FIRST Take fans lamented another schedule change after the ESPN show was postponed again on Tuesday.
The sports debate show aired in its usual 10 a.m. Eastern time slot on ESPN, but ended abruptly after just 60 minutes.
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Presenter Molly Qerim was on vacation, with Shae Cornette taking on the role of anchor.
Cornette was joined by Courtney Cronin, Clinton Yates and Joe Fortenbaugh to discuss all things sports at Seaport Studios in Manhattan, NY.
Usual lead analysts Stephen A. Smith and Shannon Sharpe remained absent as they continued their long summer vacation.
First Take was interrupted on ESPN due to Game 4 of the Little League Softball tournament.
Maryland takes on Pennsylvania at 11 a.m. ET, with the game also streaming live on Fubo.
As a result, the second half of First Take was relegated to sister channel ESPN 2.
But fans were forced to wait another hour for new material, with a rerun of the show beginning on the channel at 11 a.m. ET.
“Look at this crew!” Cronin captioned a photo of the panel on X before the broadcast, before reminding fans to switch over after an hour.
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“Courtney made us all arrive on set 30 minutes early for this photo. Ridiculous,” Fortenbaugh joked in response.
Not everyone was happy with the new cast, with some fans pining for the return of Smith and Sharpe.
“No @MollyQerim no @stephenasmith don’t watch @FirstTake,” one viewer wrote on X.
“First Take put in the C team this week,” complained another.
“I’m enjoying this @FirstTake team today. No shouting and unnecessary behavior, just straight to the point about sports.
Stephen A. and Molly were front and center when First Take hit the road last Friday.
First look at the numbers
First Take has grown from strength to strength under the guidance of Stephen A. Smith and Molly Qerim over the past year.
ESPN’s weekday debate show averaged 496,000 viewers in 2023 — making it the most-watched year in the show’s history.
Its December average of 611,000 represented a 24% annual increase compared to 2022.
The show has also recorded more than 250 million views on YouTube.
First Take was helped by the addition of Shannon Sharpe alongside Smith and Qerim after he left Fox Sports’ Undisputed.
The duo headlined a special show in Chicago before a live audience at the National Association of Black Journalists conference.
“I was on vacation, but you guys are more important than vacation,” Smith said as he was greeted by a crowd in Illinois.
“Damn, that means a lot because I was having fun.”
First Take has provided a ratings bonanza for ESPN in recent months.
The arrival of NFL Hall of Famer Sharpe from FS1’s Undisputed sent the show’s popularity soaring.
Sharpe has not been seen on First Take since his last show on July 3.
He recently signed a multi-year extension to his contract with ESPN.
The former NFL star previously only appeared two days a week on the flagship morning show, but his role is expected to expand next season.
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This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
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