First Take - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

Why Stephen A. and Skip Bayless Are Reuniting on First TakeStephen A. Smith and Skip Bayless reunite on ESPN’s First Take for a special one-time episode....

Report: Stephen A. Smith’s $100M ESPN deal allows more political talkESPN and Stephen A. Smith have agreed on a new five-year contract worth at least $100 million, The Athletic reported Thursday.,The deal allows the prolific opinionist to reduce some of his duties while remaining a regular fixture on "First Take" -- which could allow him to spend more time talking po...

Stephen A. Smith says there's no beef with him and Pat McAfee despite reported argument [Update]Update March 9: Stephen A. Smith says there’s no beef between him and fellow ESPN talking head Pat McAfee. ...

It's time for FS1 to do something about Skip Bayless and 'Undisputed'

Skip Bayless’ “Undisputed” has hit a dry spell since the departure of NFL Hall of Famer and current ESPN “First Take” analyst, Shannon Sharpe. Bayless’ new crew, which includes former NFL stars, rappers and a highly respected media personality, hasn’t been able to captivate the nation in the same ma...

JJ Redick says it's 'always an excuse' with Doc Rivers

Former NBA sharpshooter JJ Redick is tired of Doc Rivers’ excuses. The First Take host went off on his former coach Tuesday morning, saying how he’s “seen the trend for years....

Chris Russo was out of line when he called Dan Orlovsky 'a scrub'

Chris “Mad Dog” Russo is largely a loveable relic from the sports radio past. He’s strident, over the top, and plays into this character that he created 40 years ago. While doing his “What are you Mad about,” segment on ESPN’s First Take, Russo has admitted that it’s stupid and his antics are ridicu...

Stephen A. Smith may take a late night television jalopy out for a spin next year

It’s opening night for the 2025 NBA season. After Inside the NBA guffaws its way through the opening game, a portion of the audience siphons off to Apple TV or Prime Video, where Stephen A. Smith is starting his opening monologue. Except he isn’t ranting and raving about Donovan Mitchell and Jalen B...

ESPN's First Take continues to be a bizarre cesspool of inappropriate behavior

We already know Dan Orlovsky is an odd character. The former NFL QB — best remembered for running out of the back of his own end zone — admitted on Twitter that he uses his towel at least 30 times before washing it; and once went on The Pat McAfee Show to reveal his wife’s poop schedule....

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Why mention WWII when talking Shohei Ohtani's free agency?

Shohei Ohtani, the biggest baseball star in the world, has kept his free agency campaign notoriously quiet. ...

by Mackenzie Meaney|Shohei Ohtani

|12/06/2023

Why does Stephen A. Smith continue to get a pass for sexually harassing female colleagues on air?

I get it. Stephen A. Smith is a necessary annoyance on the sports landscape. He provides comic relief and “shock value” to a large number of fans who eat up that sort of stuff. It’s not my thing, but fine, let him and ESPN treat every one of his opinions as if they have just been delivered from on h...

by Staff Report|Stephen A. Smith

|11/16/2023

Stephen A. Smith is beefing with another former ESPN colleague

Stephen A. Smith is fanning the flames again in his ongoing beef with former ESPN colleagues. ...

by Criss Partee|Stephen A. Smith

|10/12/2023

Christopher ‘Mad Dog’ Russo, philosopher

I did not wake up on a slow news Wednesday expecting a peal of life wisdom to fall from the tongue of Christopher “Mad Dog” Russo. He comes in out of the bullpen on ESPN’s First Take, bringing heat, as the bluster from the AM radio past going up against the cable television present top gas bagger, S...

by Stephen Knox|Russo

|09/20/2023

Stephen A. Smith reminds new co-host Shannon Sharpe that he's not Skip Bayless

Stephen A. Smith and Skip Bayless will forever be linked to each other because of their success on ESPN’s First Take. Even after seven years apart, the sports world still flashes back to when they made sports media debate shows the hottest ticket in the industry. Smith and Bayless are connected at t...

by Criss Partee|Skip Bayless

|09/05/2023

Skip Bayless’ new Undisputed bombs in Week 1

Week 1 of the new and “improved” Undisputed with Skip Bayless on FS1 proved to be anything but an improvement, according to most. The numbers don’t lie either, as the season debut last Monday peaked at 131,000 viewers and has only gotten worse from there. By day three on Wednesday, Undisputed was ch...

by Criss Partee|Undisputed

|09/03/2023

Skip Bayless’ new Undisputed co-hosts mean more ex-athletes replacing journalists

Screaming and arguing are in. Context and nuance are out. And over at FS1, the decibel levels just got louder, while the conversations just got dumber....

by Carron J. Phillips|Skip Bayless

|08/24/2023

Skip Bayless’ reign may finally be coming to an end

Skip Bayless is viewed as the godfather of this “embrace debate” culture that has consumed sports media over the past 15 years. The FS1 Undisputed host has been around to lend his disconcerting commentary style to some of the most significant events in sports for the better part of five decades. How...

by Criss Partee|Skip Bayless

|08/23/2023

Stephen A. Smith has all the juice at ESPN

Sports media members are no more forthcoming with their career deals than the players whom we cover, and many times even less so. We are far more replaceable than people who are 6-foot-8 with 35-inch vertical leaps. Therefore most of us wait until the press release comes out before making any public...

by Stephen Knox|Stephen A. Smith

|08/18/2023

Skip and Rich are Undisputed, it could work

If Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez can share a set together then why not Richard Sherman and Skip Bayless? That was a one-time viral social media beef 10 years ago. Bayless is several controversies removed from that one. That A-Rod and Jeter beef stewed for decades, much of it with them next to each ...

by Stephen Knox|Skip

|07/14/2023

Skip Bayless gives us another reason to hate him

The takes don’t get created by themselves, so I understand that it takes a lot for Skip Bayless to have enough of them to fill up a two-hour television program. However, speculating on how someone’s personal life is affecting their play is usually a bridge too far. That goes double when it’s informa...

by Stephen Knox|Skip Bayless

|06/06/2023

Here's who could end up yelling at Skip Bayless if Shannon Sharpe leaves Undisputed

After years of sitting opposite Skip Bayless on Fox Sports’ Undisputed desk, Shannon Sharpe is reportedly departing the show soon after the NBA Finals’ conclusion. As enticing as it would be for Skip Bayless to host a one-man show, I think that would be too much for even his most ardent supporters. ...

by DJ Dunson|Shannon Sharpe

|06/01/2023

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