Stephen A. Smith would like to see himself working on Monday Night Football, but his ESPN teammates on the show reportedly have “zero interest” in the idea of him joining them.
Smith, the star of the daily debate show First Take, has become a household name at the network, earning a whopping $12 million a year.
And while he wants to add Monday Night Football to his long list of responsibilities, a source said The American Sun that the show’s participants have big questions about his football insight and attitude.
The source who works on the show said, “Stephen A. Smith said he wants to do more in the NFL and that he has his eye on Monday Night Football, but I don’t think he realizes that no one wants him there.
‘…Nobody wants him to write football, and a lot of top analysts have been talking about it since he did the interview where Smith said that.
Stephen A. Smith has publicly stated his desire to work on Monday Night Football
But the crew reportedly have ‘no interest’ in welcoming the First Take host to the show
‘They laughed about it. Some said, ‘He can never come to us, he’s not part of our football team and he wants all the attention and all the spotlight.’
The source added that the perception that Smith is not a team player is a “big warning sign.”
‘They don’t want to work with him because they know what reputation he has and what a tense atmosphere he has created at First Take.
‘The employees talk to each other, they hate him and want nothing to do with him.’
Smith previously admitted he “didn’t enjoy” working with former First Take co-host Max Kellerman after he left the show. It is believed Kellerman played a role in his removal from the programme.
The US Sun report comes after Smith said Front Office Sports of his ambitions to expand his horizons beyond the NBA work he is known for and focus on NFL coverage on Monday Night Football.
“I don’t want to insult the legacy of the great Howard Cosell, who I idolized. But that’s what I want to do,” Smith said. Front Office Sports.
“When I think about the NFL, I don’t think about being in the booth with Troy Aikman and Joe Buck,” he added. “You don’t mess with that chemistry; you leave it alone.
Ryan Clark, Marcus Spears, Scott Van Pelt and Jason Kelce are part of the MNF studio coverage
Smith wants to try his hand at the NFL and is reportedly also looking for a huge pay raise
Others are less convinced he would make it on MNF. The aforementioned source, for example, says Smith has “no credibility as a football analyst.”
According to FOS, Smith is looking to become ESPN’s highest-paid talent, surpassing the $18 million currently earned by MNF commentator Troy Aikman.
For now, Smith will have to settle for his roles on First Take and ESPN’s NBA coverage, while Jason Kelce, Scott Van Pelt, Marcus Spears and Ryan Clark cover the pre-game coverage.
Last night the team was in Philadelphia when the Eagles suffered a shocking defeat to the Falcons, losing 22-21.