The Stephen A. Smith Show

Stephen A. Smith is one of those personalities you either love or have a complicated relationship with -- there's really no middle ground. His solo podcast on SiriusXM gives him room to stretch beyond the ESPN debate format and get into topics he clearly cares about on a personal level. Sports are still the backbone, but he regularly tackles politics, social issues, and pop culture with the same intensity he brings to an NBA take. The format is straightforward: Stephen A. behind the mic, usually for about 90 minutes, mixing monologues with listener calls and guest conversations. He's had politicians like Rand Paul and governors on the show alongside athletes, which gives it a different flavor than your typical sports podcast. When he gets going on something that genuinely bothers him, you can hear it. The man does not hold back. With over 900 episodes in the catalog, there's a lot to dig through. Episodes drop twice a week, usually on Thursdays with bonus drops in between. The production through SiriusXM is clean and professional, though the content is rated explicit because Stephen A. speaks his mind without much of a filter. He's sitting at a 4.4-star rating from about 1,500 reviews, which honestly feels like it reflects the polarizing nature of his style more than the quality. The people who are into it are really into it. If you want sports commentary from someone who's not afraid to have opinions that extend well past the box score, this is worth a listen. Just don't expect him to agree with you.