ESPN New York host Michael Kay believes the evolving intersection of celebrity and politics could give fellow ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith a legitimate chance if he ever pursued a run for the White House, although Kay also warned that blending political commentary with sports talk can create significant challenges for broadcasters trying to maintain and grow their audiences.
During a recent appearance on Brandon Tierney’s podcast BT Unleashed, Kay reflected on speculation that Smith could one day mount a presidential campaign and noted that the modern political environment has increasingly favored recognizable personalities who command national attention through media platforms and public visibility.
While Kay acknowledged Smith’s prominence and influence, he pointed out that financial considerations could complicate any decision to run for office. According to Kay, Smith’s lucrative contract with ESPN reportedly pays him roughly $20 million annually, meaning a campaign would require stepping away from a massive salary.
“He might have golden handcuffs, because he makes so much money from ESPN,” Kay said. “The rumor is about 20 million a year. He’d have to give that up if he was running.”
Nevertheless, Kay suggested that modern politics increasingly resembles the entertainment world, where personality and name recognition often carry as much weight as traditional political experience.
“If you said 15 years ago, Donald Trump was going to be president, people would laugh at you,” Kay said. “It’s more of a celebrity thing now, a personality thing. Stephen A has a shot because he certainly has the connections, and he has the voice and he has the reach.”
Although Kay acknowledged Smith’s potential appeal and communication skills, he emphasized that discussing politics while operating within a sports media platform can expose hosts to audience backlash, particularly in a format where listeners often seek an escape from political discourse.
Kay pointed to his own experience during his time co-hosting afternoons on ESPN New York with Don La Greca and Peter Rosenberg, explaining that political conversations during the COVID-19 era coincided with a decline in the show’s momentum.
“He’s [Smith] doing stuff right now that is so fraught with peril,” Kay said of Smith’s political commentary. “When our show in the afternoon took a downturn, it was right around COVID. The three of us got very political, and people don’t like that. Especially in talk radio.”
Kay added that audience dynamics and competition within the New York radio market also played a role at the time, particularly while competing against Craig Carton.
“People got turned off,” Kay said. “I think a lot of people listening to talk radio are male conservative men, and we lost a lot of people because we were going up against Carton at that time, and he leans the other way. I think that really hurt us a great deal.”
Kay also acknowledged the complications that can arise when a co-host’s political opinions extend beyond the airwaves. Rosenberg, who regularly shares his views publicly, became a lightning rod for listeners with opposing viewpoints which affected the growth of the show, according to Kay.
“People don’t like Peter [Rosenberg] because they might be on the other side of the political spectrum. Peter is very liberal. After the covid stuff and so many things that you can lean one way or the other, Tim [McCarthy] kept saying you got to stop. For the most part, Peter does stop. But it’s hard to separate the personality on the air and the guy that’s on Twitter. He was also does a morning show with Ebro and he’s very open about which way he leans.”
For that reason, Kay said he often offers straightforward advice to aspiring sports talk hosts about navigating the increasingly polarized media environment.
“If any young kid on sports talk radio asked me,” Kay said, “I’d say just stay away from politics.”
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