If you are an analyst on First Take, the chances are, you must have gotten dissed at least one in the last 30 days. After Drake Maye snubbed off Cam Newton saying he doesn’t even know which show he is on, just a week later, ex-ESPN analyst made heads turn with scathing words for Stephen A. Smith.
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Kellerman, speaking on The Bill Simmons Podcast, reflected on his former First Take partner, saying Smith “has no hot takes.” He argued that Stephen A. almost never arrives at counter-intuitive conclusions.
In Kellerman’s view, that was never Smith’s job anyway. His role, as he framed it, was to be the loud, theatrical everyman; the reactor to someone else’s bold idea but not the originator of it.
That critique landed loudly, especially given Kellerman’s belief that Stephen A. Smith eventually pushed him out to turn First Take into a one-man show, aided by a $100 million contract and an ESPN empire built squarely around him.
While Kellerman took his shot, Stephen A. Smith’s current colleague decided to not show an iota of hesitation, as Cam Newton stepped in to defend the veteran analyst.
On his 4th&1 podcast, Newton reframed the entire argument, not as a debate about intellect or analysis, but as one about value creation in modern media. “If you have not paid attention, they’re giving it to people who are more entertaining,” he said bluntly. Covering sports for decades, he argued, no longer guarantees relevance. Audience does!
“You have to have a community of people that can bring to the platform of ESPN. That’s where you create value. All these platforms care about are ratings,” Newton explained.
Importantly, the former Panthers icon made it clear this wasn’t personal. Hence he openly called himself a Max Kellerman fan and praised his analytical ability. But he drew a hard line between being right and being watched. Analytics, statistics, nuance, all of it matters, Newton said, but only if people are still awake to hear it.
That’s where Stephen A. Smith separates himself. According to the ex-NFL MVP, Smith cracked the code long ago.
“He’s on every single platform of ESPN … He’s their cash cow (because he understood presentation) … If I just hit people with statistics and analytics all day, I’m going to put them to sleep… Let me sprinkle in a little seasoning… a little Stuart Scott booyah…” Newton said, explaining Smith’s approach.
To Cam, manufacturing hot takes are survival skills for an ESPN analyst than gimmicks.
“Don’t get mad,” he however warned aspiring media personalities, before saying, “Join. If you don’t evolve with it, you’re going to dissolve with it.”
Cam Newton chimes in on why everyone keeps coming for @stephenasmith:
“They’re giving media jobs to people who are ENTERTAINING. It’s all about RATINGS!” pic.twitter.com/XyUYebK2mM
— 4th&1 with Cam Newton (@4thand1show) December 11, 2025
That philosophy perhaps explains why ESPN keeps returning to Stephen A. Smith because he seems to be their standalone force who brings his own audience wherever he goes. Ratings follow him. Conversations follow him. And in today’s ecosystem, that gravity matters more than who wins a debate on paper.
That said, Smith, for his part, has already responded to Kellerman by laughing off the criticism before calmly clarifying that First Take simply “did not work” with their pairing. He praised Kellerman’s intelligence and kindness, but made it clear the split was about chemistry and direction.
All in all, Newton’s stance stands real: sports media today is a stage and Stephen A. Smith, love him or hate him, knows exactly how to command it.
