AwfulAnnouncing- Its been more than two years since Max Kellermans departure from ESPNs First Take.
But Stephen A. Smith still finds himself discussing the matter.
Its just that **** simple.
I didnt like it.
I thought the show was stale.
I thought that we had flatlined when it came to the public at large.
I didnt want to go from No.
- when Skip [Bayless] left.
I wasnt having that.
That **** wasnt gonna happen.
Smart as a whip.
Can talk his *** off.
Can talk about anything.
I get all that.But you werent an athlete, and you werent a journalist.
And the absence of the two components left people wondering why should we listen to you?'
Is anybody else sick and tired of Stephen A. Smith and his bullshit?
He had a quick stint writing articles at the Philadelphia Inquirer before getting a shot with ESPN.
Back in 2011First Takedidn’t even exist.
It was a show on ESPN hosted by Jay Crawford and Dana Jacobson calledCold Pizza.
(Real ones know).
Skip Bayless wasn’t even the main draw on the show back then.
In 2012 Bayless became the mainstay, with other rotated guests who would “debate” him.
Thus,First Takewas born.
Smith was added not much later and became a permanent fixture.
He wasn’t some decorated, tenured athlete, orRed Smith Award-winning journalist.
He stood out because all the other journalists on the show besides Skip were stiffs with no personality.
(Or booming voice and melodramatics).
He perfected the art of contrived contrarianism.
And it resulted in ratings.
He was fired prior in 2009 from ESPN.
A position he’s held down and expanded on ever since, all to his credit.
It’s whatever to me.
There’s a reason it’s called sports entertainment.
He’s entertaining and says some off-the-wall shit.
He kills it in the role he’s in.
But he also overdoes it.
Like the timehe defended Ray Rice beating his girlfriend senseless.
Or shit on the USA Women’s soccer team after they won gold.
And Shannon never approached Fox shortly after that blowup requesting a buyout?
And that as the situation persisted, Smith decided to take matters into his own hands?
I made no qualms about it.
That doesnt mean its your fault.
it means we dont work.
“I can’t win with you.”
Dude, you’re not Lebron James.
You’re a host on a show that talks about Lebron James.
At the end of the day you worked with the guy for 6 years on a daily basis.
That’s a believable statement and justifiable reason at least.
- for those asking “who the fuck is joe budden?”
He’s one of the most underrated rappers of all time.
He’s from New Jersey.
He had one of the most slept-on and underpromoted debut albums ever (nice work def jam).
and he was a pioneer in the podcast game and launched pretty much the first hip hop based podcast.
He’s now grown that into one of the most popular and downloaded podcasts in the world.
hh
Here’s the entire episode.
