ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith said he is going to miss his outgoing “First Take” co-host, Skip Bayless, but promised the show will be “even better” without him.
“As you can see, I’m alone. I’m all by myself. Because my guy, Skip Bayless, has decided to depart,” Smith said Tuesday during the network’s Upfront presentation at Minskoff Theatre in New York City. “Of course we’re going to replace Skip.”
“It’s MY show now,” the ESPN personality emphasized, and cited a few ways he’ll improve the show. “You will not be hearing about Tim Tebow, or the Dallas Cowboys, or Johnny Manziel.”
Skip Bayless' time as ESPN's most controversial pundit is almost at an end, and the network is searching for someone to replace him on "First Take." Many ESPN personalities have been bandied about as a potential replacement, with some more likely to take up the job than others.
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ESPN commentator Jemele Hill is currently featured alongside Michael Smith on the talk show "His & Hers." She pulled out of the contender pool for Bayless' spot on Twitter, saying that moving to "First Take" would be "not a promotion for me."
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ESPN radio host and "Highly Questionable" star Bomani Jones also publicly declined interest in the job, saying that he lives in Miami and would not move to New York to do "First Take."
ESPN
Another ESPN pundit, Max Kellerman, has the argumentative style to do well on "First Take," but is currently involved with the TV show "SportsNation" and the radio show "Max & Marcellus" in Los Angeles. A move to "First Take" would require a major shift in ESPN's L.A. talent structure.
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Jon "Stugotz" Weiner, co-star of "The Dan Le Batard" show, has jokingly complained that ESPN hasn't called him with an offer for the "First Take" job.
ESPN
In 2015, ESPN hired controversial conservative political commentator Will Cain, who quickly became a guest host on "First Take." Prior to joining the network, Cain served as a columnist on Glenn Beck's website, TheBlaze.
ESPN
ESPN may consider pulling a replacement from the panelist list for their afternoon pundit show, "Around The Horn." Columnists like Pablo S. Torre and Frank Isola have experience debate sports topics on TV and could react well to Stephen A. Smith's rants.
ESPN
A more likely candidate is Ryan Ruocco, Stephen A. Smith's former radio co-host. Ruocco and Smith already have a strong chemistry together and experience debating each other, which would allow for an easy transition for the show.
ESPN
ESPN could also consider using a guest-host format, as the network did before Smith joined "First Take." The format could allow the network to bring in analysts who could promote upcoming broadcasts, such as ESPN's summer soccer coverage.
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Danny Kanell, co-host of "Russillo and Kanell," is a former NFL quarterback who has attracted controversy for his hot takes on targets like Bryce Harper and SEC football. His polarizing reputation would be perfect for "First Take."
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There’s a long list of ESPN talking heads who could replace Skip Bayless on the morning debate show
Skip Bayless' time as ESPN's most controversial pundit is almost at an end, and the network is searching for someone to replace him on "First Take." Many ESPN personalities have been bandied about as a potential replacement, with some more likely to take up the job than others.
ESPN
ESPN
