ESPN's Smith Fires Back At Philadelphia Inquirer After Firing

Smith Says Philadelphia Inquirer "Forced" Him Out

ESPN's Stephen A. Smith "shot back" on Friday at the Philadelphia Inquirer after being fired for "job abandonment,'' according to Richard Prince of the Maynard Institute. After having been publicly silent about the publication since being stripped of his column in August and "reassigned to the reporters ranks, an assignment he never accepted,  Smith, in a statement through his Florida-based attorney Willie Gary, said, "What they have done to me is malicious, intentional and vindictive." Smith: "I have never abandoned a job in my whole life. I wasn't raised that way. The Inquirer forced me out and smeared my name and credibility." Inquirer Editor William Marimow, who was read Smith's statement over the phone, said, "I haven't made any comments, and I'm not going to now" (MAYNARDIJE.org, 2/1).

PASQUARELLI: ESPN's Len Pasquarelli had quintuple bypass surgery on Sunday. Pasquarelli took part in Pro Football HOF voting on Saturday before checking into a hospital (SI.com, 2/4).