"Fixed that for you."
Screen grab: ESPNESPNWNBABy Ben Axelrod on
In the world of sports analysis, there are freezing takes. And then there’s whatever you want to call Jason Whitlock’s stance on Angel Reese.
Last week, the Blaze Media host referred to the Chicago Sky rookie forward as “arguably the most overrated athlete in all of sports.” To say that Whitlock’s take aged like milk would be an insult to dairy, as Reese scored 25 points and grabbed 16 rebounds in an 88-87 victory over rival Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever on Sunday.
Following the best performance of the LSU product’s rookie season, many were unsurprisingly quick to remind Whitlock of what he had just said about her five days earlier. And while he didn’t quite double down on his criticism, he did his best to continue to attempt to discredit Reese’s on-court ability.
“She’s unskilled,” Whitlock replied to a post reminding him of his quote about Reese. “But she also has a higher bball IQ than I gave her credit for. She knows how to play. She’s a terrific competitor. Her game is to establish post position and she works hard to get it. That type of effort will make her highly effective.”
She’s unskilled. But she also has a higher bball IQ than I gave her credit for. She knows how to play. She’s a terrific competitor. Her game is to establish post position and she works hard to get it. That type of effort will make her highly effective. https://t.co/lwCgUcanRr
— Jason Whitlock (@WhitlockJason) June 23, 2024
A longtime critic of Whitlock’s, Stan Verrett couldn’t help but seize on the opportunity to point out that his former ESPN colleague was essentially admitting that he wasn’t as familiar with Reese’s game as he had previously portrayed.
“In other words, ‘I never really saw her play before I decided to attack her needlessly, because I knew it would play well with the anti-Black audience I’m desperately seeking to retain some relevance after my many firings,'” Verrett wrote. “Fixed that for you.”
In other words, “I never really saw her play before I decided to attack her needlessly, because I knew it would play well with the anti-Black audience I’m desperately seeking to retain some relevance after my many firings.” Fixed that for you. https://t.co/vXYlBicOc2
— stan verrett (@stanverrett) June 23, 2024
While many in sports media — and especially at ESPN — have come to just ignore Whitlock, that clearly isn’t the case for Verrett. In fact, Whitlock once called out the SportsCenter anchor during a segment on his former Fox Sports show, Speak For Yourself, alleging that Verrett’s online hatred of him is merely a bit aimed at garnering social media approval.
In a subsequent post on Sunday, Verrett revealed that his issue with Whitlock dates back to 2007 and stems from the fallout of Don Imus referring to the Rutgers women’s basketball team as “nappy-headed hoes.”
“I have to give y’all the history about Whitlock,” Verrett wrote. “In 2007, I was on a point/counterpoint radio show about Don Imus calling the Rutgers women ‘nappy headed hoes.’ I wondered who they could possibly find to defend Imus. They found Whitlock. It’s been on ever since.”
I have to give y’all the history about Whitlock. In 2007, I was on a point/counterpoint radio show about Don Imus calling the Rutgers women “nappy headed hoes.” I wondered who they could possibly find to defend Imus. They found Whitlock. It’s been on ever since.
— stan verrett (@stanverrett) June 24, 2024
Rarely one to shy away from confrontation, Whitlock curiously didn’t respond to Verrett’s posts regarding Reese. The ESPN anchor has a theory why.
“He knows his level,” Verrett wrote in a reply. “And he knows mine. And he knows they are not the same. It could end his ‘career.'”
He knows his level. And he knows mine. And he knows they are not the same. It could end his “career.”
— stan verrett (@stanverrett) June 23, 2024
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.
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