Do you think Max Kellerman is doing a good job on ESPN's First Take?

[.!WAR MIKEY!.]

That's my problem with Max. He goes along to get along. He has no integrity. If he makes a point an Roy disagrees he'll back down from his point. The interview with Pacquiao after the Mayweather fight. He backed down after getting criticized. He had Ward winning the fight the day of the fight. A week later he had Kovalev winning after public opinion had Kovalev winning. Dude has no backbone. His post fight interviews are trash. He doesn't have to be ruthless. Stevenson jumps into the ring on Kovalev. Max gets scared. Canelo calls GGG into the ring. Max never calls him over to the mic or give an in ring interview after Canelo said what he had to say. He doesnt have a backbone and he looks like a deer in headlights.

The HBO boxing cast needs to be replaced. It's stale. It's boring with Lampley, Max, and Roy.

Man theirs something called changing your mind lmfao. See this is the problem with people, they assume only reason someone change their mind is cause of this or that lmfao that just nerdy ass thinking. He says his opinion and thats that if roy or someone contest it he doesnt start a war with him he goes okay maybe your right, he talks to them the same way you talk to lil punk who thinks hes bad you pacify their dumb asses.

[Eff Pandas]

I can't support that turd of a show. I don't really give a f#ck about any non-combat sport either so it has never held much appeal to me outside of the boxing talk. And after I discovered that the boxing talk between Smith & Baylass was like some verbal 3 stogies type **** the show held even less appeal to me.

[Motorcity Cobra]

I don't see how SAS and Skip working the beat is relevant. They're still awful.

So you'd be ok with someone who's never covered boxing talking about boxing? People threw a fit over SAS working the Pacquiao fight. How did you feel about that?

SAS and Skip were successful writers before they even got on ESPN. Skip damn near invented the "hot take" that all these writers and TV personalities use today. I remember Skip and SAS from the '90's on the Jim Rome show. Back in the 90's there were two must do things in Dallas. Watch Cowboy football on Sunday and read Skip's article on Monday morning.

[HandsofIron]

I don't watch Espn/First Take. I don't even like Max as a HBO boxing commentator, he's alright I guess.

[Motorcity Cobra]

Man theirs something called changing your mind lmfao. See this is the problem with people, they assume only reason someone change their mind is cause of this or that lmfao that just nerdy ass thinking. He says his opinion and thats that if roy or someone contest it he doesnt start a war with him he goes okay maybe your right, he talks to them the same way you talk to lil punk who thinks hes bad you pacify their dumb asses.

When the facts change you should change your mind/opinion. The facts will remain the same and he'll change his mind because popular opinion changed. He's soft. He's weak. He has no backbone. HBO ratings are down. First take rating are down. Around the Horn ratings increased when Max was fired. I, Max got cancelled. King of Vegas failed. Colin Cowherd is one of the biggest ESPN radio host after he took over for Max. Everything gets better when he gets fired or his shows get cancelled. I wanna know who's d#ck is he sucking to keep getting these chances?

[iamboxing]

He talks too much during a fight, injects his biased opinions and is humorless. He's never said a witty or amusing thing during a fight. I didn't like Merchant, but at least he was slightly funny and endearing like a drunk uncle. Don't get me started on Stephen Smith...has no business commentating on a sport he knows nothing about, thinks he's on some talk show during a fight, "Now come on guys...hear me out...blah blah blah".

[jmrf4435]

Stephen A is the problem. That loud mouth drops rating alone

[A.K]

Max is all over the place on that show he tries to make a point but always ends up agreeing with Stephen a anyway, and as far as his interviews in the ring he asks some stupid or long novel questions.

[Graz]

I've always liked Kellerman as a boxing commentator. I think he lost some credibility from my standpoint from the Kovalev/Ward fight. He was definitely stroking Ward the entire fight. He backpeddled a bit after the fight but it seemed like he was trying to lessen the decision outcome he knew was inevitable. Apart from that I think he's been a pretty knowledgeable and responsible boxing commentator.

[KillaCamNZ]

So you'd be ok with someone who's never covered boxing talking about boxing? People threw a fit over SAS working the Pacquiao fight. How did you feel about that?

SAS and Skip were successful writers before they even got on ESPN. Skip damn near invented the "hot take" that all these writers and TV personalities use today. I remember Skip and SAS from the '90's on the Jim Rome show. Back in the 90's there were two must do things in Dallas. Watch Cowboy football on Sunday and read Skip's article on Monday morning.

Having SAS cover the Pac fight made me very uncomfortable. Going into it, I believed that any boxing knowledge and opinion he would be able to contribute to the broadcast, would be overshadowed by the persona he's created for himself, and end up being a distraction from the fight.

Admittedly, I wasn't involved or have access to a lot of US telecasts, broadcasts and publications during the 90's - being from NZ, we were incredibly withdrawn from that. It's in the last couple of years that I've gone back and tried to dig up as much as I can on SAS and Skip before they created this national profile - and I must admit, I was surprised at the quality that they used to put out. Which makes me scratch my head even further trying to understand if what they've evolved in to, has been worth it.

Their profiles are through the roof, they've probably made a ton more money than they once believed they would have..but it feels like they've dumbed themselves down to do so.

Skip especially, the more I find on him historically, the more I go "yeah, this guy is on point". And then I look at him now and go.."what happened?".