New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel said he finds it hard to believe ESPN’s First Take is the No. 1 show in sports television, though he acknowledged the discussion was largely in jest.
Vrabel made the comments Monday during an appearance on WEEI’s The Greg Hill Show, where the conversation lightly mocked remarks made by First Take star Stephen A. Smith.
The segment drew attention after Smith reacted to Patriots quarterback Drake Maye’s claim that he didn’t know what show Cam Newton appeared on, with Newton himself calling the Patriots’ current success “fool’s gold.”
“First Take is the No. 1 morning show, 13 years and counting. April will be 14 years. Don’t tell me you’re an athlete and you don’t know that. Don’t tell me you’re an athlete and you don’t know that Cam Newton ain’t on this show. You lying,” Smith said in his original segment.
During the radio interview, Vrabel was asked, jokingly, if he would consider playing First Take in the Patriots’ weight room.
“I don’t even know if the TVs work in the weight room,” Vrabel replied. “We’re getting a new building. So we’ll make sure that the audio and everything works.”
The lighthearted exchange continued when Hill quipped that First Take was not just the top morning show, but the No. 1 show in television history.
“Is it? I find that hard to believe. It’s not the SportsCenter that I grew up with,” Vrabel responded.
Though the remarks were delivered in jest, Vrabel’s comments may resonate with Patriots fans, who are used to the coach’s candid, sometimes understated style, in contrast to Smith’s high-energy television persona.
Barstool Sports founder, and noted New England Patriots fan, Dave Portnoy demanded that Stephen A. Smith issue a public apology to Maye after the ESPN commentator labeled the rookie a “liar” during a recent episode of First Take.
