Stephen A. Smith and Molly Qerim are the faces of arguably the most polarizing show on ESPN. While ‘First Take’ obviously has its fair share of detractors, it has some pretty loyal fans as well.
One of the key dynamics that makes ‘First Take’ what it happens to be is how Smith and Qerim interact. They almost have their own special language.
This week, an interesting moment between the pair occurred.
During the show’s most recent episode, Smith insinuated that Qerim calls him all the time off the clock.
“Could you stop talking for once?” 👀 pic.twitter.com/NnIBMN44H5
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) November 2, 2023
“If you tell me to stop talking one more time, I’m gonna wait till you pick up the phone to call me and watch what I do, as much as you talk,” Smith said. “It’s gonna be alright.”
When Qerim tried to interject and say she would call him about the show, Smith suggested that wasn’t the whole story.
Qerim was visibly uncomfortable after Smith made the comment.
The folks at home, watching the show intently, were quick to react to what they saw transpire:
They are deff smashing
— Mike Smith (@MikeSmith_202) November 2, 2023
Insecure little man- loud mouth dope – all they do is drool over each others appearance day after day- Molly has to start every show with how great everyone looks- it’s literally 10% of every show
— Grassy Knoll (@grassyknoll1963) November 3, 2023
Worst host on TV lol
— wt701 (@wt701) November 2, 2023
Before I watched I thought someone would be saying this to Molly
— Yalaxy (@ian101nai) November 2, 2023
Big picture, this isn’t the first time Smith has made a comment to Qerim that has evoked strong reactions. The last time he did it, she didn’t come in to work the next day.
Qerim is a huge star in her own right. Smith gets a lot of attention, but she has her own big brand when it comes to sports media.
Be it for her wild outfits, provocative workout photos or handsy encounter with Deion Sanders, she goes viral pretty routinely in her own right.
Brittany Mahomes’ New Workout Photos Cause A Stir: https://t.co/cQRG6kfBrE
— Game 7 (@game7__) November 3, 2023
Not quite as often as Smith, obviously – but frequently enough to make her one of the biggest names in the industry.
There is a fine line between a good rapport and overstepping. Thus far, Smith and Qeirm have walked that line regularly.
Will there be any fallout from Smith’s comment to Qerim this time around? An answer one way or the other will emerge soon enough.
Related: Stephen Curry Called Out For Encounter With 8-Year-Old (Video)
A graduate from the University of Texas, Anthony Amador has been credentialed to cover the Houston Texans, Dallas Cowboys, San Antonio Spurs, Dallas Mavericks and high school games all over the Lone Star State. Currently, his primary beats are the NBA, MLB, NFL and UFC.
