ESPN’s First Take is receiving flak for an insensitive segment about Anthony Davis, who left Wednesday night’s game with a head injury.
Stephen A. Smith appeared to be discussing Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley laughing during TNT’s studio show. He was incredulous over the possibility of Davis sustaining a concussion after Kevon Looney inadvertently hit him on the head in Game 5 of the second-round NBA playoff series.
“We got to stop it. It’s the playoffs, man,” Smith said. “I mean, was he running up the middle and got hit by [former NFL safety] Ronnie Lott or something? Did I miss something?”
MLS analyst Taylor Twellman, who left ESPN for Apple TV this year and is a vocal proponent for concussion awareness, bashed his former employer for a tone-deaf conversation.
“As ignorant of a discussion as I’ve ever seen and only @WindhorstESPN
keeps his credibility here with ‘seen concussions with less.’ Can’t wait for
@FirstTake
to do a segment on ‘seat belts’ or ‘smoking’ next since they are operating in 1975 still,” Twellman said on Twitter.
As ignorant of a discussion as I’ve ever seen and only @WindhorstESPN keeps his credibility here with “seen concussions with less”. Can’t wait for @FirstTake to do a segment on “seat belts” or “smoking” next since they are operating in 1975 still. ???????????????? pic.twitter.com/YcGuQRhQOo
— Taylor Twellman (@TaylorTwellman) May 11, 2023
Former ESPN reporter Arash Markazi also bashed the discussion.
“It’s wild that this is the conversation on a national talk show in 2023 the day after a player looks like they may have been knocked out of a playoff game due to a concussion,” Markazi said.
It’s wild that this is the conversation on a national talk show in 2023 the day after a player looks like they may have been knocked out of a playoff game due to a concussion. pic.twitter.com/SCrMDthGpz
— Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) May 11, 2023
Brian Windhorst didn’t say anything behind the one comment Twellman noted. While Jay Williams didn’t get a chance to speak much either, he laughed throughout Smith’s rant.
However, Windhorst wasn’t the only one to push back. Molly Qerim reminded everyone that concussions are “very serious” and can have “life-altering effects.”
Smith replied that he knows concussions are serious, but he couldn’t believe Davis may have possibly sustained one on that play. Qerim tried to explain over Smith’s shouting that concussions can happen anywhere.
Smith made a fool of himself on national TV, but that’s nothing new for First Take.
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