Stephen A. Smith Ditches the ‘Nopology’ in Lane Johnson Mea Culpa
Smith faced criticism for comments about Johnson retiring to focus on mental health.
The age of "Nopology" apologies is ending. Public opinion is growing skeptical and these apologies often backfire. Look no further than Stephen A. Smith's case. Just a day after his lighter-than-air comments about Eagles tackle Lane Johnson's decision to retire for mental health reasons, Smith issued a contrite statement on Thursday's First Take.
Though sincere, his prior explanations on Wednesday's show and that afternoon's SiriusXM program didn't help. They appeared to make matters worse. On Thursday, Smith admitted, "Here's the reality of the situation: I was wrong." He apologized to Johnson and the Philadelphia Eagles, acknowledging that his comments about mental health didn't go far enough.
Friends and colleagues like Charlamagne tha God, Jay Glazer, Michael Wilbon, and Kimberley A. Martin set him straight. Smith urged those struggling with mental health to seek help, just as he did nearly a decade ago. Smith sounded sincere and, in his words, "There's no pussyfooting around. There's no blaming viewers." By making a genuine apology, he avoided the "non-apology apologies" so common among public figures. Smith's third attempt at a genuine apology succeeded. Only time will tell if it pays off.
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