Stephen A. Smith wanted Max Kellerman to quit “First Take”

ESPN is Stephen A.’s world now. He wanted Max Kellerman to quit “First Take” – and now Max Kellerman to quit “First Take”. He wanted to host a late night talk show – and he filled the role of host of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” Monday. He wanted $ 12 million a year – and he got $ 12 million a year.

Love it or hate it, Stephen A. Smith works. And for that, ESPN gave him a lot of airtime, money and power. So “First Take” will be Smith’s show even more in the future. In the eyes of ESPN executives, he deserved it.

Smith, 53, still has four years on his five-year, $ 60 million contract, but you can see how he’s heading towards his ultimate goal of hosting a late-night talk show. Everything is in front of you, from his ESPN + show, “Stephen A’s World,” in which he interviewed more people outside of sport, to Monday’s hosting spot for Kimmel on ABC, who, like ESPN, is being held. and operated by Disney.

Since he became an industry giant, his movements have reverberated. Smith has wanted Kellerman to quit “First Take” for years. While not personal, sources say, Kellerman has a “smartest dude in the room” attitude, and Smith wanted more of a debate challenger. And finally, he wanted it to be him against the world.

Whatever you think of hot shows, they live on sparks, and Smith and Kellerman never had the Smith and Skip Bayless flair. Smith has told everyone who needs to know, including Kellerman, that it’s not working well enough, sources say. After Smith’s wishes were carried out, a fault line from Bristol to New York followed.

Let’s start with radio, because ESPN makes more changes to it than a high school kid looking for the perfect Instagram outfit.

Kellerman will be attending ESPN Radio mornings, replacing Zubin Mehenti. Kellerman will team up with Keyshawn Johnson and Jay Williams, starting next month.

Kellerman will also receive a daily TV show, which will likely be at 2 p.m. on ESPN, which could impact the spots for “Jalen & Jacoby” and “Highly Questionable”. Kellerman will have the chance to show he can be No.1 on a national sports variety show. He will continue his weekly boxing schedule on ESPN2.

The morning stability that ESPN once had with “Mike & Mike” is now long gone. After Mike Golic and Trey Wingo only lasted three years, ESPN is changing their mornings again a year later.

Mehenti, who has been on sick leave due to complications from diabetes, will return to the “SportsCenter”. Alan Hahn, who mostly replaced Mehenti and was a favorite to replace him, will leave at midday with Bart Scott.

“Bart & Hahn” will add an hour (noon to 3 pm), which will likely cause the start time of ESPN New York’s “The Michael Kay Show” to be postponed to 98.7 FM. Chris Canty will be leaving ESPN New York 5-8 am morning, which will now only feature Rick DiPietro and Dave Rothenberg.

Canty will team up with Mike Golic Jr. on National Afternoons (not heard in New York) from 3pm to 7pm.

Do you have it all? Good, because ESPN executives are likely to change everything again next year.

All of the moves are a result of the feeling that Smith and Kellerman weren’t connecting with the audience. He’s not wrong. Kellerman is smart, but he’s yet to show off the screen command or a memorable delivery to fully resonate.

After Bayless left for Fox Sports five years ago and Kellerman arrived, it was the Smith show. The program moved from ESPN2 to ESPN to maintain hot supremacy. It always makes money for ESPN. The next iteration will see Smith verbally practice with people inside and outside of ESPN – all likely approved by him.

So why is Kellerman no longer on “First Take”? It wasn’t really personal. It was just business. Stephen A. Smith wanted the breakup. And so it was.