CLEVELAND, Ohio -- “First Take” host Stephen A. Smith is losing sparring partner Max Kellerman to the radio.
The network announced Kellerman, who replaced Skip Bayless in 2016, will join Keyshawn Johnson and Jay Williams on ESPN Radio’s national morning show. The program, rechristened “Keyshawn, JWill & Max,” will debut on Sept. 7 and air locally from 6-9 a.m. on 850 ESPN Cleveland WKNR and 6-10 a.m. on 1540 ESPN Cleveland KNR2. The program will also be simulcast on television on ESPN2 from 6-8 a.m. and ESPNEWS from 6-10 a.m.
Kellerman takes over for Zubin Mehenti, who has been away from the show dealing with health issues since April. Mehenti will go back to hosting “SportsCenter” upon his return from medical leave.
But Kellerman’s new morning gig doesn’t mean you’ve seen the last of him on TV. He continues to host “Max on Boxing” on ESPN2 and will also be getting a new show on ESPN. Those details haven’t been revealed yet.
Meanwhile, the network said it will announce an “updated format” for “First Take” soon. Front Office Sports reported the show could enlist a rotating group of debaters to square off against Smith. The list reportedly includes NFL Network analyst Michael Irvin, whose appearance on the show in 2019 went viral after he tried incredulously to compare the Browns’ Jarvis Landry and Odell Beckham Jr. to LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, eliciting a priceless reaction from Smith.
A report by the New York Post appears to back up the idea of the rotating guest host format. The newspaper reported Kellerman’s move was initiated by a desire by Smith, who at $12 million a year is the unquestioned star of “First Take,” to have a more challenging opponent on the daily show. “According to sources, Kellerman has a ‘smartest guy in the room attitude,’” media reporter Andrew Marchand wrote. “And ultimately, (Smith) wanted it to be him versus the world.”
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August 25, 2021 at 10:38PM
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ESPN moves Max Kellerman from ‘First Take’ to morning radio show - cleveland.com
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