{
  "id": 7657605,
  "title": "Stephen A. Smith calls out Mike Florio for implying everyone at ESPN supports Protect College Sports Act",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/15/stephen-a-smith-calls-out-mike-florio-for-implying-everyone-at-espn",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-15T23:30:08.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/stephen-smith-calls-mike-florio-233008194.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Stephen A. Smith expressed frustration on his SiriusXM Radio show over Mike Florio's headline implying that all ESPN employees support the Protect College Sports Act. Despite ESPN's visible advocacy for the legislation through various appearances and interviews, Smith argued that not everyone within the network shares this stance. He pointed out that Florio was speaking with \"one of them right now,\" suggesting that there are numerous individuals at ESPN who do not advocate for the act. Smith acknowledged the need for certain modifications to the legislation, but ultimately disagreed with the overall approach. He believes there should be limits on college athletes' transfers and earnings, but opposes the Protect College Sports Act as a whole. Smith also criticized the idea of implementing such rules through legislation rather than through collective bargaining between players and schools. He questioned why Congress would push for the act before players could negotiate their own terms. Smith emphasized the importance of collective bargaining in shaping rules and limitations for college athletes, suggesting that ESPN's advocacy on the issue has been less consistent than Florio's portrayal of its support.",
  "summary": "ESPN has loudly promoted advocacy for the Protect College Sports Act, but Stephen A. Smith insists not everyone at the Worldwide Leader supports the legislation. Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio caught Smith’s attention over the weekend when he published an article titled, “ESPN continues its not-so-subtle advocacy for the Protect College Sports Act.” The article…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Yahoo Sports",
        "title": "Boston sports radio host Mike Felger boycotts Green Bay Packers: I blame the ‘dummies of Wisconsin’",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/15/boston-sports-radio-host-mike-felger-boycotts-green-bay-packers-i",
        "published": "2026-09-15T20:00:53.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}