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Good morning! Listen to a trade offer today.
On Your TV: The ‘face’ of ESPN’s fascinating future
Stephen A. Smith is a magnet. For stans and detractors and general fans alike. No matter your feelings toward Smith, many people are curious to know what he’s saying.
Therein lies his value, which ESPN made official yesterday by agreeing to a five-year, $100 million contract extension with the TV star, as The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand first reported. The massive deal comes with theoretically less work — Smith will continue his role on “First Take,” but plans to scale back his appearances elsewhere on the network.
Two important layers here, to me:
- It is easy to decry this as some form of moral decay at ESPN, and there is a semblance of truth there. We have to remember this is an entertainment company first and foremost — literally the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network — and Smith is an entertainer. It’s also a company that lives and thrives on live game rights. These things will always find priority over more serious, hard-hitting journalism.
- I find the political angle captivating. Smith has not been shy about talking politics of late, and even finds himself polling as a possible presidential candidate in 2028. This new contract gives Smith plenty of space to continue his political conversations, wherever they lead.
I asked Andrew if this entire equation — more money for theoretically less work from Smith — made sense:
💬 “Stephen A. will remain the face of the network. His most value is on “First Take,” because he is what viewers tune in for. On pregames, the games are the product and, you could argue, Stephen A. causes folks to tune out when it becomes more about him than the sport. Stephen A. has had two careers at ESPN: The first one ended with him being let go, because he didn’t have his delivery completely down. This second act, he has it fully together. Plus, what should be respected about Stephen A. — if you like him or not — is that he works hard.”
Smith is the definition of polarization in the sports world, and that draws eyeballs. The money follows. Need more evidence? Just look at the comment section of Andrew’s report.
Make sure to subscribe to the MoneyCall newsletter for more from Dan Shanoff next week. Onward:
News to Know
A busy L.A. day
The Dodgers and manager Dave Roberts are close to agreeing on a new contract which would be the richest ever for a MLB manager, sources confirmed to The Athletic, which only seems fitting after Roberts’ second ring in five seasons. The news came hours after the club said Shohei Ohtani’s return to the mound has been slowed a bit to give him more time to heal from offseason shoulder surgery. It’s a luxury to have the incredible depth which allows you to slow-play your all-world pitcher’s return, right?
NFL market latest
The Seattle Seahawks continue to listen to offers on star wideout DK Metcalf, though general manager John Schneider said yesterday there’s no guarantee Metcalf gets dealt. Sounds like a good negotiation tactic to me. One wide receiver, Christian Kirk, does find himself on a new team after Jacksonville sent him to Houston for a draft pick. Oh, and the Bengals gave standout defensive end Trey Hendrickson permission to seek a trade, which should tell us a deal with receiver Tee Higgins should come at some point this offseason.
Check out Scoop City break down Metcalf’s possible future.
More news
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Today’s the Day: Rantanen on the move again?
James Guillory / Imagn Images
Remember when the Avalanche stunned hockey by trading Mikko Rantanen to the Hurricanes just two months ago? Shocking and all that. Well, Rantanen could be on the move again after rebuffing a contract extension offer from Carolina.
It sets up what could be a wild NHL trade deadline, set for 3 p.m. ET today. Let’s start with what happened yesterday:
Now, for the two big prizes on our latest Trade Board:
- Rantanen should garner plenty of interest today, as he remains a superstar in this game despite a slight downturn in production since joining the Hurricanes. And he might remain in Carolina past the deadline, as he remains committed to hitting free agency this offseason at this point.
- The Islanders are expected to trade longtime center Brock Nelson today after contract extension talks failed between the two sides. He’s No. 2 on our board now, and playoff teams should be lining up to make a deal.
Just keep our live blog open today. I hope your team gets a winner. The Athletic Hockey Show has a preview of the key teams to watch.
Watch and Listen
📺 NCAAW: Vanderbilt vs. No. 5 South Carolina
Noon ET on ESPN
Nothing embodies March more than important midday basketball on your TV/laptop while you “work.” The defending champs have not been perfect this year, but remain the best team in the SEC, where the conference tournament has become enormously important. Big Dance seeding on the line here.
📺 NCAAM: South Florida vs. No. 16 Memphis
9 p.m. ET on ESPN 2
This isn’t a spectacular matchup, per se, but I’m curious to get a glimpse at Penny Hardaway’s crew, which has won 13 of its last 14 games and sits as a No. 7 seed right now in our bracket projection. The Tigers could be a fun pick to make a run in the Tournament.
Get tickets to games like these here.
Pulse Picks
How does your NFL team actually perform in free agency? Daniel Popper has every answer you can imagine. Dive in here.
Mariners top executive Jerry DiPoto has been roasted plenty for his interviews. He admitted this one, with Sam Blum, will fall in that category, too.
De’Aaron Fox arrived in San Antonio this season with gaudy expectations surrounding him. Now? It’s been a weird couple of months.
What do international soccer teams actually think of the 2025 Club World Cup? Our UK staff has answers.
Take a trivia break and test yourself on this week’s news. I will be disappointed if you fail.
Most-clicked in the newsletter yesterday: Dan Robson’s excellent column explaining why Canadians are stung by Wayne Gretzky’s political silence.
Most-read on the website yesterday: ☝️
(Top photo: Paras Griffin / Getty Images)
