Stephen A. Smith doesn’t care if you’re right on ‘First Take’

Stephen A. Smith values a strong opinion more than the right opinion, and he instills that into the contributors he puts on First Take.

Dan Orlovsky recently joined the Awful Announcing Podcast, where he discussed his future media aspirations and the decision to sign a contract extension with ESPN. During the interview, Orlovsky also discussed his growth as an analyst on debate shows.

Orlovsky recalled being invited by Smith to become a regular on First Take when he was retooling the show after Max Kellerman’s departure. And Smith was willing to bring Orlovsky on under one condition.

“He said, ‘I got one demand,’” Orlovsky recalled. “And I said, ‘What?’ He goes, ‘I do not care if you’re right. Pick a side and go. I don’t care if you’re right. You have to pick a side and you gotta argue your side.’

“And I think him saying that freed me up in a way. Empowered me. I don’t know if I would have been as comfortable. But him giving me he the free reign to be like, ‘Go’ and having him do it, for me, was a big deal.”

That conversation may have helped give Orlovsky the confidence to offer bolder takes and opinions. But don’t mistake that confidence as Orlovsky not caring about being wrong. Because, despite Smith’s approval, Orlovsky very much values being right.

“I don’t want to be wrong, I hate being wrong,” Orlovsky added. “When I got into this people would tell me, ‘Hey, you think you have to be right, you’re not paid to be right.’ I completely and respectfully disagree with that. I want to be right. I think that’s what separates people in this industry, and I think that’s why you should get paid a certain amount of money.”

If you consume First Take in any capacity, it’s obvious that Smith and the regular contributors enter a debate without fear of being wrong. And that is undoubtedly the right approach to creating compelling TV and social media clips. No one would pay First Take any attention if it were filled with a cast of sports entertainers who gave cautious opinions and predictions.

But those same sports entertainers should be fearless as long as they’re also being responsible. Because it’s not the wrong takes or opinions that can be damning for a sports host or analyst, it’s the irresponsible ones.

Listen to the full episode of the Awful Announcing Podcast featuring Dan Orlovsky and subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts. For more content, subscribe to AA’s YouTube page.