ESPN First Take has been set up like this for awhile, they just change out the characters.
They always have a MAGA guy, a pro-black players guy, and Stephen A. Smith who just sort of floats around and yells at everybody and everything.
JJ Redick vs. Chris Russo is just the new version of Max Kellerman and Will Cain. Similar to those debates where ESPN rarely promoted Kellerman’s rational takes (remember when T.O. said Kellerman was more black than Stephen A.), ESPN did not promote this take from JJ Redick basically accusing Chris Russo of being MAGA for telling Draymond to shut up and dribble.
The Mad Dog has found an alpha adversary in JJ Redick.
Chris Russo and Redick, who previously duked it out in a Chris Paul vs. Bob Cousy debate, clashed on ESPN’s “First Take” on Wednesday after the former NBA sharpshooter took umbrage with an exasperated Russo telling Warriors star Draymond Green to “shut up and play.”
The segment began with a clip of Green explaining that he was not sorry for flipping off Grizzlies fans Tuesday night. Green walked off the FedEx Forum court during the first half, heading toward the locker room after he was elbowed by Xavier Tillman. As he was getting booed vociferously, Green gave the road fans the double-finger salute.
“Boo somebody who gets elbowed in the eye and is bleeding, and you should get flipped off,” Green argued.
Green said he’d do an appearance to make up the likely oncoming fine money. He already makes $25 million a year so it hardly matters.
“He’s so hard to root for,” Russo commented. “Shut up and play. Will you please? America’s tired of Draymond Green. I deal with him constantly. Be quiet and play. We all know he has a great skill set for that team. I understand how good he is. I can’t root for him.”
Russo said that fans “who spend a thousand dollars to go these games” boo hurt players “all the time” – and they don’t “really mean anything by it.” Stephen A. Smith interjected that they were cheering Green’s injury, for which he needed stitches on his face, and Russo said that was the same principle.
That has the same sort of connotations as the ‘Shut up and dribble’ crowd has toward athletes,” Redick said, referencing the time Fox News host Laura Ingraham said that about LeBron James.
“I have a problem with that. And specifically with Draymond, the idea that America is tired of him. You do realize that the man has a very popular podcast that he hosts and talks for the majority of the episode. People listen to that. He signed a talent deal with Turner because people want to hear what he has to say, because he’s real, authentic and unfiltered.”
You won’t see the video on any of ESPN social media places, but we have it here.
Flip the pages to check it out and some of the Twitter reactions.
