00:00But, boy, I'll tell you, ESPN has just not become the entertainment sports network that it once was.
00:06It's just not.
00:07So now you're having debates on whether Asia Wilson is in the same conversation with Tom Brady's greatness.
00:16Asia Wilson from the WNBA in the same conversation with Tom Brady?
00:22I mean, I would have went down the line if you started talking to me about Serena Williams and talking
00:29about Serena's greatness.
00:31I kind of would get that.
00:34Asia Wilson, so that, again, more shade on Kaitlin Clark, trying to talk about how great she is.
00:42She's a great basketball player.
00:44There's no question about it.
00:46But, dude, to get more eyeballs on your sport and more people interested in your sport, if I lined Asia
00:52Wilson up in a mall, I promise you, anywhere in America, 20% of the people would even know who
01:00she was.
01:01That's the problem that you have when you're trying to promote race baiting, rage baiting, is what ESPN's come down
01:10to now.
01:10And now you've got Stephen A. Smith.
01:13So Stephen A. Smith, I'm very critical of many times.
01:17So Stephen A. Smith came out the other day and said this, and I want to quote this here, that
01:22he questions whether or not a black host would get the same deal that Pat McAfee is just about ready
01:30to sign.
01:31I happen to know Pat very well.
01:33And Pat's in line to get a $60 million annual deal with Disney and with ESPN.
01:38And Stephen A. Smith brought it into the race column and said, would a black host get that opportunity?
01:46Last I checked, Stephen A. Smith signed a record-breaking deal and a landmark deal at $20 million a year
01:52when his contract came up.
01:54Did it ever cross Stephen A. Smith's mind that Pat McAfee is more important to ESPN than what Stephen A.
02:02Smith is?
02:03He's on two of the biggest shows that they have on that network now, the Pat McAfee show and also
02:09College Game Day.
02:10College Game Day is their best and most viewed show of any show that they have when it comes to
02:17ESPN and arguably the best show.
02:19I love PTI with Kornizer and Wilbon.
02:23This show here, College Game Day, there is nothing like it.
02:27And McAfee has actually taken the baton from Lee Corso, and I think he's elevated it with Nick Saban.
02:34He's become more important to ESPN.
02:37It never crossed Stephen A. Smith's mind that, hey, dude, he's a better talent than you.
02:43Hey, dude, he's a guy that ESPN looks at because he gets views.
02:47He gets ratings.
02:48He has big-time guests on his show, and it's really not about race baiting.
02:53Now, look, is he a traditional broadcaster?
02:56Absolutely no.
02:57I've had conversations, like I said, with Pat about this.
02:59And ESPN, the people that work there can't stand him because of what he generates for that company.
03:06And to sit there and see where ESPN has come down to and all the great anchors that they had
03:11in the past on what ESPN was is mind-numbing.
03:16Asia Wilson and whether or not she's in the same conversation with Tom Brady when it comes to Brady's greatness
03:23is insane conversation.
03:25She is a spectacular basketball player.
03:28No issues, dude.
03:30But to sit there and try to go down the line just to be able to get clicks and views.
03:35And I get it.
03:36That's where we are today.
03:38It's not about being talented.
03:39It's about being seen.
03:41And unfortunately, this is where some of the sports broadcasting is today.
03:46It's down that lane.
03:47Dude, I think she's awesome.
03:50I think there's no question about it that she's one of the greatest players in the history of the sport.
03:55I think the WNBA with Kathy Engelbert is absolutely dropping the ball with all the things that they could be
04:02doing when it comes to promoting that sport.
04:04You've got a golden goose that we've mentioned numerous times in Caitlin Clark.
04:08And you've got her 11th when it comes to WNBA voting for guards.
04:13She's third in scoring.
04:15She's like third in like assist.
04:18Her team's averaging 94 points a game.
04:21Highest number in 16 years.
04:23And you think she's the 11th best player at that position in the WNBA.
04:29Makes no sense.
04:30And I was so glad to hear Christine Brennan on with us earlier from USA Today say that they need
04:35a new change and a new direction when it comes to having leadership with that organization.
04:40And ESPN, of course, doesn't cover this.
04:42I mean, at the end of the day, folks, you have an opportunity to do exactly what Larry and Magic
04:48did back in the day.
04:50And David Stern was so smart to do it.
04:52He took race, greatness, Celtics, Lakers, and he sold it.
04:58And it turned the NBA around.
05:01Guys like Jordan and guys like Kobe and LeBron stand on those two guys' shoulders because of what David Stern
05:09and those two players did for the NBA.
05:11And the WNBA seemingly misses this.
05:14It's incredible.
05:15I mean, and it really, it's becoming laughable in how this sport is being watched and covered by ESPN.
05:23It's amazing.
