ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith admits he wants Max Kellerman no longer to be “First Take” – Deadline

ESPN host Stephen A. Smith has a reputation for shooting hip with outrageous takes on athletic issues. Today he has turned the attention to himself, candidly admitting his role in First take co-host Max Kellerman removed from the show.

First take is one of ESPN’s top-rated shows, although its audience has declined since Skip Bayless left for Fox in 2016. The Smith-Kellerman marriage resulted, but apparently soured in the long run, according to Smith, who spoke to Hot 97 Ebro Darden and Peter Rosenberg from radio.

“The rumor is right about me wanting it off the show,” Smith said of Kellerman. It was “no longer a good partnership and it was something that had to change.”

Smith felt the team had hit a wall.

“It wasn’t really about asking her not to be on the show, but the fact that I knew that we, together, as far as I was concerned, was no longer a good partnership and that was something that needed to change. The reason I don’t apologize for my position, # 1, is that it’s not against him professionally, his work ethic and all those other things, his talent. isn’t like I wanted the guy fired. I knew there were landing points available for him on this network that would generate as much if not more income for him and all that other stuff.

Smith also claimed it was the network’s decision, although he was asked for his opinion and given the green light to prosecute Kellerman.

Kellerman has his own hour-long show on ESPN, This just in, which premieres on September 14 at 2 p.m. ET. Kellerman also joined ESPN’s morning radio show, replacing Zubin Mehenti on the Keyshawn, J-Will and Zubin spectacle.

Meanwhile, Smith uses a rotating cast of ESPN personalities as training partners, with regulars Tim Tebow and Michael Irvin anchoring the week.

Kellerman had appeared on the show alongside Smith and Molly Qerim Rose since July 2016. Shortly after Kellerman boarded as a co-host, the show was upgraded from ESPN2 to ESPN, where she was a constant draw and a defining pillar of the network day. hot plug factory. Kellerman replaced Skip Bayless, who decamped for FS1.

Kellerman’s exit from First take and the absence of a permanent replacement will mean a brighter spotlight on Smith. His presence on ESPN and Disney has already grown in recent times, as one would expect given his reported annual compensation of $ 12 million. He recently started a solo exhibition, The world of Stephen A., on the ESPN + streaming service, interviewing non-athletes and sports figures. Monday, he intervened as guest host Jimmy Kimmel Live, joining a list of replacements during Kimmel’s summer sabbatical.

A former Philadelphia print journalist, Smith managed to outlast many ESPN talent and often appears multiple times during the broadcast day. At times, his busy schedule and propensity for provocation mired him in controversy. In 2014, he was suspended for a week for commenting on former NFL running back Ray Rice, who was shown on security camera video assaulting his then-fiancée (and now wife), Janay. Palmer, in an Atlantic City casino.

Dade Hayes contributed to this report.