Monica McNutt told Stephen A. Smith on Monday’s First Take that he could have covered the WNBA more in past years if he was so inclined. A furious Smith responded to the comment on his podcast.
While Smith stated his love and respect for McNutt, he also called her assertion “factually incorrect” and “highly offensive.” He then seemed to diminish her broadcasting credentials outside his ESPN show.
Although McNutt never said anything to the contrary, Smith celebrated himself as a champion for women because he’s welcomed female contributors to First Take. McNutt is an integral member of MSG’s New York Knicks coverage, but the self-proclaimed Knicks superfan took credit for her success.
“Ladies and gentlemen, I am the executive producer of First Take,” Smith said. “You ever heard of Monica McNutt? You have now. Because she’s on First Take a lot.”
Plenty of basketball fans, especially Knicks fans, knew the former Georgetown player before she began regularly appearing on First Take.
“I have heard of Monica McNutt,” Jesse Spector wrote. “She broadcasts Knicks games and is more knowledgeable about them than Stephen A. is, too.”
“Stephen A. is a Knicks fan, and Monica McNutt has been a star in covering them,” Professor Eugene B. Lee-Johnson said. “We’re also talking about a college basketball star. People know her. This is disrespectful and an example of what is wrong with men in power. This is one of the ways they act out when questioned.”
“A tapped in Knicks fan would never say this,” Bradford William Davis declared.
“More proof Stephen A Smith doesn’t watch Knicks games bc Monica McNutt has been a staple on MSG Network for years now,” a fan wrote. “People knew who she was way before she started gracing that awful morning show of his.”
If Smith truly cared about elevating female voices the way he claims, he might want to stop going on the offensive and shouting down a woman who dared to question him.