The host of ESPN’s First Take has a captivating television magnetism, offering opinions, emotions, and media savvy in a manner that is direct, honest, and breakthrough cool. Molly Qerim has planted her flag as the voice of reason and conscience on the wildly popular sports debate show.
Like Spud Webb driving to the hoop amidst his comparatively giant counterparts, Qerim uses tact, intelligence, and honesty in making her presence felt among some of television’s most vociferous and vibrant personalities.
But let’s keep it real. Qerim is not the star of First Take. That moniker belongs to Stephen A. Smith, who along with Mike Greenberg, Laura Rutledge, and Malika Andrews, comprise the ESPN’s latest quartet of foundational superstars.
With the recent layoffs of some big name talent, this foursome is indeed the rock on which ESPN’s present and near future are built. Smith stands out from the pack. His salary is in the $12-$15 million a year range, and it is a bargain. He is the face of the network and with good reason.
Smith has done for sports debate shows what Arsenio Hall did for late night talk shows. With his gritty print journalism chops, he detonated the old format bringing realism, attitude, power, and just plain candor to multiple platforms.
Like Hall, Smith also opened the door for a plethora of guests heretofore ignored in mainstream television. However, while Smith is clearly ESPN’s Johnny Carson, Qerim is no Ed McMahon.
She hosts First Take with a graceful intensity, cutting off banter that has run its course, interjecting her opinions, bringing a needed women’s perspective to often male dominated discussions, and fearlessly putting the maniacal Smith in his place when necessary.
Qerim’s ultimate strength and the reason for her emergence is her courage. Over the past few years, as First Take has tackled social justice and equality issues, Qerim has, at times, been moved to tears in her statements. This is no sign of weakness. On the contrary, it is about strength.
Her raw emotion, graceful yet powerful style, and unmatched on camera presence have lifted her to a new level of performance. She is not only supremely watchable, but also uniquely indomitable.
In a recent episode during the NBA playoffs, Qerim proposed the question of whether Nikola Jokić and Jamal Murray were the best duo in the NBA. Guest panelist Kendrick Perkins attempted to sidestep the question basically saying that they were the best duo still playing in the playoffs.
Qerim would have none of it. She pushed Perkins, driving him back to the question and challenging him to give an answer. The usually unflappable and stone-strong Perkins was flummoxed. He really did not know how to counter Qerim’s persistence.
Qerim does not merely stick to the script. Like a great point guard, she is focused on the subject at hand, but always looking ahead to the next topic. To use hoops lexicon, she sees the entire floor.
Qerim is more than a talk show host, she is a listening show host. She pays attention to what is being said by all sides and interjects her thoughts and opinions at the ideal moments.
It has been fun watching her develop from essentially a moderator and referee to a full-fledged participant in the debate, one whose opinion we look forward to hearing each day.
Qerim is also unafraid to make fun of herself. This was no more evident than on an episode when Smith actually brought Qerim’s lunchbox on the air, humorously going through each item. Qerim took it in stride and brought the audience in on the joke.
From a production standpoint, First Take often features multiple guests remotely. This, of course, stems from what television programs were forced to do during the height of the Covid pandemic.
But while remote guests were required during Covid, these days they have become routine. On any given First Take episode, there are usually two guest panelists plus Smith and Qerim.
To a person, these guests drive the show with candor. From JJ Redick to Chris “Mad Dog” Russo to Booger McFarland and others, the screen is literally filled with pointed pontificators.
You would think that Smith plus any two of these talkers would be enough, but because of Qerim’s timely interjections, the show often has to go to a quad box screen.
The woman won’t be ignored.
There is no denying that Qerim is as photogenic as they come, which historically, has often been a hindrance to women in sports media. This dates back to Phyllis George whose 1971 Miss America good looks often overshadowed her incredible development as an interviewer and commentator on CBS’s now legendary NFL Today show.
Personalities like George, Lesley Visser, Jackie MacMullan, Andrea Kremer, and many others paved the way, but none of these television stalwarts had to sit three feet away from the ceaseless sports talk firestorm that is Stephen A. Smith.
While much of Qerim’s development involves her ability to add to the conversation with pertinent dialogue and thoughtful comments, it is at times, her silence that is most impressive.
On the June 23, 2023, First Take featured a post-NBA draft discussion. The show included three bona fide basketball experts. The aforementioned Reddick, former NBA player Tim Legler, and Smith himself, who played college basketball at Winston Salem State University and has covered the sport for over 30 years.
Qerim knew that she was surrounded by excellence. She knew that these three men would dissect the draft with detail and opinion. So, what did she do? She did what a truly astute host does. Qerim distributed the questions like Tom Brady distributed the football in his overtime drive to beat Atlanta in the Super Bowl LI.
She led the trio of talent in an out of various topics including the draft itself, the impact of number one pick Victor Wembanyama, the trade that sent Chris Paul to the Golden State Warriors, and the Portland Trailblazers selecting Scoot Henderson, among other subjects.
Two days earlier, Qerim again stood out during Russo’s “What Are You Mad About” segment. Her facial reactions, eyerolls, and funny reactions to Russo‘s tirades were tremendous.
At one point, the excitable Russo kicked his leg as he ranted and raved about the U.S. Open golf tournament. Qerim adroitly picked up on this odd maneuver and humorously mocked Russo’s kick after his dissertation was complete.
Qerim has a melodic sense about her job. She feels the rhythm of the conversation and makes the right choice to join in the music or just stand at the podium and conduct the symphony.
These subtle gestures and choices may seem trivial, but they are part of Qerim’s high television IQ – the ability to feel the moment, know her role, push that role to its limits, and step out of it when appropriate.
Make no mistake, Stephen A. Smith is the engine that makes First Take the powerful ratings machine that it is, but Molly Qerim has emerged as a skilled driver, steering the program to new levels of high speed sports entertainment.
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.
