Stephen A. Smith did not hold back when addressing the New York Giants’ decision to hire John Harbaugh and the optics surrounding the coach’s first publicized team meeting.
On First Take, Smith made clear he respects Harbaugh’s track record and believes the veteran coach deserves an NFL head-coaching job. Yet he framed the Giants’ move as evidence of a desperate franchise.
The team handed Harbaugh a five-year, $100 million contract that ranks among the richest in the league and granted him the unusual authority to report directly to ownership rather than general manager Joe Schoen.
“The only reason this happened is because this speaks to the desperation of a once proud New York Giants franchise that has become a laughingstock of the National Football League,” Smith said. “They are an absolute joke. And that is why John Harbaugh looks silly this morning, caught on camera trying to motivate these players.”
The comments centered on a 50-second video of Harbaugh addressing the team that quickly went viral and drew mixed reactions, with some online observers labeling the delivery as cringe. Smith argued the organization never should have released the clip, saying it only highlighted how far the franchise has fallen and left its new coach looking out of place.
Despite the external criticism, Giants players have regularly praised Harbaugh for his messaging and the clarity of his approach.
Smith pointed to the franchise’s post-2011 Super Bowl record—zero division titles, one double-digit win season, 11 losing campaigns in 14 years, and only one playoff victory—as the backdrop for the lavish deal. Harbaugh becomes the team’s eighth head coach in that span.
While acknowledging the Giants have nowhere to go but up, Smith maintained the viral moment underscored the steep climb still ahead.
This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: Stephen A. Smith: New York Giants have become a ‘laughingstock’
