about it. Well, I'd love to keep going, 0:15:22.000 --> 0:15:24.240 but I fear if we did, we'd go over our time. 0:15:24.640 --> 0:15:27.440 So again, I can't thank you enough so much, appreciate 0:15:28.000 --> 0:15:30.560 all of your work over the years, and happy for you. 0:15:30.600 --> 0:15:33.360 As I said, this is a great time author back 0:15:33.640 --> 0:15:36.600 and you get to commentate on many different situations. Is 0:15:36.600 --> 0:15:39.120 obviously this is big right now. Not as much as 0:15:39.120 --> 0:15:42.120 I've appreciated your work. You've been absolutely outstanding, even a 0:15:42.200 --> 0:15:45.320 voice of the Philadelphia seventy six or for decades, You're 0:15:45.320 --> 0:15:48.640 absolutely phenomenal. You've always been good to me. And when 0:15:48.680 --> 0:15:51.680 they called me and told me that you wanted me here, 0:15:51.720 --> 0:15:54.320 I'm literally on the set of General Hospital or the 0:15:54.400 --> 0:15:57.360 soap opera, and they allowed me to work, that's right. 0:15:57.360 --> 0:16:00.360 And they allowed me to walk off the set just 0:16:00.560 --> 0:16:03.720 to do this interview with you. And I insisted that 0:16:03.760 --> 0:16:05.800 they let me do that because I'm so appreciative of 0:16:05.800 --> 0:16:09.160 all that you've done, just for basketball fans in Philadelphia 0:16:09.200 --> 0:16:11.840 and everyway, anytime anybody gets a chance to listen to you. 0:16:11.840 --> 0:16:13.520 You've been great for years and it's an honor to 0:16:13.560 --> 0:16:15.920 be here talking to you right now. Well, Stephen, thank 0:16:15.920 --> 0:16:19.560 you so much. Is this the character brick? Yes, that's it. 0:16:19.680 --> 0:16:22.240 That is correct. I'm getting ready to tape seeds with 0:16:22.400 --> 0:16:26.000 Sonny Corinthos literally in late ten minutes. That's why I'm 0:16:26.800 --> 0:16:29.360 all right, break elect. Thank you so much. Thanks a 0:16:29.360 --> 0:16:32.880 lot about me taking easy. Thanks for listening to this 0:16:33.040 --> 0:16:36.480 edition of Tom's Talks. Look for new episodes throughout the 0:16:36.520 --> 0:16:40.120 offseason if you like what you're hearing. Consider subscribing to 0:16:40.240 --> 0:16:43.640 the seventy six ers podcast network Feed or giving us 0:16:43.640 --> 0:16:46.520 a follow wherever you get your pods and if that 0:16:46.640 --> 0:16:49.600 happens to be on Apple Podcast, we'd love for you 0:16:49.640 --> 0:16:52.560 to give us a rating. I'm Tom McGuinness, talk to 0:16:52.640 --> 0:16:53.440 you down the road.