First Take is among the biggest money-making show on ESPN these days. But you would think with all of the viewership it gets that the network would invest in some backup generators in case of a power outage.
Incidents like today would certainly be a good reason to do so.
Midway through Wednesday's edition of the show, Molly Qerim and Chris "Mad Dog" Russo started filming the show in the hallway of ESPN's studio. Qerim revealed that the show suffered a power outage, while Russo decided to crack some jokes about it.
"We lost power. So Mad Dog, tell us why you're mad. I'm sure you're not happy about this," Qerim said.
"Well if they didn't pay Stephen A. $400 million, maybe they could pay their freakin' bills, ESPN!" he yelled. "But Jimmy and the fellas, goodness gracious! How dare you a) squeeze me and stick me in a hallway and... look at these stupid things! You took me away from my set! All because you gotta pay him $150 million guaranteed?!"
Smith couldn't help but crack a smile through Russo's rant.
The First Take studio lost power, so they filmed the show in the hallway.
— Front Office Sports (@FOS) May 28, 2025
Chris Russo:
"If they didn't pay Stephen A. $400 million, maybe they could pay their freakin' bills, ESPN!" pic.twitter.com/L5nTMvOuJH
ESPN executive John Manzo took to X and joked that it's a good thing the studio is moving this summer, while other fans cracked more jokes at ESPN's expense:
"Good thing our studio shows are moving to a new location this summer!" Manzo wrote.
"Oh that’s big hate," another user joked.
"Finally, they are where they belong!" joked a third.
"Jesus Christ what have they done to my beautiful ESPN?"
Qerim and Russo went on to finish the show outside of the studio. Other than the background being different and the acoustics sounding a little off, the rest of the show seemed to go off without any real hitch for the viewers.
Fortunately for the First Take showrunners, people generally have far more issues about the content of the show rather than the infrastructure behind it.
More must-reads:
The Los Angeles Lakers announced the signing of Vanderbilt wing Chris Manon to a two-way contract. Manon was a defensive ace throughout his collegiate career, averaging two steals per game in four college seasons, the first three at Cornell University before transferring to Vanderbilt as a senior. He was an All-Ivy League First Team selection in his junior season and once he moved into the starting lineup for Vanderbilt as a senior, his impact showed once again. As a starter, Manon averaged 7.0 points, 3.9 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.9 steals and 1.2 blocks per game. His shooting will need to be developed as he shot just 30.4% from 3-point range for his career, but his ability to defend multiple positions and make winning plays on both ends of the court makes him stand out as someone who could carve out a career at the NBA level. This was also on display during the Summer League where Manon stood out for the Golden State Warriors. The Lakers saw it up close in their first game of the California Classic as Manon finished with eight points, three rebounds, three steals and two blocks in a Warriors victory. He saved his best performance of the summer for last however, as he led the Warriors with 17 points, five rebounds, two assists, four steals and two blocks in a win over the Cleveland Cavaliers in Las Vegas. Overall, Manon averaged 9.0 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.4 blocks in seven games for the Warriors Summer League team. Known as a high IQ player and excellent defender with an endless motor Manon has the opportunity to fine tune and develop those skills with the Lakers who have a history of discovering undrafted gems and helping turn them into legit NBA rotation players. Manon will be able to learn defensive tricks from the likes of Marcus Smart and Jarred Vanderbilt and has an excellent opportunity to shine with the Lakers. Lakers view Chris Manon as high IQ defender who plays the right way The two-way contract was made for players with potential to be able to develop those skills and the Lakers believe Chris Manon is someone who can become a rotation player in the NBA. After an excellent college career and a head-turning performance in the Summer League, the Lakers view Manon as a high-level defender and smart player who plays the game the right way, which sounds like someone head coach JJ Redick will love.
New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman has stirred up a whirlwind, looking to fulfill his priority of bringing a frontline starter to New York. In his latest round of relentless phone calls, MLB insider Jon Heyman reports that Cashman spoke to San Diego Padres general manager, A.J. Preller, about two-time Cy Young candidate Dylan Cease. Cease has been a source of interest for MLB teams since 2022, when he pitched to a spectacular 2.20 ERA with 227 strikeouts in 184 innings, coming second in the Cy Young voting. Landing with the Padres last season, Cease again flashed potential, tossing to a 3.47 ERA with 224 strikeouts through 189.1 innings of work. That year, he placed fourth in Cy Young voting. But as much as Cease is talented, he is also flawed. In 2023, just after his best year, Cease posted a lackluster 4.58 ERA, and this season has been no better. Through 113.2 innings this year, Cease owns a 4.59 ERA with 144 strikeouts. Cease has been quite the strikeout artist since his debut, but the rest of his results haven’t always been that good. His 42 walks and 16 home runs surrendered on the year make him a risky bet. According to Heyman, the Yankees are one of four teams that have “checked in” on Cease. He notes that trading Cease is a long shot since the Padres are in contention, but they still may be inclined to do so as he is in the last year of his contract. One might also add that his performance this year probably won’t help them reach the World Series. For the Yankees, or any other interested team for that matter, dealing prospects or players for a slumping half-year rental might not be the best idea. Still, the Padres might just receive a decent haul for Cease since the market for spotless, front-line aces is non-existent at this trade deadline.
