Stephen A. Smith’s Worst Take
Sports broadcaster, journalist, and TV personality Stephen A. Smith (First Take) boards the subway with a mix of spicy and surprising takes. He sounds off on brunch, borough rankings, and what makes New York great. Stephen A. also talks Knicks, old school rap, and why Queens will always come first in his book. Credits: Host: Kareem Rahma Guest: Stephen A. Smith Creators: Kareem Rahma & Andrew Kuo Camera: Anthony DiMieri & Tian Sippel Editor: Tyler Christie Associate Producer: Ramy Shafi Artwork: Andrew Lawandus
Summary
Stephen A. Smith defends brunch. The sports broadcaster tells Kareem he likes his waffles, his eggs, and his cheeseburgers, depending on the mood, though he denies ever ordering eggs Benedict despite what Page Six might say. He ranks the boroughs with Queens first (naturally), Brooklyn second, and refuses to put Staten Island above the Bronx because "I need to see some Black people in Staten Island." The First Take host predicts the Knicks will make the NBA Finals this year, their first since 1999. He's old school on hip-hop, repping Jay-Z, Nas, and LL Cool J over the young guys. When Kareem says he likes him a lot after ten minutes on the E train, Stephen A. refuses to return the compliment, though he concedes "we good.
Full Transcript
So, what's your take? What take?
So, what's your take? What do you want to take on?
What's your take? It depends on what you asking.
What's your take? It depends.
Do you have a take? I'm taking a ride on the E train. How about that take?
Well, what's your take? What's your Subway take? Brunch is kind of cool.
You like brunch? I like brunch.
Oh, 100%. Is that a full-fledged lunch?
I don't know, bro. It's not a full-fledged breakfast. It's in between. Sometimes you're not hungry at breakfast time, you know, but you don't want to blow yourself up during lunchtime.
So, you like brunch? That's a very unpopular opinion.
Well, you know what? Most conversations, most great conversations happen during brunch.
So, can I catch you on a Sunday morning at 11:00 at at at uh having mimosas with the girlies or what? Like that kind of Well, first of all, it's none of your damn business when I'm having lunch, who I'm having lunch with. And I would say, who brunch? I'm having brunch. And it's usually a very very productive uh encounter.
That's a meeting That too.
You have brunch meetings. What's wrong with that?
Nothing's wrong with you eating. Nothing's wrong with it.
As long as you're eating during your order. Are you a Benedict guy? You kind of look like a Benedict guy. That's what I'm in the mood for.
There's my guy over here gets Hollands on. See, one of those guys that ask questions, but you don't give a chance a brother to answer it. You see what I'm saying? You want to have the question and answer.
Well, unfortunately, there are two hosts on the show right now. Tell you that I like my waffles. I like my eggs, but I also like my cheeseburgers. So it depends on what I'm in the mood for.
So no Benedicts. No.
I just see you as a lobster Benedict kind of guy or a crab Benedict. Clearly you don't see me much.
I saw it online. You ain't never seen me no eggs Benedict.
I saw it on Page Six. Bro, That's a lie.
It says Stephen A. Smith having brunch in East Village eating eggs Benedict. Okay. And I'm telling you that's a lie.
Rank the boroughs. Queens in the building. That's number one.
Okay. Brooklyn's number two.
Excellent. It's a bit too congested for me personally, but Brooklyn, I mean, it it is what it is. It's special. No doubt. Bronx three,
Of course, Manhattan, the business sector four, and Staten Island number five. I'm going to move Staten Island up to where?
To the Bronx. I'm going to take Staten over to the Bronx on this. I just like the greenery. They have nice beaches. I need to see some Black people in Staten Island.
There are a couple. Did you just realize what you just said? There are a couple.
There are a couple. There are a couple.
A few? No, I'm not feeling that. There's a hat.
I'm not feeling that. So, I'm not going to give I love Staten Island. There's a lot of great people there, you know, no doubt about it. You know, my a lot of my Italian brothers and sisters are there. Nothing but love for them. But I'm not going to put them ahead of the Bronx.
And when you're out having brunch, you're you're doing it in in the Bronx. No, it's usually Queens or Manhattan.
What's your favorite food? There is no favorite. I told you for me personally, it depends on what mood I'm in. It could be burgers, it could be steak.
You have steak for brunch? Sometimes. If you're in a silly mood,
No. If I'm in a workout mode, like if I want to work out, get my protein in before I work out. Yeah, that's how I got Get that intake.
What do you eat for brunch? I'm not a brunch guy, my guy. I'm a I'm a breakfast guy and a dinner guy and I skip lunch.
So, you're a breakfast guy. You're a dinner guy, but you're asking about brunch and lunch. I'm not asking about brunch. I asked about the take and you brought me brunch.
But when I brought the brunch, you asked about it. Of course, I asked about it. It's my job to ask.
Who said that's your job? Millions of people around the world.
Brunch. What else do you want to talk about? I think the Knicks are gonna win the championship.
100% agree. That's fine. I'm lying. I
But I do I am serious about the fact I think they're going to get to the finals this year. I think the Knicks are going to the NBA Finals. That's very exciting.
We haven't been to the finals since '99. We haven't won a championship since '73. It's been a long time. And New York deserves it. New York does deserve it.
And I think they could give it to us. I really, really do. So, I'm going to say I think the Knicks are going to the finals.
What are you listening to in your headphones these days? I'm always listening to hip-hop and R&B. There's a little bit of Kodak Black, Playboy Cardi.
No. NBA Young Boy? No.
What about Jeezy? Well, a little Jeezy sometimes, but I'm really about Jay-Z. I'm about Nas. Um, I'm I'm a huge LL fan as well. Always have been, you know, so it's those old school cats like that. And of course, Biggie and Tupac and all of that. I love that, too. And with R&B, I'm kind of old school, too, cuz I love Teddy Pentagrass. I love the Isley Brothers, you know, but I like Joe a lot.
Real soulful guy. And but let me not forget even modern day, you know, Chris Brown, I got a lot of love for him. Some Lil Wayne stuff I like. That's true. Some Drake stuff I like. DJ Cole is one of my favorite. I just love listening to him. He's hilarious.
You open your phone and you put DJ Khaled. No. Understand some of the
Cuz that would have been weird. Fat Joe is another cat. Lean back. You know, I got love for him. But I'm pretty much old school.
You think rap was better back then? Yes.
You're a "back in the days" kind of guy. Yes, I am.
Unk. You call it whatever.
That's a compliment. I didn't sit up there and say it was an insult. I just say it's not a name I go by because a lot of people are called Unk. So my attitude is why would I want a name that everybody else has?
You want a special name. I'm Stephen A.
Stephen A. It don't get more special than that.
That's beautiful. That's right.
You know I like you a lot. What?
I like you a lot. Where'd that come from?
I'm just saying How you know me to like me.
I like you right now. Because
We've been here for 10 minutes. Oh, so because we've been here for 10 minutes on the E train. You like me a lot?
Yeah. Okay, I'll take it.
You got to return the compliment. No, I don't.
Yeah, you do. I don't.
You literally There's nothing that says that I have.
I'm going to take it back. Okay, you can take it back. Can't take back the train ride, though. Can't take back the fact that we on the E train. Can't take back the questions you asked me. Can't take back the answers I gave you. All of that is a matter of record. So, we good.
All right. We good.
All right. 100% agree.