For years now, there has been a trend of the loudest, most ridiculous figures in sports media spouting outrageously dumb takes in order to drive clicks.
But of all the dumb takes these loudmouths have fired off, none may have been as wrong as ESPN’s Max Kellerman was about Tom Brady.
And thankfully, Stephen A. Smith rightfully hammered Kellerman recently for his years of terrible Tom Brady takes.
At some point in his career, Max Kellerman decided, like many in sports media these days, that he would build his career on trying to be the loudest moron around.
If you need proof, look no further than the time Kellerman tried to claim that Notre Dame’s Fighting Irish nickname was “offensive.”
Kellerman simply cannot help himself from making burning hot takes that merely serve to prove that he’s nothing but a carnival act whose only purpose is to drive clicks by saying the most outlandish things possible.
And roughly four years ago, Kellerman decided the world desperately needed someone to stand up and make a total fool out of themselves by pronouncing Tom Brady’s career over.
“Tom Brady’s just about done,” Kellerman said at the time. “It could be his next game he plays, it could be a year from now, but he is going to fall off a cliff.”
Since that comment, Tom Brady simply won his fifth and sixth Super Bowls, and will soon play in the 10th Super Bowl of his remarkable 21 year career.
Put simply, no one could have possibly been more wrong than Kellerman.
In fact, Kellerman even admitted that he was way off.
Tom Brady has had a full Hall of Fame career…in the time SINCE I made the cliff prediction.
— Max Kellerman (@maxkellerman) January 24, 2021
Obviously, though, the Max Kellermans of the world don’t simply admit they’re wrong as some sort of humbling gesture, but in an attempt to diffuse those who would continue to attack him for possibly being more wrong than any human alive.
And, thankfully, that’s where Stephen A. Smith emerges with a massive, metaphorical hammer, and proceeds to punish Kellerman on national television.
“Well, the one thing we certainly do not have to do is take you seriously,” Smith said as he began to berate Kellerman, “We don’t have to do that.”
“It’s one thing to acknowledge a ‘whoops’ or an ‘oops’, and that you were wrong,” Smith continued “It’s one thing to acknowledge that you were a bit premature or wrong about the cliff. But do you have any idea what level of unmitigated gaul you must have . . .”
You can just tell by the look on Kellerman’s face, and by his tone, that he is furious that Stephen A. Smith proceeded to body bag him on national television, but also that this man honestly believed that if he admitted he was wrong for the first time ever that he wouldn’t be mocked relentlessly any longer.
The level of arrogance someone must have to honestly believe that he could be so wrong and that no one would mention it anymore is astounding.
Stephen A. Smith did in less than four minutes what every sane, rational NFL fan with an actual brain has wanted to do for years – rip Kellerman’s flawed logic to pieces.
Anyone who has seen Tom Brady play football recently, as well as throughout his more than two decade career, knew the guy is essentially a robot that can probably play forever.
Few people may have believed he’d have quite as much success after 40 as he’s had, but Max Kellerman had to be one of the only humans on planet earth who thought the greatest quarterback of all-time would become completely incapable of being even a competent quarterback anytime soon.
And for that, Kellerman should hear about how wrong he was every time Tom Brady’s name comes up for the next few years, at least.
So thank you, Stephen A. Smith, for doing exactly what most every fan would love to do to Max Kellerman on a daily basis.
It was every bit as satisfying as we dreamed it could be.
Sports with Balls will keep you up-to-date on any developments to this ongoing story.
