The Seattle Seahawks cut cornerback Kemah Siverand this week after he was caught trying to sneak a woman into the team hotel, and Stephen A. Smith is among those who feel extremely sorry for the undrafted rookie.
In an appearance on ESPN’s “Get Up!” Friday morning, Smith said he believes it constitutes “cruel and unusual punishment” that pro athletes are being asked to not have visitors — and thus remain celibate — for several weeks.
.@stephenasmith thinks that asking players to not have "visitors" inside the team bubble constitutes as cruel and unusual punishment pic.twitter.com/SsvLvCNvQ5
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) August 14, 2020
“These athletes, particularly in the NBA with the bubble and now the NFL, have been subjected to cruel and unusual punishment,” Smith said. “The fact of the matter is this is a very difficult time that they’re living in right now. To sit up there and say they have to refrain from activities, per-se, is a huge struggle and we cannot minimize that.”
Smith conceded that the Seahawks were right in wanting to send a message to Siverand about preventing the spread of COVID-19, but he thinks the punishment was too harsh.
“I think if there’s anything that qualifies as a forgivable offense to some degree, assuming no body’s been harmed … if there’s anything that requires a level of compassion and understanding and forgiveness, this would qualify,” Smith added. “I think it’s important to say that.”
Smith still believes there is “no way” athletes are going to adhere to rules about having unauthorized guests and engage in celibacy over the long haul. He conveyed his skepticism even more enthusiastically when discussing the NBA bubble rules back in June.
It sounds like Siverand went to great lengths to disguise the woman he was trying to sneak into the Seahawks’ hotel, but his plan did not work. Unfortunately, the decision resulted in him blowing a huge opportunity.
