FAN FURY
‘It’s ridiculous’, fume First Take fans as ESPN show hit by technical issues leaving analysts ‘talking over each other’
Johnson's appearance on the show left fans impressed
FIRST Take fans have been left frustrated after the ESPN show was blighted by technical issues.
With Stephen A. Smith still on vacation, co-host Molly Qerim was joined on Wednesday's show by Chris "Mad Dog" Russo, Bart Scott, and Louis Riddick.
4
4
4
Another guest joining Qerim and Co. virtually was former NFL All-Pro receiver, Chad Johnson.
The 46-year-old Cincinnati Bengals legend broadcast live from his Night Cap podcast studio - a show he presents with First Take co-host Shannon Sharpe.
Unfortunately, Johnson's appearance was hit by technical difficulties.
Debating whether wideouts or edge rushers are more important to the success of an NFL team, as the segment wore on, problems arose as Johnson appeared to be suffering from a delay.
Read More on First Take
The frequent awkward pauses and overlapping comments didn't go unnoticed by viewers, who took to X to call out the issue.
"You're a multibillion-dollar company & you can't figure out how to manage the d**n audio delay so we don't have to spend the morning listening to [people] talk over each other every single segment?!" one irate fan asked.
"Remove the mics, put everybody on a dang phone call, this is ridiculous."
"Delay kicking y'all's a** today," claimed another.
Most read in American Football
But while technical problems may have proved a nuisance, Johnson still left a mark on fans during his appearance.
"Ocho needs to stay permanently on First Take," a YouTube viewer commented.
‘I apologize America,’ sighs Molly Qerim as First Take star attempts to rival Stephen A. Smith but flops with cold open
"I like Ocho better on First Take more than Night Cap, his takes sound better
Their debate coincided with the release of EA's Madden 25 ratings, with the top-graded edge rushers listed on screen throughout.
Both Micah Parsons of the Dallas Cowboys and Myles Garrett of the Cleveland Browns shared honors as the top-graded edge rusher with 98.
They were followed by Maxx Crosby of the Las Vegas Raiders and TJ Watt of the Pittsburgh Steelers at 97.
Meanwhile, Miami Dolphins star Tyreek Hill was one of just three players with a 99 grade and found himself one point clear of the next-highest receiver, Justin Jefferson of the Minnesota Vikings.
First Take viewing figures
First Take went from strength to strength under the guidance of Stephen A. Smith and Molly Qerim last year.
The weekday ESPN debate show averaged 496,000 viewers in 2023 - making it the most-watched year in program history.
Its December average of 611,000 was a 24% year-on-year increase compared to 2022.
The show also reported more than 250 million views on YouTube.
First Take was helped by the addition of Shannon Sharpe alongside Smith and Qerim after he left Fox Sports' Undisputed.
San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey and left tackle Trent Williams were also given a hame-high 99 rating.
The latest edition of Madden is scheduled to be released on August 16.
As revealed by EA in June, McCaffrey will feature as the Madden 25 cover star.
Read More on The US Sun
"To be on the cover of Madden NFL is a career achievement and an honor I share with all of my teammates, coaches and 49er Faithful who have helped make it possible," McCaffrey stated.
"I'm pumped to get back on the field this year to give Madden players more reasons to keep scoring touchdowns with me in Madden NFL 25."
4