Something about Terrell Owens and “First Take” hosts creates a toxic environment, but instead of his usual adversary in former F.T. co-host Skip Bayless, it is now the face of ESPN, Stephen A. Smith.
A clip of Smith on “The Joe Budden Podcast” keeping it very real on why his former co-host, Max Kellerman, was dismissed from the show went viral.
“I didn’t want to go from No. 1 to No. 2 when Skip [Bayless] left,” Smith said on the podcast. “I wasn’t having that. That s**t wasn’t gonna happen. You weren’t an athlete, and you weren’t a journalist. And the absence of the two components left people wondering ‘Why should we listen to you?'”
Smith Gave Kellerman The Ax
Smith implies that Kellerman got dismissed to make way for the chemistry he felt with his carousel of analysts like Chris “Mad Dog” Russo, Michael Irvin, Ryan Clark, Marcus Spears, and more, up to the current co-host Shannon Sharpe. Now that Smith kept it honest, the internet took sides, and some inferred that Kellerman was let go from “First Take” because Terrell Owens drove a wedge between the two over Colin Kaepernick.
Three years ago, when Kaepernick had a polarizing NFL workout, many felt that Smith was not supportive, including Owens, who said live on the air, “Max almost seems blacker than you, Stephen A.”
At that time, Smith was highly offended at the comment, but the smoke seemed to have cleared until its revival on “X,” formerly known as Twitter. When an “X” user named @JayBabyEars reposted the clip with Owens making what he then called a “tongue-in-cheek” comment, Owens reposted it with the comment, “FACTS!!!!!!”
Smith saw the slight and felt the need to let Owens know how he felt about the resurgence of the beef.
What’s Beef?
“Now….as for this dude, that’s an entirely different story,” Smith posted. “You know how I feel about your sorry ass @terrellowens and you know why! You should thank your Heavenly Father I haven’t zeroed in on you with the trifling sh-t you tried to pull. Tell folks to ask ESPN what your desperate ass tried to pull. Keep on talking. Eventually, you’ll expose yourself!#REALFACTS”
Smith kept the threats going.
“Or…….maybe I’ll just dedicate the entire Stephen A. Smith Show/Podcast on YouTube this Monday to all the things you tried to do behind the scenes — to BROTHERS — over the years while claiming someone is more of a Brother than others. Let me thing about that over the next 24 hours!!!!#SickOfTHIS.#Enough”
T.O. is never one to back down from a fight and he responded in kind and let the world know that the two have seen each other and nothing transpired.
“Now Stephen A…Ask me if I’m scared?!” Owens posted. “I thank God every day or I at least try to but do what you do best. I’m not worried. You don’t have to make some bold attempt to ‘expose me’ because I have NOTHING to hide. You’re mad because of the advice of my attorney after we filed against ESPN because on air without my consent you shared our text conversation. I’m not sure that constitutes as desperate but enlighten us all.
“So my boy, hone in on me. I’m good. I’m blessed and God got me! You’re still salty about that interview I did with you and Max a few years back and I said what I said and today I’m still #TeamMax. Got that man fired! That’s messed up. You saw me in Colorado you should’ve told me about my sorry ass then.”
“Behind what scenes???! Again, Man I’m NOT WORRIED because I stand on my character and who I am. You better come with some FACTS and not this hearsay and anonymous sources because that’s not gonna fly.”
If the beef between the two will unfold like Owens’ epic back and forth with Skip Bayless, the sports world should be prepared for a petty show like none other.
