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Inqwaster fires Stephen A. Smith

Dan Gross' blog, PhillyGossip, covers the behavior and misbehavior of celebrities both local and Hollywood. His Dan About Town column runs Mondays through Thursdays in the Daily News.

13 comments

Inqwaster fires Stephen A. Smith

POSTED: Tuesday, January 29, 2008, 5:37 PM

Filed Under: Breaking News

Six months after stripping him of his column, the Inqwaster on Friday fired Stephen A. Smith, citing job abandonment, we’re told. Inqwaster editor Bill Marimow had no comment when reached moments ago. In August, Marimow axed Smith’s column and asked him to stay with the paper as a sports reporter. Instead, Smith, an ESPN NBA analyst, took an unpaid leave for several weeks, and was at one point scheduled to return but has repeatedly failed to do so, we’re told. Smith also hosts ESPN Radio out of New York along with former 610 WIP yakker Mike Missanelli.

As we reported several months back, Smith has hired a team of lawyers to deal with the Inqwaster in a legal dispute related to his loss of the column. Smith’s counsel did not immediately return calls or e-mails today.

Bill Ross, local representative of the Newspaper Guild of Greater Philadelphia Local 10, has confirmed Smith's firing and says the union "will file a grievance and continue to defend him on our end as we also continue to cooperate with his private counsel.” Efforts to reach Smith, who is now blogging were unsuccessful.

Dan Gross @ 5:37 PM Permalink | 13 comments

13 comments

Comments (13)

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 6:32 PM, 01/29/2008

It took six months to figure out he wasnt showing up to work? Sounds like a crack crew is managing the paper.

— Diego

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 7:34 PM, 01/29/2008

You can't just fire, suspend, etc., especially a union job, because of job abandonment. The paper according to what is being posted, gave numerous opportunities for him to return to work. I'm sure the grievance will focus on his demotion first, so I would expect some sort of a buyout because I doubt he'll be coming back since he works for ESPN and ESPN Radio.

— Joe

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 7:54 PM, 01/29/2008

Who cares. He was a hack columnist and never had a good line on sports anyway.

— bling

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 8:05 PM, 01/29/2008

www.stephena.com

— BigFan

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 8:06 PM, 01/29/2008

www.stephena.com

— Sharon

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 9:11 PM, 01/29/2008

I LIKE THE GUY!!!!

— S.J.

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 9:51 PM, 01/29/2008

If that is what union jobs mean, get rid of the unions.

— Diego

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 10:42 PM, 01/29/2008

I heard he is going to New York to deal with charges against Alycia.

— Booker

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 2:25 PM, 01/30/2008

I love how the q102 morning show is calling the NY police dept liars

— Maeve

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 2:27 PM, 01/30/2008

Did he slap one of NY finest and then turn around a say it never happened?

— Maeve

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 2:28 PM, 01/30/2008

Quite Frankly...no one is going to miss him!

— MSL94

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 3:24 PM, 01/30/2008

He was an excellent writer`

— Drew

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 7:02 AM, 01/31/2008

I just wish ESPN would get rid of him too because he just takes up space on set. If you ever notice when there's a debate, he just says the same things over and over again, but with a louder tone.

— Joe