ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith was left red in the face after making a basic technology mistake live.
The First Take analyst yelled at Chris ‘Mad Dog’ Russo for sitting in his chair during Wednesday’s episode of the sports debate show.
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Smith is currently in Miami for work commitments and joined the show via video link.
He has appeared alongside presenter Molly Qerim since 2015 and always sits in a chair to her right.
Russo and Qerim were joined by Tim Legler in the New York studios, with the former NBA star taking his usual spot as Smith.
But a furious Stephen A. interrupted Molly’s introductions, shouting “Wait!”
“Now I’m here in South Beach,” Smith said, “so I’m never usually frowning. [here].
“What the hell are these seating arrangements?
“Why aren’t you Tim Legler sitting in my chair? Why is that man, Mad Dog Russo, in my chair?!”
“I’m not in your chair,” Russo replied, perplexed, sitting across from Legler.
“You’re seeing everything backwards,” groaned Qerim, realizing that Smith was looking at a mirror image on his video link.
“The video is backwards,” replied a red-faced Smith, “They promised me they would fix it.”
Qerim joked that Stephen A. could catch up to technology in “year 50” of his TV career.
“Good job, they’re only paying him $60 million,” joked one X viewer after the melee.
“This man is not real,” laughed another.
Molly returned to First Take on Tuesday after her mini-vacation to Florida.
The 40-year-old host attended the Miami Grand Prix when Lando Norris won his inaugural F1 race.
Stephen A. Smith’s journey through the media
STEPHEN A. Smith is now the face of ESPN and executive producer of First Take, having initially started working for the company in 2003.
Smith has held numerous roles at the network, including radio show host, contributions to SportsCenter and appearance on NBA Countdown.
He was a columnist for the Philadelphia Inquirer from 1994 to 2010.
His initial role was as a writer for the NBA before becoming a general sports columnist.
And before that, Smith worked as a reporter at the Winston-Salem Journal, the Greensboro News and the New York Daily News.
She hit the gym ahead of the star-studded event in the Sunshine State for a “little pre-race pump”.
And she even got her hands on the Larry O’Brien Trophy before the lights went out.
First Take has garnered rave reviews over the past few months, despite Stephen A.’s brutal schedule.
The 56-year-old regularly travels across the country to cover the NBA, but returned to New York last week to watch his beloved Knicks play in the playoffs.
First Take airs every weekday on ESPN from 10 a.m. ET to noon.
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