Stephen A. Smith celebrates ‘three Black dudes’ doing that hockey: ‘Only in America’

Stephen A. Smith doesn’t know much about the NHL, but he enjoyed seeing three Black dudes doing that hockey on ESPN Monday morning.

After snubbing the Stanley Cup Final before Games 1-6 of the series, Stephen A. Smith and First Take finally acknowledged the NHL’s existence ahead of Game 7 Monday morning. And they didn’t just acknowledge the sport, they opened the show with it. That’s the power of a Game 7.

Stephen A. Smith: “Guess who’s about to do that hockey, bro. It’s us! It’s us, baby! And guess what, Shay Shay, your boy is in Florida. I’m going to Game 7. I don’t know a damn thing about hockey other than the fact that the puck is black.” pic.twitter.com/tS08bZggy4

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) June 24, 2024

“Guess who’s about to do that hockey, bro?” Smith asked Shannon Sharpe during First Take’s cold open. “It’s us! It’s us, baby! And guess what, Shay Shay? Your boy is in Florida. I’m going to Game 7. I don’t know a damn thing about hockey other than the fact that the puck is black. But dammit, everyone in the world is talking about hockey today, so that’s what we gonna do.”

Last week, Awful Announcing highlighted the glaring omission of any Stanley Cup Final talk from ESPN’s morning shows. We know First Take doesn’t care about hockey, Smith made that clear last year when he rolled his eyes at Michael Kay for referencing the New York Rangers on the show. But with Disney being the home of the Stanley Cup Final, you would expect the company’s foremost sports show to at least pretend to care about hockey for a few minutes. And when they finally did, Smith wanted credit.

“You talk about breaking news, look at this thing! Three Black dudes talking hockey! On national television! Only in America baby…Let’s do that hockey.” – Stephen A. Smith very proud of First Take’s versatility. pic.twitter.com/43uVHpYAdl

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) June 24, 2024

“You talk about breaking news, look at this thing!” Smith boasted as he sat on screen with Shannon Sharpe and P.K. Subban. “Three Black dudes talking hockey! On national television! Only in America baby. Only in America baby. Only in America. That’s all I’m talking about. Let’s do that hockey. All day. We gonna do that hockey.”

It wasn’t just three Black dudes talking hockey, Smith also invited NHL commissioner Gary Bettman on the show for a segment. In Smith’s defense, he knows his strengths and plays the hits. Hockey isn’t his strength and while the sport has an incredibly loyal and passionate fanbase, it’s not a hit in the national sports conversation. But when ESPN is paying $400 million annually for NHL game rights, you do that hockey.

All it took for First Take to do that hockey was the Edmonton Oilers forcing a Game 7 after falling behind 3-0 to the Florida Panthers. And if Edmonton becomes the first team since the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs to win the Stanley Cup after trailing in the series 3-0, Stephen A. Smith and First Take just might have to do that hockey again. Producers are already champing at the bit for a ‘better GOAT debate’ debate, ‘LeBron James vs Michael Jordan or Connor McDavid vs Wayne Gretzky?’

[First Take]