Sports media personality Chris ‘Mad Dog’ Russo expressed surprise over the sudden departure of Molly Qerim from ESPN’s First Take, shedding light on the circumstances and relationships behind the move during a recent appearance on the SI Media Podcast.
“Stephen [A. Smith] called me the night before to tell me that Molly was going to leave. I did not speak to Molly prior. I had one conversation with her since. She was on there a long time,” Russo said. “I think they probably wanted to move [her] around a little bit and try something different. Not that the ratings are bad, it’s just they know the nature of the beast. You’re on there forever. They like to make a change.”
Russo speculated that Qerim may have opted to exit on her own terms rather than pursue another role within the network. “I think Molly probably looked at it as, ‘I’m not gonna do First Take. I don’t want to do SportsCenter,’ so she probably didn’t want to, felt that would be a demotion,” he said.
Discussing the timing of Qerim’s exit, Russo suggested that the decision may have been influenced by the public nature of the news.
“I don’t know when her contract was up, but I don’t think that it was going to be an immediate decision about removing her by October 1,” he explained. “I think she precipitated it. Once it was in Sports Business Journal…I think probably she felt embarrassed. She probably thought the world would see her as a lame duck and she’s still doing the show. That probably had a little something to do with it.”
Russo also reflected on his relationship with Qerim, emphasizing their mutual respect and her importance to the program.
“Molly was great to me. We had a great relationship. She got a kick out of me for whatever reason. She was a very important ingredient to what they were trying to do. Her and Stephen [A. Smith] had a good relationship — I would say big brother-sister. They knew each other well, and she listened to Stevie. When Stevie gave her advice, she always listened to him.”
However, Russo expressed shock at how quickly ESPN removed Qerim from all on-air and promotional materials.
“I was surprised. I did not know that was occurring. I was shocked…They scrubbed her off all the promos. It tells you the quickness of television. If you’re gone, they get you out in 10 minutes,” he said.
Russo concluded that Qerim may have had more time to navigate her decision. “A lot can happen between September 20 and the end of the year. So why precipitate a decision when you don’t have to? Once it leaked, I think she felt embarrassed. That’s probably why she left.”
Qerim’s departure marks a notable shake-up at ESPN, highlighting the fast-moving nature of live television and the often unpredictable dynamics behind major talent shifts. First Take has been using a rotation of hosts since Qerim’s departure in hope of naming a new permanent host of the program in near time.
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