It’s wild how quickly the NBA narrative can flip. A year ago, Zion Williamson was in every trade rumor possible. People were questioning his health, his work ethic, even his future in New Orleans. And the Pelicans? They didn’t really deny any of it. It felt like both sides were one step away from walking. But things have shifted this offseason — quietly, but clearly. The Pelicans could’ve pulled the plug. Zion’s contract gave them outs, and the trade market might’ve still brought back some real value. Instead, they stuck with him. And based on what one of their own just said, they’re not just keeping him around — they’re still betting big on him. In a recent interview with Spotrac’s Keith Smith, an anonymous Pelicans executive made it crystal clear. “Zion is still our guy. We’re all in on him. We think he’s going to have a huge year. We’ve had some bad injury luck and some things that just haven’t worked out. This partnership hasn’t even come close to reaching our best yet.” That’s not something you say if you’re halfway in. They backed it up with their offseason moves, too. They traded CJ McCollum and brought in Jordan Poole, a high-usage creator who can take pressure off Zion. They drafted Jeremiah Fears with the No. 7 pick, a dynamic young guard. They added Kevon Looney, a reliable veteran who brings playoff experience and toughness. Those aren’t tear-it-down moves — those are “let’s try this another way” moves. Of course, Zion’s health is still the question. That never really goes away. He played just 30 games last season, but in those games he looked solid: 24.6 points, 7.2 rebounds and 5.3 assists per night on 56.7 percent shooting. The explosiveness was there. The playmaking was sharp. And the hope for New Orleans is that this time, he can finally sustain it. What’s interesting is how the front office is trying to create a better environment around him. Joe Dumars has stepped in to lead basketball operations and is reportedly building a closer relationship with Zion — dinners, real conversations, not just surface-level stuff. It feels like, for once, the team is trying to meet him halfway. It’s a risk, sure. But it’s a calculated one. The West is brutal and the margin for error is thin. Still, if Zion can stay healthy for 60 games, and if Poole finds a rhythm and guys like Trey Murphy and Herb Jones keep improving — this team has a shot to be in the mix. The quote from the exec says it all. They could’ve hit reset, moved on, cleaned house. But they didn’t. They’re still in. And now it’s on Zion to hold up his end of the deal. After everything that’s happened, they’re telling the world they still believe. Now it’s time to find out if they’re right.
Carter Hart, Dillon Dube, Callan Foote, Michael McLeod and Alex Formenton have been found not guilty by Justice Maria Carroccia in London, Ontario, according to reporting from The Athletic, after being charged in connection with an alleged sexual assault involving the 2018 Canadian men’s national junior team. Carroccia said that she did not find E.M.’s [the alleged victim] evidence “credible or reliable,” in explaining her reasoning. “Having found that I cannot rely upon the evidence of E.M. and then considering the evidence in this trial as a whole, I conclude that the Crown cannot meet its onus on any of the counts before me,” Carroccia said. The allegations against Dube, Foote, Formenton, Hart and McLeod first became public in May of 2022, when reports emerged that Hockey Canada had paid to settle a lawsuit with a woman, known in court documents as E.M., who said she was sexually assaulted by eight players “over several hours” in a London hotel room on July 18, 2018. No charges were levied as a result of the initial investigation by local police, which was closed in February 2019, but the case was reopened after the 2022 report. Formal charges were then brought against the five defendants on Jan. 30, 2024. The trial began on April 22, 2025, and the verdicts were reached solely by Justice Carroccia after two mistrials influenced her to dismiss the jury. The NHL does not have a formal policy for players accused of or charged with domestic violence, sexual assault or similar crimes. Instead, the four players who were under NHL contracts at the time – Dube, Foote, Hart and McLeod – were granted indefinite leaves of absence by their clubs shortly before the charges were announced. All of them were pending restricted free agents on expiring contracts and were not extended qualifying offers, making them unrestricted free agents as of July 1, 2024. When asked about the playing eligibility of the defendants, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman has continually deferred action until after a verdict was reached. While none of the players are formally suspended by the league, similar situations have routinely required some sort of permission from league offices for them to play in or return to the NHL. If teams approach any of them with a contract offer, they will presumably wait for that guidance before registering the deal.
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