widely chastised for the accusation<\/a>, with many people questioning how he could be so self-absorbed to assume Maye considers First Take appointment television. But maybe Smith isn\u2019t quite as self-absorbed as we all assumed. Because against all odds, he kinda sorta started to backtrack from calling Maye a liar when asked about it on his Mad Dog Sports Radio show on SiriusXM Friday afternoon.<\/p>\n\u201cI was being facetious because it wasn\u2019t that big of a deal,\u201d Smith claimed. \u201cIn other words, Cam Newton is on national television. And your reaction was, \u2018I don\u2019t even know where he works.\u2019 I just didn\u2019t believe that. That\u2019s all. I wasn\u2019t calling him a liar about anything else. Just that he didn\u2019t know where Cam works. But you are right, I don\u2019t know Drake Maye, I\u2019ve never spoken to him. Again, I was being facetious; I wasn\u2019t being serious about that point. So, if people take it that way, sure, I can apologize for that, it\u2019s no big deal. But I wasn\u2019t being serious.\u201d<\/p>\n
Smith compared it to going on a rant about an NFL team during his radio show and having a listener call to complain about the rant while simultaneously alleging he didn\u2019t listen to the show. The difference, however, is that in the scenario Smith created, the caller initiated the complaint about whatever it was Smith hypothetically said. In the case of Maye, he was presented and asked about Newton\u2019s quote by a third party. So, it\u2019s entirely possible that Maye may not have known about Newton on ESPN or Newton calling the Patriots \u201cfool\u2019s gold\u201d until he was asked about it on WEEI.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf people want me to apologize for that, that\u2019s fine,\u201d Smith continued. \u201cI wasn\u2019t serious about him lying. I don\u2019t know whether he was lying or not. I just said, don\u2019t tell me know you don\u2019t know where Cam Newton was working. You don\u2019t know he\u2019s on First Take twice a week? I don\u2019t believe that. I just don\u2019t.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor this particular issue, I was just being facetious. But I need you to understand something that\u2019s very important for you to understand. I\u2019m not here to make enemies. I\u2019m not here to be disliked, but I don\u2019t give a damn either. I say what I say. If I\u2019m playing around like I was yesterday, that\u2019s different. But if I rub you the wrong way from time to time, so be it\u2026I don\u2019t want to make enemies. I really don\u2019t. I\u2019m not trying to be hated. But I\u2019m not here to ensure that doesn\u2019t happen either.\u201d<\/p>\n
Smith probably would have been better off just leaning in and doubling down on this one. Because he didn\u2019t sound facetious when he made the initial accusation about Maye on First Take. And while he said he\u2019s willing to apologize in this follow-up, Smith didn\u2019t really apologize. And while he said he wasn\u2019t really accusing Maye of being a liar, Smith still claimed he doesn\u2019t believe the Patriots quarterback was unaware about Newton being on First Take. So, what were you really being facetious about? Maybe Smith is just being facetious about being facetious.<\/p>\n
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