• by Wayne Friedman , Staff Writer, August 2, 2005

ESPN has a new primetime show with the always talkative and -- quite frankly -- opinionated Philadelphia Inquirer sports columnist Stephen A. Smith. It could be a sports marketer's dream.

The name of the show, "Quite Frankly," is what Smith says when he is about to inject plenty of brash sass into specific sports issues - most specifically about the NBA, his specialty.

His first guest was none other than Philly's own Allen Iverson, which was a comfortable start for Smith because of his long association working in Philadelphia. Smith talked to Iverson about athletes who need to do more for the kids who idolize them.

One way athletes can give back is trying to stay with their first professional team, since kids closely identify with their hometown athletes. Smith handled the interview fairly well, but didn't hit Iverson over the head with too many tough questions.

The New York Times' Richard Sandomir noted that Smith's somewhat urban tone - less professional TV anchor speak -- is part of his panache when it comes to his opinionated observations about the NBA on other ESPN shows. Smith's first night combativeness has some ways to go; he's no Bill O'Reilly yet.

Over-the-top sport commentators are exactly what ESPN is looking for. ESPN's executive vice president, Mark Shapiro, says Smith is "ringing a bell" -- no doubt with viewers. Smith doesn't play it safe, which is exactly what viewers want even if he fails. "We're in the hit-making business," said Shapiro. "And Stephen A. is a game-changer."

The Times then went on to cite Smith's critics - including one NBC owner and two New York Post columnists, Peter Vecsey, a former NBC and TNT basketball analyst, and Phil Mushnick. Mushnick says he speaks to ESPN's viewers looking for straightforward news - and then to "urban street blacks or white street wannabes." Smith doesn't deny race can be involved, according to the story.

Increasingly, news networks, general or sports, need commentators, talking heads, and analysts to be bigger and bolder characters - loud and argumentative, something to break through the placid, even-tone clutter.

That's okay. This is sports, after all. The tricky part is that kids still look up to athletes. Increasingly, you can add TV hosts and announcers to that list. Can kids tell the difference between talent and no-talent in these fields?

Maybe not yet, but brace yourselves. In the future kids will look up to entertainment sports marketing executives as well.