Stephen A. Smith goes scorched earth on "ignorant" Robert Griffin III over Jackie Robinson comments - "You sound utterly clueless"

Stephen A. Smith took aim at Robert Griffin III after the former quarterback appeared to criticize the media's coverage of the Jackie Robinson saga.

The Department of Defense temporarily deleted a page about Robinson's time in the army, with the term "DEI" reportedly added as part of the URL, before restoring it.

Stephen A. Smith called that out on ESPN and criticized the Donald Trump administration. This prompted Robert Griffin III to tweet that sports shows should not be politicized. He followed that up with a comment saying Jackie Robinson's breaking of baseball's racial barrier, while deserving of praise, was not inherently political.

Stephen A. Smith took issue with that and fired back.

“RGIII, respectfully, my brother, you sound ignorant. You sound utterly clueless. First of all, when Jackie Robinson integrated baseball in 1947, are you trying to say race wasn’t politicized in 1947 or beforehand?"

The ESPN host challenged the former quarterback and asked whether the Dodgers management specifically choosing Robinson given his military background was a fluke.

"Like Branch Rickey for the Dodgers didn’t specifically choose him because he knew he would need his temperament? As a former military man who exercised discipline as opposed to reacting violently to the racial venom that was thrown in his direction? You are trying to tell me politics have nothing to do with that?"

Stephen A. Smith challenges Robert Griffin III to speak to him directly after Jackie Robinson fallout

Stephen A. Smith also asked his former colleague to reach out to him directly if he had a problem in the future.

“RGIII, at some point in time you are going to have to show your hand and stop dancing around issues. If you have got a problem with Stephen A., say it by name. Because I certainly don’t have any problem with you."

Smith also addressed RGIII's departure from ESPN, saying the former quarterback came across as bitter for having had to leave.

“You see, you come across as someone that’s bitter about being gone from ESPN... people at ESPN didn’t like you bro... You know the names. I said names as in plural."

While Griffin has not responded to Smith directly, he did put out a long statement clarifying his position on the Jackie Robinson issue.