Research Catalog

Title

Straight shooter : a memoir of second chances and first takes / Stephen A. Smith.

Author

Smith, Stephen A. (Stephen Anthony), 1967-

Publication

New York : Gallery Books / 13A, 2023.

Items in the Library & Off-site

Details

Description

viii, 276 pages; 24 cm

Summary

"America's most popular sports media figure tells it like it is in this surprisingly personal book, not only dishing out his signature, uninhibited opinions but also revealing the challenges he overcame in childhood as well as at ESPN, and who he really is when the cameras are off. Stephen A. Smith has never been handed anything, nor was he an overnight success. Growing up poor in Queens, the son of Caribbean immigrants and the youngest of six children, he was a sports-obsessed kid who faced a number of struggles, from undiagnosed dyslexia to getting enough cereal to fill his bowl. As a basketball player at Winston-Salem State University, he got a glimmer of his true calling when he wrote a newspaper column arguing for the retirement of his own Hall of Fame coach, Clarence Gaines. Smith hustled and rose up from a high school reporter at Daily News (New York) to a general sports columnist at The Philadelphia Inquirer in the 1990s, before getting his own show at ESPN in 2005. After he was unceremoniously fired from the network in 2009, he became even more determined to fight for success. He got himself rehired two years later and, with his razor-sharp intelligence and fearless debate style, found his role on the show he was destined to star in: First Take, the network's flagship morning program. In Straight Shooter, Smith writes about the greatest highs and deepest lows of his life and career. He gives his thoughts on Skip Bayless, Ray Rice, Colin Kaepernick, the New York Knicks, the Dallas Cowboys, and former President Donald Trump. But he also pulls back the curtain and talks about life beyond the set, sharing authentic stories about his negligent father, his loving mother, being a father himself, his battle with life-threatening COVID-19, and what he really thinks about politics and social issues. He does it all with the same intelligence, humor, and charm that has made him a household name. Provocative, moving, and eye-opening, this book is the perfect gift for lovers of sports, television, and anyone who likes their stories delivered straight to the heart"--

Subject

• Smith, Stephen A. 1967-
• ESPN (Television network)
• African American television personalities > Biography
• Sportscasters > United States > Biography
• Children of immigrants > United States > Biography
• Mass media and sports > United States
• Sportscasters
• Children of immigrants
• Mass media and sports
• African American television personalities
• United States

Genre/Form

• Autobiographies.
• Biographies.

Contents

Introduction -- My dad was no hero! -- "The boy just ain't smart" -- A liar to my momma -- "You got game" -- "Goddamnit, that boy wants to be somebody!" -- "You're gonna be the biggest star in sports media!" -- I've got plans for you -- Quite frankly -- Persona non grata -- The beginning of my resurrection -- The blessings -- and perils -- of fatherhood -- Skip Bayless and First Take -- No safety net -- Buried by a curry (not named Steph) -- Natural-born contrarians -- "What is your point?" -- Finish the job -- Lessons learned -- Come hell or high water! -- When taking things for granted nearly killed me -- You ain't seen nothing yet.

Call Number

Sc E 23-548

ISBN

• 9781982189495
• 1982189495
• 9781982189518 (canceled/invalid)

LCCN

2022948402

OCLC

1377283507

Author

Smith, Stephen A. (Stephen Anthony), 1967- author.

Title

Straight shooter : a memoir of second chances and first takes / Stephen A. Smith.

Publisher

New York : Gallery Books / 13A, 2023.

Edition

First 13A/Gallery Books hardcover edition.

Type of Content

text

Type of Medium

unmediated

Type of Carrier

volume

Local Note

Schomburg copy with dust jacket.

Local Subject

Black author.

Research Call Number

Sc E 23-548