The sports media world was stunned when Molly Qerim, longtime moderator of ESPN’s First Take, announced her sudden departure from the network earlier this month. While ESPN has yet to release an official explanation, radio legend Christopher “Mad Dog” Russo has shed light on what really happened, and according to him, it was less about performance and more about pride.
Appearing on SI Media with Jimmy Traina, Russo revealed that Stephen A. Smith personally called him the night before Qerim’s exit to give him a heads-up about the situation. The call, Russo said, left him both surprised and disappointed.
“Yeah, very surprised. Very surprised. I didn’t know. Stephen A. called me the night before to tell me that Molly was gonna leave. I did not speak to Molly prior, and I think I’ve only had one conversation with her since.”
“She was on air a long time, and I think they probably wanted to move things around a little bit and try something different. Not that the ratings were bad, it’s just the nature of the beast. You’re on air forever, and they like to make a change for change’s sake.”
“I think they wanted to keep Molly with the network, and I don’t know if Molly wanted to do that, because I think she probably looked at it like well, if I’m not gonna do First Take, I don’t want to do SportsCenter. She probably felt that would be a demotion, I would assume. I don’t think it was an immediate decision about removing her by, say, October 1st. I think she precipitated it.”
“I guess it was in the Sports Business Journal. I think she probably felt embarrassed once that report came out. I didn’t talk to her about the specifics of why she decided to leave as soon as that news broke, but I’m thinking she didn’t want the world to think she was a lame duck still doing the show. That probably had a little something to do with it.”
“Molly was great to me. We had a great relationship. She got a kick out of me, for whatever reason. She was a very important ingredient to what they were trying to do.”
“Her and Steve had a good relationship: I’d say big brother, little sister would be the best way to put it. They knew each other well, and she listened to Stephen A. when he gave her advice. She spoke to him a lot. It really was a big brother, little sister deal. But yeah, I was surprised. I did not know that was happening. I was shocked.”
For nearly a decade, Molly Qerim helped define First Take’s chemistry, guiding heated debates between Stephen A. Smith, Max Kellerman, and later guests like Russo and Shannon Sharpe. Her departure marks the end of a stable era for the show, which remains ESPN’s flagship morning debate program.
Russo’s comments reveal that behind the polished smiles and debates, there was growing tension about the network’s direction and Qerim’s role within it. While First Take will continue, it’s clear her presence will be deeply missed.
With Qerim’s departure, ESPN has already named her replacement: Shae Cornette. Cornette, a rising star within the network who has hosted SportsCenter and NFL Live segments, will now take over as the new moderator of First Take. Her experience handling live debates and strong background in NFL coverage make her a natural fit to step into the high-pressure role Qerim once held.
Cornette’s appointment signals a new era for First Take, as the show continues to evolve while keeping its trademark energy and drama intact.
For ESPN, it’s a major shake-up. For Qerim, it’s a principled exit, one driven not by performance, but by a refusal to accept anything less than what she’s earned.
