Stephen A. Smith isn’t going to let Monica McNutt’s comments stand.
The ESPN personality spoke about the testy words exchanged between the two on Monday’s “First Take” on his podcast later that day.
During an extended segment discussing the Kaitlyn Clark-Chennedy Carter controversy, Smith attempted to brag about “First Take’s” extensive coverage of the WNBA and women’s sports, but McNutt fired back with comments that deeply hurt Smith.
“With all due respect, Stephen A., with your platform, you could have done this three years ago if you wanted to,” McNutt responded.
The comment stuck with Smith, so much so that even as he sought to dispute McNutt’s comments at the start of the podcast, he repeatedly expressed praise for his ESPN colleague.
Smith addressed her disagreement with McNutt after his lengthy criticism of Clark’s impact on the WNBA, saying she was “truly shocked” by her comments on ESPN’s debate show.
“In regards to Monica McNutt’s point, I thought it was very unfortunate that she said that,” Smith began, sounding annoyed that Molly Qerim had interrupted a heated moment and interrupted the show.
“Hey guys, I’m the executive producer of First Take. Have you heard of Monica McNutt? You know her now because she’s on First Take a lot. Chiny Ogwumike is a really great, great basketball analyst. … Ask her what it was like being on First Take. What about Andraya Carter? She’s a rising star in this industry. How much do you think First Take contributed to that? What about Kimberly Martin? What about Molly Qerim herself?”
Smith continued his fire back, targeting those who he said “treated badly” and said the comments he felt McNutt made about him were “deeply offensive” and “factually untrue.”
“You’re not going to find a show on sports television that covers women’s issues more than ‘First Take,’ discusses the WNBA and women’s sports more than anything else, that puts the spotlight on female analysts, and it’s been doing that for years,” he continued.
“There are black women, there are white women. Mina Kimes, let’s not forget her,” Smith added while trying to point out the diversity of the show. “First Take has been at the forefront of diversity and equity. Do you know how uncomfortable it was for me to sit and listen to Monica McNutt say that about me when I hand-picked the cast of First Take?”
The sports talk show host stressed that his displeasure was solely related to a disagreement the pair had on his show Monday, and he praised McNutt and called her a friend.
Smith also said he remains an “advocate” for McNutt despite their differences.
During the podcast, Smith called her comments “patently false” and stressed that he was not saying she was a liar.
“I’m accusing her of not knowing, because she’s not a liar and she’s an honorable person,” Smith continued. “I’m sure she didn’t know. WNBA, I could have done more. Yes, Monica McNutt, I could have done more. Who could have done more? If the WNBA hadn’t done it for themselves, we could have a legitimate argument.
“The WNBA commissioner came on First Take and thanked us for what we’re doing for the WNBA. Who else was doing the same thing? Where were they?”
WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert appears on “First Take” In April, he expressed gratitude for the increased media coverage and thanked the show, along with ESPN and Disney.
