Stephen A. Smith storms off ESPN’s First Take
Stephen A. Smith, longtime host of ESPN’s First Take, stormed off the studio set on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, in the middle of a live broadcast. The veteran commentator demanded a commercial break during a heated rant about the New York Mets.
The outburst came one day after Pete Alonso’s dramatic return to Citi Field reignited criticism of the Mets front office. Smith called the team trash on air and urged former Governor Chris Christie to cut ties with the franchise immediately.
Pete Alonso’s return to Citi Field sparked it
Pete Alonso returned to Citi Field on Monday, September 14, 2026, for the first time since leaving the Mets for the Baltimore Orioles. He hit the 300th home run of his career, a game-tying blast in the 9th inning.
The Orioles went on to beat the Mets in their own ballpark that night. Alonso’s homecoming and the outcome of the game set the stage for Stephen A. Smith’s on-air rant one day later.
Mets sit at 69-81 and out of the race
The New York Mets were 69-81 when they were eliminated from postseason contention after losing 2-1 to the Orioles on September 14, 2026. They remained in last place in the National League East after the loss.
As of September 18, the Mets had fallen to 69-84 after five consecutive losses and remained out of postseason contention. The team entered the season with high expectations but struggled badly during the first half, finishing the All-Star break at 40-57.
Smith told Chris Christie to leave the Mets
During his rant, Stephen A. Smith addressed former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie directly, noting that Christie serves on the New York Mets’ Board of Directors. Smith said Christie should seriously consider disassociating himself from the team.
Smith argued that the Mets were not listening to Christie enough, saying, “I know the man knows his baseball.” He called the Mets “trash” and said the team needed to listen to someone.
Smith demanded owner Steve Cohen make changes
Stephen A. Smith also turned his frustration toward Mets owner Steve Cohen during the same segment. He called on Cohen to fire David Stearns, the team’s president of baseball operations, and pay attention to the Mets fanbase.
Smith said Cohen and the front office had “robbed” Mets fans of a product for the previous year and a half. His comments came after the Mets were eliminated from postseason contention and had continued to struggle on the field in 2026.
The walk off happened mid football season
After finishing his rant, Stephen A. Smith needed a moment to regroup and ordered the show to cut to commercial break. He then physically left the First Take set in front of the live studio audience.
The moment stood out because First Take had shifted focus toward NFL coverage for the fall season. A baseball tangent pulling Smith off camera during football season made the walk-off unusual timing for ESPN viewers.
Alonso once turned down $158 million from Mets
The Mets offered Pete Alonso a 7-year, $158 million contract extension in 2023, but he turned it down and later entered free agency. Alonso ultimately left New York after the 2025 season and signed a 5-year, $155 million contract with the Baltimore Orioles.
The Baltimore deal was worth $3 million less in total value than the Mets’ earlier offer, although the contracts had different lengths and timing. Alonso opted out of his previous 2-year, $54 million Mets contract after the 2025 season before signing with Baltimore.
Fun fact: Pete Alonso hit his 53rd home run on September 28, 2019, breaking Aaron Judge’s MLB rookie record of 52 home runs set in 2017.
Mets fans gave Alonso a rare curtain call
Mets fans cheered Alonso and called him back out for a curtain call even though he was playing for the visiting Orioles. Curtain calls for opposing players are uncommon and mostly reserved for beloved former stars.
The gesture echoed Mike Piazza’s 2006 return to Shea Stadium as a member of the San Diego Padres. Unlike that moment, some fans said the Alonso cheers doubled as a protest against the current Mets front office.
Smith has walked off ESPN sets before
Stephen A. Smith has a documented history of walking off live sets when frustrated, and Wednesday’s exit was not his first. In February 2026, he walked off after the Knicks lost 126-111 to the Detroit Pistons.
Smith has also stormed off during heated Dallas Cowboys arguments and older coaching debates on First Take over the years. Walking off has become a recurring, recognizable part of his on-air persona at ESPN.
Smith earns about $20 million a year at ESPN
Stephen A. Smith signed a 5 year contract with ESPN worth more than $100 million, paying him roughly $20 million annually. The deal made him one of the highest-paid on-air personalities in network history.
Smith has said the contract gives him freedom to pursue projects outside of sports coverage. Days before the Mets rant, he noted his deal still differs from Pat McAfee, who fully owns and leases his own media platform.
The clip quickly spread across social media
Video of Stephen A. Smith’s Mets rant and walk-off circulated across social media after the September 16, 2026, broadcast. Sports media outlets, including Awful Announcing and The Big Lead, published reports about the incident the same day.
The rant also stood out because Smith’s fall First Take schedule is heavily associated with football coverage, while this segment focused on the Mets. Coverage of the incident largely emphasized Smith’s dramatic on-air style and his decision to leave the set.
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What comes next for the Mets in 2026
With 9 regular-season games remaining as of September 18, 2026, and no postseason path remaining, the Mets face the final stretch of a disappointing season. Attention now shifts toward offseason decisions involving owner Steve Cohen and president of baseball operations David Stearns.
Stephen A. Smith remains under contract with ESPN and continues as a featured commentator and executive producer of First Take. Whether his Mets criticism prompts any front-office response remains unclear as New York closes out its 2026 campaign.
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This slideshow was made with AI assistance and human editing.
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