Stephen A. Smith is blaming Fat Joe for the New York Yankees’ crushing loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 2024 World Series, not mincing words as he blames the Bronx rapper’s poor performance in Game 3 at Yankee Stadium for the team’s doom.
Appearing on the Joe & Jada podcast with Jadakiss on Nov. 25, Smith dropped the accusation without hesitation: “I blame you for the Yankees losing to the Dodgers last year.” Fat Joe immediately fired back: “You’re full of s###. Steve, you’re full of s###.”
Smith, however, stood firm.
“I’m very angry that you did that. You know what I say? No, that’s for the Knicks. That’s not for the Yankees. You don’t identify with the Yankees,” said Steven A. Smith, making it clear that he believed Fat Joe didn’t deserve to be in the Yankees World Series spotlight.
The controversy stems from Game 5 of the World Series, which featured Fat Joe’s clutch performance at Yankee Stadium. What was meant to be a morale boost was derailed by technical issues.
“They delayed my performance. Well. I practiced three times that day. They delayed my ears. So, the performance could be messed up,” Joe explained on the podcast. He added, “I rehearsed three times that day. There was no delay. When it started, there was a delay. Now I have to be honest with you. Ice Cube’s ‘A Great Day Is a Good Thing.'”
The show soon became the centerpiece of a growing superstition now known as the “Fat Joe Curse.”
Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Joe Kelly added to this theory in a postgame interview, saying, “They put Fat Joe on the board and I was like, ‘Oh, now this dub is easy.'” You know Fat Joe is a curse. You know, they started kicking the ball around. “
Kelly even claimed he predicted the situation in real time: “I’m pretty sure, right before Game 5. I looked at [Brent] Honeywell said, “Fat Joe’s Curse, look at it.” We started chipping away at it, and chipping away at it, and chipping away at it. And bad games, bad games, bad games. I ended up getting my second hit with the Dodgers. “
The entire saga echoes the long-standing “Drake Curse,” a superstition that has plagued athletes and teams for more than a decade. The Toronto rapper’s presence has been blamed for high-profile sports failures, from Serena Williams’ 2015 U.S. Open loss to the Toronto Blue Jays’ recent World Series defeat.
This myth followed Drake to Kentucky basketball, Alabama football, and even the Golden State Warriors.
Now, with the Yankees’ 2024 title hopes dashed and his performance under scrutiny, Fat Joe finds himself in the same situation. For a series with sky-high expectations, being tied to a rapper’s technical glitches is a new level of sports drama.
This blame game highlights the deep roots of superstition in sports culture. Whether it’s Drake’s sideline antics or Fat Joe’s on-stage missteps, hip-hop figures are increasingly being used as scapegoats when things go south.
Smith’s comments on the podcast suggest that even seasoned sports analysts agree. When someone of his caliber starts pointing fingers, it’s no longer just a joke – it becomes part of the story.
