5 Reasons ESPN’s First Take is a Hit

Ethan Brisby

@ethanbrisby

1. Cari Champion is about as perfect as it gets in her role

Champion came on board in September and she has been nothingshort of legendary. The only thing I would like to see her do moving forward is interject more. Her persona, silky smooth body, and made-for-TV smile make the male dominated audience of the show not mind watching her work. In other words, she’s great eye candy at 9 AM.

2. They got it right by bringing Stephen A. Smith on full-time

In previous seasons Skip Bayless would take the machete to 95% of the debaters ESPN placed in front of him. We all remember what he did to “Bosh Spice” when he came on months after the Heat lost in the 2011 NBA Finals. Everyone knew only Stephen A could equal the over top antics of Bayless. The Black man versus White man intangible also makes it good for TV.

3. It gives social media a buzz in the morning each and every day

Twitter and Facebook are always buzzing during this show with people’s take on the sports topics discussed, Stephen A’s tie selection, Bayless’ unpopular takes, and I counted 25 tweets yesterday directed toward Champion and her value. Americans love their sports, we are married to ESPN and social media is here to stay. What an equation.

4. Debate: it’s what people love to do anyway

Good oratorical jargon is appreciated by the majority of sports fans. Should Tim Tebow get a shot to be a starter? Are the Lakers doomed and out of the NBA Championship discussion? Would you rather have Peyton or Eli? Sports fans cannot get enough of the subjective takes that follow these sort of questions.

5. The celebs dig it too

Over the past few months I have seen Regis and T.I. live on set, and a slew of other celebs frequently Tweet about what’s happening on the show. On January 2, Mike Epps Tweeted Cari Champions asking where did Stephen A get his designer glasses. These free endorsements do nothing but add more value to the product that so many folks love to watch in their P.J.s. while drinking coffee and working from home!