Stephen A. Smith fires back at Louis Riddick comments on Deion Sanders, Jerry Jones

On Monday, ESPN’s Jordan Schultz reported that Colorado head coach Deion Sanders and Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones have talked about the Cowboys’ head coaching vacancy. While Jones further reported that an official interview between the two hadn’t been set yet, there was “mutual interest” between the two parties.

Schultz’s report immediately set the internet ablaze, with some fans excited about the prospect while others claimed it would never work. ESPN’s Louis Riddick belonged in the latter camp.

“There’s the business and then there’s the profession. Look, from the business standpoint, this has a lot of people excited and I get it. I understand why,” Riddick said during an appearance on Get Up Tuesday. “These are two of the biggest personalities in American sports, in the history of American sports for obviously different reasons. But then there’s the profession.

“See, I know Deion the professional as well as the businessman. But I know him even more so as the professional. This is just not a match to me that seems like it makes a whole lot of sense from a professional standpoint. Deion is the ultimate alpha – the ultimate alpha. He has his hands on every single part of the Colorado football team and of the Colorado football organization.”

Stephen A. Smith isn’t buying it. During Tuesday’s episode of First Take, Smith fired back at Riddick when asked if Sanders and the Cowboys seem like a good fit.

“It does to me, and I understand completely why it doesn’t to anybody else, because of Jerry, and who Jerry is. I get that part,” Smith said. “But what I’m trying to make people understand is that as much as you know about Prime Time Deion Sanders personality, and much as a guy like Louis Riddick speaks about his professionalism, his culture, you know, his discipline, etcetera — understand that he’s such a vibrant personality that Jerry won’t affect him.

“Jerry being Jerry doesn’t affect Deion Sanders being Deion Sanders. And it’s not going to dilute the impact he’s going to have on the players he coaches and how he chooses to coach. I’m telling you this. And unlike a Bill Parcells or unlike somebody else, Deion Sanders has the ability to wrap his arms around Jerry and say,’ Jerry, come here. Man, listen to me. Let me talk to you.’

“Other people had to sit up there and succumb to Jerry Jones saying, ‘Yo, this is what I want to do, and here’s how I want to do it.’ … Deion has that element, that element that Jerry Jones won’t shun because it still shines a light on the Cowboys, but it doesn’t dilute his shine. Both can be true, and that’s why I think it could work.”