The Demise of Bumble McFadbad: Emmitt Smith Cut by ESPN

Remember when you were younger how you thought that Emmitt Smith could do no wrong? How when you saw him run behind Erik Williams, Nate Newton, and Mark Stepnoski that he was the NFL’s all-time greatest player and human being?

What about when he dislocated his shoulder against the Giants and he still managed to rummage up 229 yards of total offense?

Remember when you saw him break Walter Payton’s record against the Seahawks and you felt a sense of pride and joy?

No player in NFL history has more rushing yards than Emmitt Smith and no one could argue you anymore about his greatness.

Then the Cardinals years started and you still stuck up for Smith because of his former greatness. He was only a shell of himself; but he still showed flashes.

When he finally retired after the 2004 season, you couldn’t help but wipe a few tears from your eyes because he was finally gone. We would no longer see his greatness on display every Sunday and the last of the great Cowboys from the 90’s was no more.

Next came Dancing With The Stars, and you weren’t embarrassed at all by his decision. In fact, you were kind of surprised by his versatility. And when he actually won the competition, Emmitt’s glow got even brighter.

The ESPN Days

After DWTS, Emmitt decided to try his hand at broadcasting. He would start out with Boom and crew on Sunday NFL Countdown. I mean, it’s only natural.

Greatest running back to every grace the field makes the transition over to the booth. It would be seamless right?

Wrong.

Emmitt was awful. He sounded as bad as Shannon Sharpe and reminded you of Elmer Fudd. But there was no way in the world he could actually be this bad, could it?

After all, he’s with Chris Berman, Mike Ditka, and Tom Jackson. Surely they could assist in covering up some of his malapropisms? Right?

Soon after, your thoughts of Emmitt being one of the greatest broadcasters alive soon give way to you hoping that he doesn’t embarrass himself every Sunday.

So to aid in his retrieval from the abyss, ESPN attempts to save Emmitt, from well, himself.

They move him to Monday Night Countdown alongside Stuart Scott and Steve Young. He would surely do well in this environment because it’s so casual. Stu Scott can make anyone look good on television right?

Wrong again.

Smith is even worse on Monday nights. He bumbles even worse and is even caught on camera rapping while Stuart is giving an introduction to a story.

By this time, you are just covering your face in shame.

Just to re-live some of the glory days, you would occasionally YouTube some of his greatest runs, but they have been replaced by his “bumbling” on ESPN.

So you start to think, there is no way in the world that he could make Shannon Sharpe and Magic Johnson look good on TV right?

Well...you get the picture.

Emmitt is officially crowned Bumble McFadbad for his rumblin’, fumblin’ and stumblin’ while attempting to give analysis for the worldwide leader.

Bumble was finally laid to rest on Feb. 22, 2009.

His famous blunderings will forever live in infamy on YouTube, but he can now go back to just being the greatest running back of all time.

In your eyes at least

-JH