LAST CHANCE TO ENJOY QUOTE MACHINE SMITH
We’re guessing Steve Smith Sr. won’t go out quietly, so to borrow a phrase from one of his former NFL wideout compatriots (Terrell Owens): Get your popcorn ready.
Smith, who’s entering his second season with the Baltimore Ravens after 13 with the Carolina Panthers, announced Monday that he will retire at the end of the 2015 season. And while his on-field accomplishments are notable — he’s 14th in career receiving yards (13,262) and 18th in career receptions (915) — his ability to ignore the filter from brain to mouth is also something everybody will miss when he hangs up his cleats.
Some of the Smith blasts we will remember most:
“Put your goggles on, ’cause there’s going to be blood and guts everywhere.”
— On what would happen if he ever got to play the Panthers, who ultimately visited Baltimore in 2014, after the team released him.
“Hey, if you (expletive) think I can’t play, you’re going to find out in Week 4, (expletive)!”
— After catching an 80-yard touchdown pass in Week 1 vs. the Cincinnati Bengals, he found the sideline camera and aimed another message at the Panthers.
“What I don’t like is a young guy who comes in, who obviously his first time ever using the Internet and Google, and he Googles information about me, talks about my wife and stuff like that. That’s just some of the (expletive) I just don’t play with. ... I don’t play them games. When you try to take it personal like that, I don’t have any great humbling things to say. So he can take his a-back to St. Louis and watch the (expletive) film, ’cause I don’t play them games. ... And if I see him on the street, I’m going to bust him in the (expletive) mouth.”
— Aimed at cornerback Janoris Jenkins after a 2013 game. Smith said Jenkins made comments about his family.
“I got a (pass interference) penalty, which is very interesting. I got leg-humped and hugged a few times. It was pass interference in Mexico, Europe, rugby — in pretty much every other sport but in Arizona (on Sunday). But then when I pushed off it was pass interference. To be honest, I make enough money where if (NFL Commissioner) Roger (Goodell) wants to fine me he can. But I really think that referee probably was the sorriest referee that I have ever met. When I dove for the first down (and) he was standing right there, he didn’t even acknowledge — he received a check that day, and I hope he feels good. He was terrible. He was garbage.”
— After a loss to the Arizona Cardinals in 2013. Smith was not happy with umpire Dan Ferrell.