Sports Media’s Cinematic Universe
As a sixth-grader, it was my morning ritual to wake up and watch the new First Take before I did anything else. I would sit in bed and watch Skip Bayless go at Stephen A. Smith until my mom would come into my room yelling about how I was running late for school. Weirdly enough, I still start my mornings this way. The only difference is that I have an iPhone now and that my mom does not yell at me (for being late to school at least). Safe to say, I am a sports show enthusiast.
I just wanted to provide that short synopsis on my affinity with this industry in the spirit of full disclosure.
Pancakes, Coffee, and Sports
Walk into any Denny’s in America on a Monday morning and guarantee a sports talk show is playing on a TV. Yes, it is on because sports are a popular pastime and people enjoy listening to a discussion about their favorite teams and players. However, it is also because sports media personalities are must-see television. Case in point: Stephen A. Smith’s bravado and emotional outbursts gravitate viewers. People, including me, care more about how he speaks rather than what he speaks about. Beyond just Stephen A., this has increasingly become the norm across sports media. It is more about the personalities putting on a show rather than the quality of their analysis.
Since we are in the era of social media — where a ten second-clip goes viral in ten seconds — everyone wants to grab headlines and capture the spotlight. All it takes is one moment. Whether it be a heated debate, a hot/freezing take, or a controversial opinion, it is all about getting the masses riled up. It undoubtedly makes for entertaining television, but it does not always reflect informed or sophisticated commentary.
First Take
ESPN’s First Take is one of the longest-lasting shows on the network. It airs every morning 10:00 am — 12:00 pm EST Monday-Friday. Over the years, there has been a slight changeover in the cast. The one constant has been Stephen A. Smith. His current counterpart is Max Kellerman and Molly Qerim-Rose serves as the moderator. Stephen A. is undoubtedly the face of the show and arguably, of ESPN. Aside from First take, he hosts his show Stephen A.’s World on ESPN+ and his special one-hour Sportscenter with Stephen A. Smith. His fiery takes, untamed energy, and infamous Dallas Cowboys hatred make him a hot commodity. He is currently the highest-earning personality at ESPN raking in nearly $10 million annually.
Max Kellerman is also a bit of a showman himself. On his very first episode hosting the show back in 2016, he made the take heard around the world: Tom Brady will fall off a cliff and become a bum in less than two seasons. Four Super Bowl appearances and three Super Bowl rings later, it is safe to say he may have been slightly wrong. Calling out Brady is signature for him. The network would not want any other way. Another one of his calling cards is ripping into New York Knicks owner James Dolan. Kellerman even abandoned his fandom for the franchise until Dolan ‘sells the team’. Many basketball pundits will tend to agree with that, but his other basketball takes are suspect. For instance, Kellerman once proclaimed Giannis Antetokounmpo was the best player in the world, but three days after that statement, he dropped Giannis out of his top five due to a playoff loss. In fairness to him, the one realm where Kellerman never fails to offer high-quality analysis is boxing. He is an aficionado in that regard. However, in other sports, there is a LOT to be questioned.
Inside The NBA
Quite possibly the greatest collection of talent on a sports talk show, Inside the NBA is always a treat. Hall-Of-Famers Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley remain the same entertaining figures they were during their playing days. Kenny Smith was never the superstar player that Shaq and Charles were, but he did win two championships with the Houston Rockets in 1994 and 1995. He has been with Turner Sports (the network that owns the show’s rights) for over 20 years. Then there is “Elevator” Ernie Johnson, the man who keeps it all together. The Emmy-award-winning host captains the crew that can get a bit out of hand at times. The Inside crew provides memorable moments and countless laughs. Whether it be Shaq trying to explain how California is farther from Georgia than Earth is from the Moon or Charles ranting about Phoenix’s cold cheese, it will make you laugh (Charles Barkley voice) GUARANTEED.
On the analysis front, they tend to be reliable since they are former players, but they can often “player-hate”. The most recent instance was when Shaq told Donovan Mitchell to his face that he does not think he is a superstar. Going back to 2018, Sir Charles called out LeBron James for complaining about his team. LeBron responded and unleashed a personal attack aimed at Barkley. The current players get tired of hearing the criticism from old players comparing them to ‘Back in my day’. As a result, today’s players have mixed feelings about the crew.
Skip and Shannon: Undisputed
Rivaling ESPN, Skip and Shannon: Undisputed airs on Fox Sports. Like First Take, it is also a debate show. It even has one of First Take’s original faces, Skip Bayless. Skip has been around the sports media circuit since the 80s. He is a Michael Jordan and Tom Brady Stan to the full extent. But what he is known for most is his LeBron James hate. He is his most notorious critic, finding any and everything he can to discredit him. For LeBron-haters, this is music to their ears. No matter how disparaging it sounds, Skip will say it. That is the image that attracts viewers. It makes sense for him to keep it up.
On the other side of the desk is Shannon Sharpe. Sharpe is a Hall of Fame football player who has won multiple Super Bowls. While football is his field of expertise, he does not shy away from dipping his feet in other sports. Most notably, Shannon is all aboard the LeGOAT James bandwagon. He directly counters Skip on every single one of his LeBron James takes, which makes for intense television. After the Lakers won the 2020 NBA Championship, Shannon brought a goat into the studio that wore a James jersey.
The analysis is clearly biased and broken on both sides, but it does not take away from either hosts’ star factor. Their personalities shine and viewers tune in. It is all the network can wish for.
In this era of sports media, it is centered around everyone playing their role and fitting into the bigger picture. Someone has to be the hater, the stan, the one with hot takes, the energizer, etc. That is what makes this universe flow. The personalities must shine through first and the actual analysis comes second. It is both enjoyable and angering to watch. Enjoyable because the entertainment factor is there, but the lack of insightful commentary is frustrating.
