In a recent segment of the talk show hosted by David Letterman, sports analyst Stephen A. Smith made a surprising apology to the host. The conversation took an interesting turn as the two delved into football, officiating, and the NBA.

Smith started the conversation by apologizing to Letterman for incorrectly predicting the outcome of a football game between the Indianapolis Colts and the Pittsburgh Steelers. He admitted that he mistakenly thought the Steelers had no chance against the Colts, but as history showed, the Colts were knocked out of the playoffs.

However, Smith did not stop at his apology to Letterman. He surprised the host by expressing his beef with another talk show host, Jay Leno, who had invited kicker Mike Vanderjagt on his show after Vanderjagt missed a field goal in a crucial game. Smith found it disrespectful that Vanderjagt seemingly celebrated his failure on Leno’s show.

The conversation soon shifted to the topic of officiating in football, especially in the Super Bowl. Smith voiced his opinion that while some calls were questionable, too much attention was given to officiating errors. He suggested that the NFL should consider hiring officials full-time to minimize mistakes.

Moving away from football, the discussion turned to the struggling New York Knicks basketball team. Smith criticized the team’s performance and highlighted the challenges faced by their coach, Larry Brown. He also mentioned the controversy surrounding Isaiah Thomas, who was accused of sexual harassment. Smith acknowledged that Thomas had faced a great deal of heat but questioned why the team’s performance had not improved despite having better talent and coaching.

The conversation wrapped up with a discussion about basketball superstar Kobe Bryant‘s 81 point game against the Toronto Raptors. While acknowledging Bryant’s exceptional performance, Smith pointed out that the opposition was not as strong as some may think.

As the segment came to an end, Smith shared some personal anecdotes about his own basketball career and his current ability to beat a youthful opponent for only the first half hour of a game.

Overall, this lively and engaging conversation between Stephen A. Smith and David Letterman covered a range of sports topics, from football predictions and beefs with other talk show hosts to officiating controversies and the struggles of the New York Knicks. It was a fun and entertaining segment that left viewers with plenty to think about in the world of sports.