Taking on First Take: Situating Sports Debate Television Within the Symbolic Environment

In the new media era, the symbolic environment in which Americans understand and discuss information has evolved. Sociocultural developments and social media have given rise to the “take”, a positioned and oppositional mode of discourse, predominantly utilized in the cultural realm of sports by individuals like Stephen A. Smith on ESPN’s flagship program for debate, First Take. Recently, the take has expanded outwardly from the world of entertainment, reshaping everyday informational exchanges, particularly on the social media platform X. Through historical, televisual, and social media analysis, this work investigates the presentation and affect of the take on First Take, contending that the program replicates the presentation of a live sports broadcast through generic tendencies. Further, Smith’s sensationalized, platform hybridized, and reciprocally shaped rhetoric resonates not only with sports fans but also successfully maps onto the contemporary “sportified” political landscape. With Smith teasing a potential run for president in 2028, understanding the formulation and impact of the take at this moment offers insight into the future of both sport and political discourse.