The NBA offseason wasn't as noisy as many expected. Damian Lillard and Bradley Beal decided to give their respective teams another go. Ben Simmons is somehow still on the Philadelphia 76ers despite passing several points of no return. But there was also a personnel change on the airwaves as Stephen A. Smith bid goodbye to longtime First Take partner/sparring mate Max Kellerman.
After Kellerman's dismissal, Stephen A. Smith confirmed that he indeed orchestrated the move, claiming that it was chemistry issues and certain indicators that pointed them towards a different direction.
“The rumors are accurate in terms of me wanting him off the show,” Smith said on an appearance on Ebro in the Morning shortly after the move. “… A lot of people don’t realize not just the work that goes into it, but it’s a chemistry you have and sometimes it just stalls.”
But it appears that Stephen A. Smith's gambit hasn't paid off quite yet, at least according to early returns on the show's ratings juxtaposed with its direct competitors.
First Take lagged behind Get Up, NFL Live, Around the Horn, and Pardon The Interruption in terms of viewership through the first returns, which will definitely make Stephen A. Smith feel at least a bit of regret over the decision.
Stephen A. said on radio he saw numbers that suggested @FirstTake's viewers wanted Max Kellerman off. The early ratings say otherwise.
This week, First Take is losing to Get Up and NFL Live, in addition to PTI and ATH:
FT: 398k
Get Up: 408k
NFL Live: 413k
ATH: 469k
PTI: 652k— Bobby Burack (@burackbobby_) September 24, 2021
“I wonder why our ratings are down”
Also First Take after a rookie’s debut: pic.twitter.com/2sxDX4RoH8
— Stephen A. Smith Burner’s Burner Parody (@TheSASBurner) September 30, 2021
However, it's obviously still early. As First Take goes through its candidates for Stephen A. Smith's new right hand man, there are bound to be some rocky weeks ahead.
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