{"id":408500,"date":"2022-02-17T20:09:45","date_gmt":"2022-02-17T17:09:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/inside-stephen-a-smiths-espn-first-take-rejuvenation\/"},"modified":"2022-02-17T20:09:45","modified_gmt":"2022-02-17T17:09:45","slug":"inside-stephen-a-smiths-espn-first-take-rejuvenation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/inside-stephen-a-smiths-espn-first-take-rejuvenation\/","title":{"rendered":"#Inside Stephen A. Smith\u2019s ESPN \u2018First Take\u2019 rejuvenation"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;<strong>#Inside Stephen A. Smith\u2019s ESPN \u2018First Take\u2019 rejuvenation<\/strong>&#8221;<\/p>\n<div>\n<aside class=\"single__inline-module alignleft\">\n<\/aside>\n<p>There are at least three reasons as to why Stephen A. Smith has seemed like he was shot out of a cannon since returning from a COVID-19 scare \u2014 which he wasn\u2019t sure he\u2019d make it back from.<\/p>\n<p>Staring down his mortality gave him a new lease on life. He\u2019d never had that much time to rest. He also got a kickstart on his first day back, when he had the fortuitous schadenfreude of facing Michael Irvin on the day after a painful Cowboys playoff exit. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat was the most time he\u2019s had off from TV, ever, so while he was recovering it was an opportunity for him to also recharge a bit,\u201d Antoine Lewis, the senior coordinating producer of ESPN\u2019s \u201cFirst Take,\u201d told The Post. \u201cWhat you saw was he missed doing TV and couldn\u2019t wait to get going on the show. You saw an energized, rejuvenated Stephen A. coming back \u2014 and he came back on a day where the Cowboys lost.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/02\/Screen-Shot-2022-02-16-at-3.50.07-PM-1.jpeg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1024\" alt=\"Stephen A. Smith's energy has ratcheted up since returning from a bout with COVID-19.\" class=\"wp-image-21235827\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/02\/Screen-Shot-2022-02-16-at-3.50.07-PM-1.jpeg?quality=90&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/02\/Screen-Shot-2022-02-16-at-3.50.07-PM-1.jpeg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>Stephen A. Smith\u2019s energy has ratcheted up since returning from a bout with COVID-19.<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Screengrab \/ First Take<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Smith, who detailed his health scare in an emotional segment when he returned in January, expanded on his gratitude for his position in life and his colleagues.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWell, an increased <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>reciation for life is definitely a residual impact of facing one\u2019s mortality,\u201d Smith told The Post. \u201cBut so is an appreciation for my quality of life \u2014 meaning an increased need to enjoy my life, the people in it, and being in the places I want to be while doing what I want to do. I love doing \u2018First Take.\u2019 <\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"683\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/02\/Stephen-A.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=683\" alt=\"Stephen A. Smith has been rejuvenated since his return from COVID-19.\" class=\"wp-image-21236229\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/02\/Stephen-A.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/02\/Stephen-A.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=683 683w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/02\/Stephen-A.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=341 341w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 683px) 100vw, 683px\"\/><figcaption>Stephen A. Smith has been rejuvenated since his return from COVID-19.<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">ESPN Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cAnd yes, I am energized. But it\u2019s because of Molly [Qerim] and all the contributors\u00a0I work with every day and how much fun they make it for me. It doesn\u2019t even feel like work. I\u2019m having the time of my life. That\u2019s where the energy comes from. Hard to have that if you\u2019re depressed about work.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>James Dunn, a coordinating producer on the program, said Smith was \u201citching\u201d to come back behind the scenes.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/02\/Screen-Shot-2022-01-19-at-10.56.41-AM.jpeg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1024\" alt=\"Stephen A. Smith is said to welcome the debates that appear to become personal.\" class=\"wp-image-21236031\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/02\/Screen-Shot-2022-01-19-at-10.56.41-AM.jpeg?quality=90&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/02\/Screen-Shot-2022-01-19-at-10.56.41-AM.jpeg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>Stephen A. Smith is said to welcome the debates that appear to become personal.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cBelieve me when I tell you, he couldn\u2019t wait to give out some opinions and talk some sports \u2014 and certainly it didn\u2019t hurt that the Cowboys suffered a tough loss,\u201d Dunn said.<\/p>\n<p>Prior to this past football season, Smith and ESPN executive Dave Roberts made the decision to nudge Max Kellerman off \u201cFirst Take.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>Anecdotally, the show seemed to struggle in its first few months without Kellerman. While ratings did not decline, the show was missing some of its zest for several months. However, this energy vacuum has been replaced \u2014 and then some \u2014 since Smith\u2019s return from COVID-19.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-nypost-inline-default\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/02\/James-Dunn.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=300\" alt=\"First Take coordinating producer James Dunn\" class=\"wp-image-21236241\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/02\/James-Dunn.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=450 450w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/02\/James-Dunn.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=300 300w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/02\/James-Dunn.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=150 150w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/02\/James-Dunn.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\"\/><figcaption>First Take coordinating producer James Dunn<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">ESPN Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>In the meantime, Kellerman found dual landing spots, co-hosting ESPN Radio\u2019s flagship morning program with Keyshawn Johnson and Jay Williams. He also hosts his own show, \u201cThis Just In,\u201d in ESPN\u2019s early afternoon slate.<\/p>\n<p>Lewis explained why Smith felt things had run their course with Kellerman.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think that day-in and day-out, when you\u2019re used to the same opponent, it becomes, as you hear about sports teams practicing against each other all the time, a different rhythm and pacing when you bring somebody else in,\u201d Lewis said. \u201cHe\u2019s said on record that it had run its course as far as where he and Max were going on certain topics. So now, you not only get one person\u2019s perspective on that topic \u2014 you might get three or four different takes on one show. I think that excites him and gives him a different range, that people are seeing on the show.