"He doesn't believe that nonsense" - Stephen A. Smith calls out Michael Irvin over his comments on Dallas Cowboys
ESPN's Stephen A. Smith does not hide his feelings about the Dallas Cowboys. A regular voice against the NFC East team, Smith is not their biggest fan.
Smith shares a desk with Cowboys Hall of Famer Michael Irvin on ESPN's First Take, and the pair have gotten to know each other rather well. However, something that Irvin said about the Dallas Cowboys on NFL Network has got Smith fired up.
What got Smith all hot under the collar was when Irvin stated that the Dallas Cowboys are the best team. Irvin is normally sure of his comments regarding America's Team, but this time he was timid with his statement. The hesitance did not escape Smith's observation, and the ESPN commentator took to Twitter to vent his thoughts.
Did y’all just see @michaelirvin88 on the @nflnetwork with his nonsense? See how he was so timid in saying the @dallascowboys are the best team? He doesn’t believe that nonsense. He knows Coach and Kurt got’em. But it’s okay. At least he’s making good TV.#Pathetic!
Smith's disdain for the Cowboys fanbase is what fuels his hatred for the franchise. The fact that Dallas have largely underwhelmed since their famous Super Bowl teams of the 90s (which Irvin was a part of), makes the spat with Irvin even more interesting.
Irvin was one of the main contributors to the Cowboys during their period of dominance in the 1990s. Dallas won the Super Bowl in 1993, '94 and '96, and Irvin was at the heart of these successes.
In '93, Irvin caught 88 passes for 1,330 receiving yards and seven touchdowns. He followed that up in 1994 with 1,241 yards and six touchdowns. In 1996, Irvin played in only 11 games and mustered 962 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
Who needs coffee when you have @michaelirvin88 to passionately yell about the Cowboys victory on Thursday. ☕️😂
@richeisen | @NFLGameDay https://t.co/SbGWXuDrxx
The Dallas Cowboys started the season in blistering fashion this year, racing out to a 6-1 record. This led to Smith being relatively quiet on his show. He also regularly had Dallas in his top five NFL teams.
But since then, Dallas have been on a slide. They faced the Saints after a two-game losing streak, and Smith took great delight in the Cowboys' short comings, often telling viewers to "just be patient," in reference to Dallas' tendency to fall apart when everything is going well.
After the win over the Saints, Dallas steadied the ship to some extent, moving to 8-5 on the season and still in control of the NFC East.