With the abrupt departure of Molly Qerim from ESPN’s First Take in September, the productive, explosive, and highly successful daytime sports program has been left with a void. Qerim was more than just a host; she had become a fixture on the program. Moreover, her chemistry with superstar Stephen A. Smith was the best on television.
Qerim fit the host role perfectly. Her timing was always on point. She knew when to move topics from one to another. She expertly interjected her own opinions while setting up the many different panelists on the multifaceted program.
Qerim took no flak from the sometimes-bombastic Smith. She could take it, dish it out, create it, and make it better. With Qerim’s abrupt departure, ESPN has been shuffling an array of different cohosts, perhaps hoping to find the next Qerim—but perhaps not. Since Max Kellerman left the program in 2021, there has been a revolving door of panelists sitting alongside Smith, and it has worked.
On Monday, October 13, one of ESPN’s newest stars, Amina Smith, got her first chance to sit at the glass desk and host First Take.
What Amina Smith Brings to First Take
Smith brought an exciting and fresh perspective to the program and showed that she could potentially snag the slot vacated by Qerim. She displayed the personality, effervescence, and boldness to go toe-to-toe with Stephen A., Cam Newton, and Ryan Clark, her cohorts on this particular edition of First Take. She also has style and flash.
Let’s face it: television is a visual medium. What you wear and how you present yourself matters regardless of gender. First Take has always been as much about style as it is about substance. Stephen A. regularly gets his attire critiqued and dishes out his thoughts on guests’ fashions.
Smith took control of the show from the jump. Running through highlights of the Sunday night Lions vs. Chiefs NFL matchup. She expertly doled out questions and airtime to Clark, Stephen A., and Newton.
While still somewhat new to ESPN, Smith is hardly a television neophyte. She worked as a multi-platform host at NBC Sports Boston. Where she covered the gamut of sports, including flagship programming for the Boston Celtics. In 2022, she earned a New England Emmy for Outstanding Sports Programming – Live as the host of Patriots Pregame Live. Since moving to ESPN, Smith has made her mark on SportsCenter as one of the most vibrant and talented anchors.
Understanding the Role
On First Take, in the classic mode of Qerim, Smith knew when to stand back and let Clark, Stephen A., and Newton go back-and-forth with blustery debate. When cameras went to a wide shot, you could see Smith smiling as she listened. But also see that she was prepared to jump in with her own opinions on a particular topic. She commanded the screen and did not just blend into the set with three huge personalities like Stephen A., Clark, and Newton.
When Smith sensed that they had exhausted the Lions-Chiefs topic, she quickly moved the conversation to the now 1-5 Miami Dolphins. I understand that First Take is scripted in terms of debate subjects. The onus is still on the host to keep things interesting. Smith did just that in her stint in the host chair. She was able to control the flow of the show and move it in the direction it needed to go.
Coming back from a break, Smith did a nice job leading into a discussion on Penn State firing its head football coach, James Franklin. While she spoke, clips of Penn State game action aired, followed by a graphic showing that Franklin was 4-21 at Penn State against AP top 10 opponents. Smith detailed that Franklin is now owed a $49 million buyout—the second largest in CFB history behind Jimbo Fisher’s $76 million from Texas A&M.
From the graphics and numbers, Smith smoothly segued into an introduction of ESPN college football analyst Paul Finebaum. She also jumped into the discussion, basically saying that Franklin was provided with everything he needed to succeed at Penn State but simply did not get the job done. This is exactly what I look for in a First Take host. Can he or she sit and wait, then, when called upon, interject or move a topic in a different direction?
Keep It Entertaining
Another necessity in a First Take host is the ability to react to Stephen A.’s endless bashing of the Dallas Cowboys.
Coming back from a break, Stephen A. was on the other side of it, having actually picked the Cowboys to beat the Panthers. When he insulted the Carolina organization, Newton, a former Panther, jumped into the fray. Smith enjoyed the back-and-forth as much as the viewers and just let them go—a great decision.
Of all the rotating hosts since Qerim’s departure, I feel like Smith got the best out of Newton. The ex-NFL QB has slid into the regular First Take slot vacated by Shannon Sharpe and, in my view, it has been a rocky transition.
As host, Smith did a nice job bringing Newton into the conversation at the right times. She tapped into his areas of expertise, resulting in Newton being as glib and relaxed as I have seen him.
Large Shoes To Fill
During the NFL season, the Monday morning edition of First Take is challenging, with a bevy of NFL games to dissect as well as college games and other weekend news. Smith did a great job navigating this packed program.
With several potential hosting candidates, such as MJ Acosta-Ruiz, Shae Peppler Cornette, Courtney Cronin, and others, choosing one specific person to take over Qerim’s slot will not be easy for ESPN. The truth is that all of the recent fill-in hosts have talent. What it may come down to is chemistry with Stephen A. and the recurring panelists.
Can Amina Smith establish that terrifically casual and unrehearsed banter that Qerim and Stephen A. cultivated over time? My answer is yes.
Smith not only meshed well with Stephen A. but also with Clark and Newton. She ran with that trio of gabbers wonderfully, presenting highlights and information, asking the right questions, and making timely comments. As a First Take host, it would be easy to just sit back and be a spectator, letting Stephen A. run entertainingly wild. Smith clearly had fun with her hosting experience but never lost sight of herself, her persona, and her role on the program.
Qerim was an absolute star at ESPN—as important a part of First Take as Stephen A. himself. I’m not sure anyone can take her place and be as good, but based on Monday’s show, Amina Smith deserves a good long look and has all the TV tools to do the job.
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John Molori is a weekly columnist for Barrett Sports Media. He has previously contributed to ESPNW, Patriots Football Weekly, Golf Content Network, Methuen Life Magazine, and wrote a syndicated Media Blitz column in the New England region, which was published by numerous outlets including The Boston Metro, Providence Journal, Lowell Sun, and the Eagle-Tribune. His career also includes fourteen years in television as a News and Sports Reporter, Host, Producer working for Continental Cablevision, MediaOne, and AT&T. He can be reached on Twitter @MoloriMedia.