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>Lewis agreed there\u2019s a different \u201crhythm and cadence\u201d to the show. It has been \u201crefreshing\u201d to see as the format changed from having \u201cFirst Take\u201d be driven by Smith and Kellerman to Smith and a rotating cast of recurring guests and the star of the show enjoys the \u201cStephen A.-versus-the-world\u201d concept. <\/p>\n<p>        <iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Podcast\" width=\"100%\" height=\"188px\" src=\"https:\/\/embed.acast.com\/the-marchand-and-ourand-sports-media-podcast\/episode20-nfltvfrenzy-superbowltvgrades-amazonsexecmove?accentColor=2a2a2a&amp;bgColor=f6f6f6&amp;font-family=proxima%20nova&amp;logo=false&amp;secondaryColor=cc3333\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" style=\"border:none;overflow:hidden;\"><br \/>\n        <\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Dunn added that there\u2019s also an increased energy among the guests, as they look forward to the opportunity of being able to go at Smith in a one-on-one debate. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou saw that energy each day from the different people coming on and contributing,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n<p>An interesting element of \u201cFirst Take\u201d is that the show is most compelling when Smith and somebody else are wrestling in the mud, appearing to get genuinely offended by each others\u2019 opinions. This has happened on numerous occasions of late when things appeared to get personal with guests like Williams or J.J. Redick.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-nypost-inline-default\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"300\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/02\/Antoine-Lewis-1.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=300\" alt=\"&quot;First Take&quot; senior coordinating producer Antoine Lewis\" class=\"wp-image-21236276\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/02\/Antoine-Lewis-1.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=600 600w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/02\/Antoine-Lewis-1.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=450 450w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/02\/Antoine-Lewis-1.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=300 300w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/02\/Antoine-Lewis-1.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=150 150w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/02\/Antoine-Lewis-1.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\"\/><figcaption>\u201cFirst Take\u201d senior coordinating producer Antoine Lewis<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Melissa Rawlins \/ ESPN Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>While those situations sometimes appear fraught to the viewer, Smith is said to egg them on.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe enjoys it,\u201d Dunn said. \u201cHe understands part of what makes \u2018First Take\u2019 unique is for the ability of people to come at him. He embraces that. He does not run for it. So, when J.J. or Jay-Will or any of our other analysts \u2014 Dan Orlovsky, Marcus Spears, Ryan Clark, Kendrick Perkins \u2014 he doesn\u2019t just enjoy it. He encourages it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dunn pushed back on the idea that \u201cFirst Take\u201d is \u201ccontrived sports debate\u201d \u2014 where opposite sides of an argument are predetermined, to enhance the theater. <\/p>\n<p>He noted that the show is a combination of topical breaking <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">news<\/a> and comic relief. He also pointed out that the program is perhaps the best \u201croad show\u201d on ESPN, outside of \u201cCollege <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/game\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"7\" title=\"Game\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Game<\/a>Day.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe can morph into anything on any given day,\u201d Dunn said. \u201cWe can be serious. We can be funny. You see the product on-air.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The two producers also shouted out other behind-the-scenes colleagues, like producer Ryan Staloff \u2014 who suggested they add Chris \u201cMad Dog\u201d Russo in a regular role to the show \u2014 and Sam Tonucci for their contributions to the show. <\/p>\n<p>In addition to Smith, co-host Qerim\u2019s energy has seemed to rise of late as well \u2014 incidentally, she returned from a bout with COVID-19 the same day Smith did. <\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Cowboys or Yankees: Who is the more annoying fan base? | First Take\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Di295I6bcSs?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p>\u201cPart of Molly\u2019s challenge is keeping the show moving,\u201d Dunn said. \u201cGetting the show from topic to topic, especially when you have people who are passionate about what they\u2019re debating and discussing. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cImagine if there\u2019s a third person in your own heated, passionate sports conversations or debates, who has to wrap that up and move it on. That\u2019s a challenge. It\u2019s not as easy as it may look on TV.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>Qerim offered her own take on the show\u2019s increased energy.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI am excited to come to work everyday\u2014 that\u2019s over 240 shows per year. I know how rare that is and how incredibly blessed I am to say that,\u201d she said. \u201cCountless hours go into the show behind the scenes, but it\u2019s clear we have a lot of fun. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m grateful to be on such a talented team on and off camera. I genuinely respect and enjoy working with every contributor that appears on the show.\u00a0Stephen A. is a special talent and a great teammate.\u00a0All those factors contribute to a successful product.\u201d\n                        <\/p><\/div>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more News articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/news\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2022\/02\/17\/inside-stephen-a-smiths-espn-first-take-rejuvenation\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;#Inside Stephen A. Smith\u2019s ESPN \u2018First Take\u2019 rejuvenation&#8221; There are at least three reasons as to why Stephen A. Smith has seemed like he was shot out of a cannon since returning from a COVID-19 scare \u2014 which he wasn\u2019t sure he\u2019d make it back from. Staring down his mortality gave him a new lease&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":408501,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/02\/Screen-Shot-2022-02-16-at-3.50.07-PM-1.jpeg?quality=90&strip=all&w=1024","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[70897],"tags":[125839,2837,70433,67643],"class_list":["post-408500","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-2-17-22","tag-espn","tag-sports-media","tag-stephen-a-smith"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/408500","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=408500"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/408500\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/408501"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=408500"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=408500"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=408500"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}