On Tuesday's edition of ESPN's First Take, Stephen A. Smith described a football game that could not have occurred in our earthly realm. "We saw Charlie Kirk catch eight receptions for 144 yards," he said. It's possible that Smith saw this in a vision, but "we" did not: The right-wing activist Charlie Kirk was assassinated in September 2025. Also, I don't think he ever had the 40 time to do something like that.
"We saw Charlie Kirk catch 8 receptions for 144 yards…I apologize. Oh my God. Christian Kirk" – Stephen A. Smith
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing.bsky.social) 2026-01-13T16:55:02.208Z
Perhaps deskmate Jeff Saturday somehow witnessed this performance too, because he nodded and said "Yeah." First Take host Shae Cornette interjected with a crucial correction: "Christian Kirk," the Houston Texans wide receiver who did post those exact numbers in Monday's wild-card win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, a game that Smith attended in person for ESPN. "I apologize. Oh my God. Christian Kirk," Smith replied.
It's not all that surprising that Smith would have the dead Kirk on the brain, given that he has continued his grim adventure in political commentary. “I saw the video on numerous occasions and, seeing what transpired from a lawful perspective as it pertains to a law enforcement official, don’t expect him to be prosecuted. He was completely justified,” Smith said last week on his radio show Straight Shooter, referring to Jonathan Ross, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer who shot and killed Renee Good in Minneapolis. "She was parked in the middle of the street, and rather than get out the car, she wrongfully tried to drive off and wrongfully disregarded a law enforcement official, which is exactly what ICE is, and, as a result, lost her life because of it," he said of Good. The year 2026 finds our premier sports bloviator breaking down an extrajudicial killing as if it were a controversial call in an NBA game, and we are all stupider for it.
As for what else is on his mind this week: Smith believes that media figures like Don Lemon and Joy Reid are colluding in an effort to get him "canceled." Yeah, this guy is definitely someone who should run for president.
