The old adage for sports media programming is to ‘play the hits.’ Always navigate your content around what the audience wants instead of what you personally want to discuss. By looking inward and centering your program as a personal pulpit, you run the risk of tuning out a large portion of your audience if it does not match what they want to hear or see. That is why the continued fascination with Stephen A. Smith’s content selection on ESPN’s First Take remains interesting.
During Thursday’s second hour of the program, broadcast live from Super Bowl LX in San Francisco, the show spent time discussing recent comments from Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott. The Cowboys signal-caller was elected to his fourth Pro Bowl and said that it hurts to continue falling short of the Super Bowl.
The segment caused the usual outrage on social media, with viewers blasting the program for continuing to focus on anything related to the Dallas Cowboys when there appears to be no “meat on that bone.” After watching the segment, particularly Stephen A. Smith’s reaction, the question becomes clear. Is the aim to provide what the audience wants, or something driven more by Smith’s own ego?
Dak Prescott is a competitor. He plays for the single biggest franchise in the NFL, both in valuation and reach. Business is better for the league when the Dallas Cowboys are good rather than irrelevant. However, the franchise remains far from adding another Vince Lombardi Trophy to its trophy room. It has been 30 years since the Cowboys last won a Super Bowl, and they have made only five playoff appearances in the last decade with Prescott at the helm.
Expectations are always high in Dallas because of the franchise’s structure and personnel. An outspoken owner and general manager refuses to admit the game has passed him by, while the team continues to ride on prestige, business success, and an impeccable legacy.
The Dallas Cowboys remain one of the most discussed and popular teams in the NFL. Every bit of research consistently shows the franchise’s impact and relevance within American pop culture.
That reality explains why Stephen A. Smith and ESPN continue to find avenues for Cowboys-related content. The lingering question, however, is whether the audience is still demanding it or whether it has simply become a one-hit wonder that best amplifies Smith’s entertainment value.
I raise this question because I remember Smith speaking at the Barrett Sports Media Summit in New York City several years ago, where he discussed the evolution of First Take.
“It’s television. At the end of the day, I want the audience to see we’re having fun,” said Smith. “Yes, we’re informative. We have intel, and sources. Yes, we’ll bombard you with information and we’ll get the news and provide all those things. But it’s called the Entertainment Sports and Programming Network (ESPN). It starts with entertainment. Am I entertaining you? Let’s make sure we’re living up to that.”
I have already made this statement. For all his doubters and supporters across every content platform, Stephen A. Smith is the greatest entertainer in media today. Boo him. Cheer him. Hate him. Love him. He makes headlines with nearly every word because his priority is entertainment, and everything else comes second.
Like any entertainer, though, acts can grow stale. Over time, everything eventually ages out. The best comedians evolve their style to reach new audiences while still delivering fresh material to loyal fans.
Every good “bit” needs a tune-up to stay effective.
Everyone knows Stephen A. Smith is not a fan of the Dallas Cowboys, their success, or their fan base. He has mocked even their smallest defeats while reveling in their most painful losses. Viewers have seen the Grinch-like smiles, the laughter, and the cowboy hat moments of pure joy after a Dallas collapse.
Smith’s entertainment process is no different than that of a fan-boy podcaster. He enjoys the downfall of the ‘enemy’ more than the success of his own team.
Watching Thursday’s First Take‘s segment questioning whether Prescott’s Super Bowl window is closed felt no different. Smith chuckled throughout the discussion. He smiled with his feet on the desk. He laughed during points made by other commentators and paused for a sip or two of hot coffee.
Cool.
Was this a good programming decision by the show’s executive producer? You know, Stephen A. Smith. Did research support including this topic in the rundown? I am sure the intention was to deliver a top-tier broadcast from the Super Bowl host city on ESPN.
Or was this simply about entertainment? To be fair, using Smith’s own words, that is where it all begins. Entertainment. Still, does Smith consider whether the act has grown stale with the audience? A joke can make you laugh once. Told a thousand times, it stops being funny.
That concern leads to the core issue with First Take repeatedly circling back to Cowboys content. Is the decision driven by research, or by Smith’s belief that his Dallas “bit” still works?
If the point is to showcase Smith’s disinterest in the topic he selected, what value does that bring to the audience? Is that truly what viewers want, or is it a selfish nod to a one-hit wonder that continues to be replayed?
Playing the hits works until the audience realizes the playlist never changes. Stephen A. Smith remains an elite entertainer, and First Take is still a powerful component of ESPN’s programming machine.
However, when the same Dallas Cowboys punchline keeps getting recycled, the question shifts. It is no longer about whether it entertains, but whether it has become lazy. At some point, serving the audience means knowing when to retire a bit. Not because it no longer draws attention, but because it no longer respects the intelligence of the people watching.
Entertainment may come first, but longevity comes from evolution. That remains the one adjustment this “take” still has not made.
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John Mamola is Barrett Media’s sports editor and daily sports columnist. He brings over two decades of experience (Chicago, Tampa/St Petersburg) in the broadcast industry with expertise in brand management, sales, promotions, producing, imaging, hosting, talent coaching, talent development, web development, social media strategy and design, video production, creative writing, partnership building, communication/networking with a long track record of growth and success. He is a five-time recognized top 20 program director in a major market via Barrett Medi’s Top 20 series and has been honored internally multiple times as station/brand of the year (Tampa, FL) and employee of the month (Tampa, FL) by iHeartMedia. Connect with John by email at John@BarrettMedia.com.
It is an old and TIRED bit there Stephen A. I Mean your whole bit is getting OLD AND TIRED.