Here we go again.
Stephen A. Smith with his recent proclamation someone close to Buffalo Bills wide receiver Stefon Diggs said Diggs wanted out of Buffalo. Let’s DIGG into this a little deeper because it seems this ‘rumor’ is like a house fly that keeps buzzing in your face.
There you have it. Smith stands by his source(s) and Diggs denies making statements he wished he could be traded because the Buffalo Bills’ window is closing.
Who is telling the truth here? The answer could be both. What we don’t have here is any context to the claims Stephen A. Smith is making.
Here are the questions I asked after reading the alleged statements:
When did Diggs make these alleged comments?
It’s imperative to know Stefon’s state of mind when the comments were allegedly made. Was it right after the season ended? If so, that puts a different context to the situation. The Buffalo Bills ran out of gas in the playoffs last season. It was an emotionally draining season and by the time it ended many players were likely exhausted and frustrated.
We all say things we don’t mean when we are emotionally distraught. I’ve asked myself the same questions about the window of opportunity closing for Buffalo. Does that mean I want to become a fan of another team? What would happen if I had to be accountable for all the times I’ve cursed the Bills?
How does Diggs personality affect the veracity of these types of statements.?
In order to be taken seriously, one also must examine the personality of the person making the alleged statements. It would be shocking if Matt Milano was accused of making these types of statements. Milano is buttoned up about as tight as anyone can be.
Stefon Diggs is not Matt Milano. Diggs is a highly emotional guy who wears his heart on his sleeve. Some may claim he has a “difficult personality”. He does appear to be volatile and easily triggered by what’s going on around him. He expects people to always be at their best because that’s how he thinks and behaves.
Why is Stephen A. Smith making these claims (and doubling down on them)?
The obvious answer is it’s click bait and we all know many Bills fans are obsessed with the team. We are basically like Diggs and easily triggered by these types of allegations. If anyone makes comments that a player “wants out” of Buffalo, we go into overdrive and give guys like Stephen A. Smith exactly what they want… click$ and view$.
The more nefarious reason may lie with how Smith has a penchant for inciting fans and players. It almost seems like a passive aggressive tendency to drop a bomb and stand by to watch all the fireworks. Passive aggressive personality types are perfect for this kind of buffoonery because they do not care about the consequences of the poo they stir. It’s not only precisely what they want to do because it’s their job, it’s also because they personally thrive on creating chaos for others.
Stefon Diggs is an easy target for people like Stephen A. Smith because he’s highly emotional and expressive about his feelings. Diggs understands that it’s just business, but he also rightfully becomes angry when he is used as a pawn for a paid shill.
Bottom Line
It would be foolhardy to read too much into anything Diggs says in the heat of the moment. He very well could have made comments about leaving or being unhappy in Buffalo. But unless you know the entire context around these comments, it’s unfair to publicly report these statements in the manner Mr. Smith did.
And finally, it would behoove us all to stop feeding into what these ‘professionals’ do putting out click bait. What we don’t want is to create a self-fulfilling prophecy. Stephen A. Smith knows what he’s doing and he used Stefon Diggs as a pawn in this process.
So a big stink was made… just as it was when Diggs left Minnesota. He was labeled and used by some in the media then, just as he is now. You can count on Stefon blowing up again when something happens that makes him unhappy. Then the media will pounce on Diggs again, CREATING an untenable situation and it’s wash, rinse, repeat. It can become a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Let’s do our part by NOT giving these media hacks what they want. It only creates more drama this team and fan base does not need.
Go Bills!
Editor’s babble: You can also find me on Xwitter @RobynMundyWYO and BlueSky @robynmundywyo@bsky.social.
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