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Molly Qerim, Stephen A. Smith React to SNL's ‘First Take’ Sketch

Saturday Night Live had a pitch-perfect parody of the ESPN debate show last weekend.
Molly Qerim, Stephen A. Smith React to SNL's ‘First Take’ Sketch
Molly Qerim, Stephen A. Smith React to SNL's ‘First Take’ Sketch

Saturday Night Live will dive into the sports world every so often, and over the weekend, it really nailed the experience that is ESPN's First Take.

In a sketch that was cut for time last Saturday, Chloe Fineman played host Molly Qerim, Chris Redd took on Stephen A. Smith and Kenan Thompson delivered an excitable Michael Irvin while episode host Will Forte appeared as a fictional sports blogger.

The group debated what is supposed to be the most anodyne of sports topics: “is Tom Brady exceptional or very exceptional,” with Redd and Thompson getting more riled up by the minute. Eventually, things turned into a literal apples vs. oranges debate.

“All I've gotta say is she got me good,” Qerim said on Monday's First Take. “They got me good, they got me good.”

Smith agreed, complementing Redd and Thompson's performances, as the real Irvin laughed along, before pointing fans to a previous SNL sketch in which Redd portrays New York City mayor Eric Adams.

With the reaction it's received, hopefully we get more First Take sketches on SNL. It wouldn't hurt to take the ESPN program down a peg every once in a while.

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Dan Lyons
DAN LYONS

Dan Lyons is a staff writer and editor at Sports Illustrated. He joined SI for his second stint in November 2024 after a season as senior college football writer at Athlon Sports and previous three-year run at SI as a writer and editor for the Breaking and Trending News team. When he’s not watching a game, you can find Dan at an indie concert venue or movie theater. Dan has a bachelor’s degree in writing and rhetoric from Syracuse.