If we can just be honest here for a moment.
Stephen A. isn’t sorry. He has said on numerous occasions that women shouldn’t provoke men into violence. He is apologizing because his bosses made him apologize. You want to keep your job, you have to say you’re sorry. I don’t judge him for that, he makes a lot of money at ESPN. Better a fake apology than being unemployed.
I am not big on fake apologies, but I am not naive enough to think if I was in a position where I could lose over million dollars and a high profile jobs at the highest profile sports network, that I wouldn’t go on camera and do what Stephen A. did.
The reason it was taped was because ESPN didn’t want Stephen A. to put his foot in his mouth again. I am sure this took numerous “takes”, no pun intended, to make it sound just right.
First Take as I’ve stated many times, is a sports version of the WWE. I am a WWE fan, but they let you know up front it isn’t real and basically a soap opera. Skip Bayless was nowhere to be found during this segment because like most heels he knows when to stay out of dodge and let someone else to take the heat.
The only good part of this was Cari Champion getting an opportunity to be something more than a ref for Skip and Stephen A. She has a voice too and I am glad ESPN finally let that show. In the end, ESPN got exactly what they wanted, which was a bunch of eyes on first Take on a Monday morning.
Only thing was missing was someone coming on after the break to say…..
H/T Sports Grid