Stephen A. Smith Thinks 110-Degree Weather Is Better Than 70s

This man is known for his terrible takes, but this one is just plain dumb.

Stephen A. Smith, host of ESPN’s “First Take,” made his long-awaited arrival in Milwaukee yesterday for Game 3 of the NBA Finals. 

If you haven’t been following this dumb saga, Smith and his fellow “First Take” hosts got in some hot water with Milwaukee viewers after a segment in June, during which Smith balked at the idea of traveling here (Exact quote: “Hell, no.”), and another host, Molly Qerim Rose, referred to Milwaukee as “terrible,” along with the other NBA finals destinations. This incident went viral – Milwaukeeans even put “Terrible City” on a T-shirt for charity – and Smith would later go on to say that he was referring to Milwaukee’s cold weather. 

Twitter user Jay Matthes caught Smith’s arrival at Fiserv Forum and shared it for the world to see: 

Smith was greeted by the call/taunt, “Welcome to our ‘terrible city,’ Stephen A.”

He replied with the following:

“Quote me accurately. It’s cold as hell. And even though it’s 70, I left 110-degree weather, and three hours later, it’s 40 degrees worse. Like I said.”


 

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This opinion confounds reason. Heat is not an unlimited good. A higher temperature does not ipso facto mean better weather. Would 150 degrees be 40 degrees better than 110? There’s not too much experiential data on this one because around 130, most people die.

For human beings who wish to remain alive, temperatures over 100 degrees are not especially welcome. In fact, for every degree above 80, many would argue that you are dealing with a case of drastically diminishing returns. And a temperature of 110 is, in fact, terrible, and I do not use that word lightly.

The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language defines “room temperature” as 68-72 degrees Fahrenheit. This is the temperature interiors are attuned to in order to maximize the comfort of human beings. What number is in the middle of that range? Seventy. Hence, 70 is, by common definition, the perfect temperature. The perfect temperature, one might say, for the perfect city.

This is science.

Milwaukee wins again.

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Archer is the managing editor at Milwaukee Magazine. Some say he is a great warrior and prophet, a man of boundless sight in a world gone blind, a denizen of truth and goodness, a beacon of hope shining bright in this dark world. Others say he smells like cheese.