Stephen A. Smith and Jay Williams on 'First Take'Stephen A. Smith and Jay Williams (Photo via ESPN)
Jay Williams and Stephen A. Smith have been at each other’s throats on ‘First Take’ a whole lot. And they were back at it on Monday, with Williams tearing into him over what he claimed was one of Stephen A.’s “worst takes,” going as far as calling it “asinine.”

Williams was vehemently opposed to Smith’s claims from last Friday that Giannis Antetokounmpo would be considered an “underachiever” should he fail to win another championship before he retires.

Smith argued that Giannis should have had more team success, given how great he is as a player, and that a single title to his name would be a stain on his career if he were to leave the game without winning at least one more.

“That was one of your worst takes I’ve heard in a long time, man,” Williams said on Monday. “That was horrible… I think we really need to do a better job of reframing some of these conversations.”

Check him out in the video below:

 

Fans Enjoyed Jay Williams’ Rebuke Of Stephen A. Smith

Stephen A. SMith and Jay Williams (Photo via ESPN)
Fans typically love it when Smith gets shown up, so it was hardly any surprise that they enjoyed this clapback from Jay Williams.

“Jay Williams FROM THE TOP ROPE!!!” one wrote.

“Damn – this will probably be Jay Will’s last appearance on first take now. What a way to go out!” said a second.

“Thank you Jay Williams I don’t know what happened to this man. It’s like fame and money has corrupted him . That was a terrible take and disrespectful to one of the best players in the game,” another commented.

Smith later responded, making it a bit personal, suggesting that Williams did not listen to what he said properly because he may have been negotiating another business deal or doing one of his shows.

He would then compare Antetokounmpo to NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who he says is being spoken of in a negative light because he’s an amazing player who’s only won one Super Bowl.

Houston Texans star Azeez Al-Shaair has admitted regrets over his illegal hit to Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence and the ensuing brawl between the teams in a lengthy statement on social media.  

Al-Shaair’s statement comes as his three-game suspension as a result of the incident has ended and he is slated to return to the field for the Texans on Sunday against the Tennessee Titans.

On December 1, an Al-Shaair hit to the head of a sliding and defenseless Lawrence caused chaos in Jacksonville. The defensive back needed to be restrained by several coaches and Lawrence has not played since taking the barbaric contact.

‘While so many jumped at the first opportunity to hop on the false narrative – that l’m a dirty player or bad person – the messages from all who stood by me were the only things keeping me mentally afloat during a time of isolation,’ Al-Shaair said on social media.

‘I’ve learned so much from this entire experience. Seeing myself on video – letting my emotions get the best of me to the point where I completely lost it – was an embarrassing and eye-opening moment for me.’

‘I’ve had to earn everything in my life. I never want to allow anyone to get me to a point where I jeopardize everything that I’ve worked all my life to obtain. That was not the way I want to represent myself or my family and I will continue to learn and grow from that moment.’

Azeez Al-Shaair has admitted regrets over his hit to Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence
+2
View gallery

Azeez Al-Shaair has admitted regrets over his hit to Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence

The Texans defensive back was suspended for three games as a result of the hit to Lawrence
+2
View gallery

The Texans defensive back was suspended for three games as a result of the hit to Lawrence

Al-Shaair said during his three-game ban, he met with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and other league executives for the first time, taking issue with how he was characterized in the official announcement of his suspension.

The defender said he thought his character and integrity were ‘unjustifiably smeared’ in the release but the meeting with Goodell and others was ‘productive’ and gave him hope it would not happen again.

‘In that conversation – man-to-man – I owned and acknowledged that my actions following my ejection were careless and, in that moment, I didn’t think about the responsibility I have been blessed with to represent the shield,’ Al-Shaair continued.

‘I also stated that the letter, and specifically the language used in the letter, was equally as careless and conveyed that the context of the words used were not a reflection of my character, nor my career, as I have not been warned multiple times for my play on the field.’

Al-Shaair’s hit on Lawrence was not the only controversial incident he was involved in this season.

During the Texans’ game against the Bears in September, he punched Roschon Johnson, who wasn’t even in the game at the time of another sideline confrontation.

Al-Shaair ended his statement by saying his view is that everyone in the league office and on the field are on the same team to represent the NFL in the best nature possible, something he failed to do earlier this month.

‘Lastly, I’ll say that this world is full of negative people who can’t wait to tear you down, but if you move with love and compassion, the seeds of good you planted in others’ lives can grow into the very tree that shades you with comfort and compassion when you need it most,’ Al-Shaair concluded.

‘I am a man of God, I am a leader, a warrior and a lover. I am also a hell of a football player and I’m grateful to be back doing what I love.’