ESPN’s First Take is a bad show by design. The entire mission behind the show’s manufactured debate between Stephen A. Smith and Max Kellerman is to draw viewership with its pure outlandishness.
But on Monday, Smith crossed the line from bad sports takes into straight-up xenophobia.
Ahead of Monday’s MLB Home Run Derby in Denver, Smith and Kellerman were discussing whether Shohei Ohtani was good for baseball. Of course, it shouldn’t even be a question about whether a two-way superstar who can hit upper deck home runs AND strike out MLB hitters is good for the game.
Yet, Smith managed to take a contrarian side to the argument in the worst way. He criticized Ohtani, who is from Japan, for needing an interpreter.