Dan Le Batard tells Stephen A he hates what he and Skip Bayless did to TV

[Thavoiceofthevoiceless]

Max is likable but consistently had TERRIBLE takes.

And it was quite obvious he was intimidated by SAS personality. I think SAS began to view him as spineless

It’s no worse than all of the other terrible takes on those sports talk shows although you could make the argument that Max actually believed his.

 

[Piff Perkins]

That strain of braindead hot take bullshyt existed before Skip and SAS but they took it to another level on television. We've all listened to sports radio at some point and heard the same type of arguments and behavior before First Take. The good cop/bad cop radio dynamic, the white host/black host dynamic, all of it.

I would say that they ruined sports media on television though, and it has also resulted in sports radio doubling down on hot takes. The result is very disingenuous, ugly, contentious sports content that is largely focused more on fostering white resentment than sports discussion.

Sports radio is almost unlistenable now between this and the nonstop gambling segments.

 

[FlyRy]

Siskel and Ebert were doing this 50 years ago

 

[Copy Ninja]

I find that SAS clap back was right on point. Le Batard ain’t no bastion of journalistic integrity who shirked at debate and entertainment. That muthafukka did Highly Questionable for HOW many years?!?!

fukk him and his mama

This.

SAS and Skip paved the way for Le Batard and others to get paid the way they are getting paid now. fukking ingrate.

 

[Creflo ½ Dollar]

If you believe what you just wrote, then never watch the show, Max was and is still horrible ... he is a goalpost changer so who wants to debate somebody like that and him and Stephen A never had chemistry.. if you watch Stephen A with the cast now they chemistry is there him and Mad dog have had more better segments then him and Max did throughout the multiple years they were together, and so do him and Irvin ..

Stephen A Smith is horrible and only good for argueing.

I watched but not everyday when Max was on…it ain’t like first take is giving you any real news and information anyway. Its really just about do you enjoy the arguing or banter. I feel like Max did compromise himself of some sort trying to be in that environment..so maybe that’s why he was off, his boxing coverage and takes are waayy more nuanced. I been listening to Max for years in the boxing sphere and actual journalism he shyts on Stephen A.

 

[Mantle Drunk]

My issues with these shows and I really don’t care who created it or who’s to blame or the fact that it’s what brings in the views.

I just hate that it got things hyper focused on very few ad nauseam. I don’t know if it’s still this way but it blew my mind when sports center stopped highlighting every single sport event of the day before and that correlates with first take taking off. There’s other topics to talk about besides Lebron/cowboys

 

[Rekkapryde]

It's not just SAS (he plays a role obviously) but the true culprit in this is Fox News and reality tv. They both dumbed things down to a level that has been constantly finding new lower levels year in and year out.

This.

Repped

 

[Spiritual Stratocaster]

Stephen A is a master at talking he was saying a whole lot of fluff and juelz but Dan kept hitting with the Max shyt and that when he started to crack. Dnt let his fast talk fool you, all they other shows got way more nuisance than first take and y’all know it .

ESPN didn’t get Max moved from the show Stephen A did. He acts like it was a business decision but this was a personal decision because he didn’t like debating with Max who has more journalistic integrity than Stephen A nowadays and it made Stephen A look mad. Stephen A didn’t want a highlight every morning of Max showing the world how awful he is at current journalism.

But anyways it sad that Sports news has become more The Ringer than Grantland. Worst era to be a real sports fan .

I remember when Max schooled SAS on something hip hop related.

I think he was explaining what ETHER was or some shyt ...it was something pretentious though.

 

[HandyWithTheSteel]

Everybody knows this. Stephen A is the poster boy for what ESPN has become, and what sports media in general has become. It’s all just dumbed down barbershop debate and trolling. Guys yelling over each other, making hyperbolic statements, and lowbrow trash talking.

If you’re a teenager or even in your early ‘20s, then this version of ESPN is all you know. They’ve never seen a version of ESPN that wasn’t just all debate shows.

 

[mastermind]

He still engaged in Entertainment and debate. Doesn’t matter if it was “fun” or not. SAS and Skip had “fun” numerous times laughing at each other’s opinions and SAS and Perkins do the same shyt.

Its barbershop talk put on television, thats ALL it is. And Stephen A Smith wasn’t even the first one to utilize the sports debate platform ON ESPN


Le Batard is either jealous of SAS cracking the code and maximizing its potential to become a star OR he’s a hypocrite.

Either way fukk him and his senile ass dad. SI! SI!!!

That’s not what LeBetard is upset over.

Highly Questionable isn’t a loud screaming fit among people who didn’t watch the game they arguing over.

 

[Thavoiceofthevoiceless]

That’s not what LeBetard is upset over.

Highly Questionable isn’t a loud screaming fit among people who didn’t watch the game they arguing over.

That wouldn't have happened if Skipper didn't give them the platform to do so. Dan should direct those comments to his boss instead of the people that took advantage of the opportunity given to him. A lot of those debate shows happened under Skippers watch.

 

[The_Sheff]

Skip and Stephen A basically took PTI and layered hot takes on top of it to create controversy. I hate it because each show is now trying to go viral with hot takes and you have shows on ESPN that discuss what was said on a previous show.

Very little actual constructive sports talk.

 

[mastermind]

That wouldn't have happened if Skipper didn't give them the platform to do so. Dan should direct those comments to his boss instead of the people that took advantage of the opportunity given to him. A lot of those debate shows happened under Skippers watch.

Ok, it doesn’t negate LeBetard’s point at SAS.

 

[Thavoiceofthevoiceless]

Ok, it doesn’t negate LeBetard’s point at SAS.

It doesn't, but he should mention his boss along with it when mentioned Skip and SAS because he gave them at platform to help make TV what it is now. Dan has benefitted from it just as much as the people he's complaining about.

ESPN has already showed people that they're more entertainment based rather than the focus on actual journalism, so it shouldn't be surprised that they focus on those type of debate shows more.

 

[mastermind]

It doesn't

Thank you