ESPN commentator Stephen A. Smith apologized on Monday for suggesting women provoke domestic violence, saying he had made "the most egregious error of my career" in failing to communicate his position clearly.
Smith's original remarks came on Friday's "First Take," during a discussion of the two-game suspension received by Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice for an alleged assault on his then-fiancee. Smith said to women: "Let's make sure we don't do anything to provoke wrong actions."
This drew backlash, including pointed tweets from fellow ESPNer Michelle Beadle. Smith tweeted back, trying to clarify himself but not being exactly apologetic.
Such wasn't the case on Monday.
"My words came across it is somehow a woman's fault," Smith said. "This is not my intent. The failure to clearly articulate something different lies squarely on my shoulders. To say what I said was foolish is an understatement. To apologize, to say I'm sorry doesn't do the proper justice. ...
"Unfortunately, I did an incredibly poor job of asserting my point of view this past Friday. For that, again, I am truly, truly sorry."
Watch his apology below:
