COURTING FAVOR
First Take viewers beg for ‘more Courtney Cronin’ as ESPN analyst sits in for absent star Stephen A. Smith
Chris Russo says Smith could be around for a while
ESPN First Take viewers are delighted with guest host Courtney Cronin.
The show has seen a revised line-up this week with the likes of Stephen A. Smith and Molly Qerim enjoying a much-needed break.
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And fans have made their feelings clear on stand-in Cronin, 33.
"Great job this morning Courtney," one posted on X.
"The first take show is way better rn with the guest host lol," another added.
"More Courtney Cronin on ESPN, she actually knows sports mannnnnn. And it's just factual s**t, nothing bias," a third commented.
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Cronin fans may get exactly what they wanted after Chris Russo suggested Smith may not be back until OCTOBER on yesterday's show.
"We are not gonna see you know who until the NBA tips off in October," Russo said.
"So Draymond Green, get used to it. On this show for the next three months, it's yours truly.
"I will be the executive producer. I will bring in the cast... as Stevie A. says, First House, what's the show called!?
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"First Take in the house."
Cronin grew up in Glenview, Illinois, and graduated with degrees in journalism and Spanish from Indiana University.
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She started at The Clarion-Ledger as a high school sports reporter, and then joined the Mercury News before she worked up to become an NFL team reporter for ESPN.
Cronin reported on the Golden State Warriors, Oakland (Las Vegas now) Raiders, San Francisco 49ers, and San Jose Sharks,
Since 2017 she has called ESPN home, working as a host and reporter.
She covered the Minnesota Vikings before assuming the Chicago Bears NFL Nation reporter role in 2022.
On today's First Take, Brian Windhorst - also acting as guest host - said LeBron James is plotting a huge new move away from the Los Angeles Lakers.
Stephen A. Smith's journey through media
STEPHEN A. Smith is now the face of ESPN and an executive producer on First Take having initially started working for the company back in 2003.
Smith has held various roles with the network, including hosting radio shows, SportsCenter contributions, and appearing on NBA Countdown.
He was a columnist for the Philadelphia Inquirer from 1994 to 2010.
His began as an NBA writer before becoming a general sports columnist.
Before that, Smith worked as a reporter with Winston-Salem Journal, the Greensboro News, and the New York Daily News.
"What is the next thing that he wants? What has he made clear that is after playing with his son? He wants to be the owner of the coming expansion team in Las Vegas," Windhorst explained.
"So the biggest thing other than health that we're going to see that is going to determine when the end of LeBron's career is, is when the owners of the league set forth a timeline about when they're going to establish that expansion team in Las Vegas.
"Now nothing is assured and they keep putting that asterisk on everything, but I suspect once the TV rights deals get wrapped up, which should be this summer sometime, and they have that done. They have the CBA done, the TV deal done. They've extended Adam Silver's contract.
"They're going to bring expansion to the table and they're going to probably pick a year in which that's going to be.
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"It won't be next season, so it'll probably at the earliest be two years from now.
"And that's what I think LeBron will be focused on. He wants to join up with partners to become the face of the franchise in Las Vegas."