If Stephen A. Smith has a problem with Drake Maye and the New England Patriots, then he has a problem with Dave Portnoy too.
Smith accused Maye of being a liar Thursday morning on First Take. The accusation stemmed from Cam Newton labeling the New England Patriots as “fool’s gold” last week. When Maye was asked about the comments during his weekly spot on WEEI in Boston, the Patriots quarterback brushed it off, claiming he didn’t even know what show Newton was on.
But Maye failed to attribute the quote to First Take, and Stephen A. Smith took that personally. In fact, Smith was so bothered at Maye not naming First Take that he refused to believe the Patriots quarterback, accusing him of being a liar.
“[Drake Maye] is a liar…First Take is the number one morning show..don’t tell me you a athlete and you don’t know that. Don’t tell me you a athlete and you don’t know that Cam Newton is on this show. You lying.” – Stephen A. Smith pic.twitter.com/kaxxptSMpY
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) November 20, 2025
“First Take is the number one morning show,” Smith ranted. “Don’t tell me you a athlete and you don’t know that. Don’t tell me you a athlete and you don’t know that Cam Newton is on this show. You lying.”
And for that, Dave Portnoy would like an apology for Stephen A. Smith, and while he’s at it, the First Take host might as well apologize to Drake Maye as well.
.@stephenasmith owes patriot nation, Drake Maye and me an apology. pic.twitter.com/Xfp7TRafQq
— Dave Portnoy (@stoolpresidente) November 20, 2025
“Stephen A. Smith on First Take, calls Drake Maye a liar. Challenges his manhood. You don’t call a man liar. He owes him an apology,” Portnoy said after watching the clip of Smith’s rant. “And by the way, Stephen A. in the rant, he’s like, ‘Pardon the Interruption is the number one show.’ Those have been the same two hosts forever. First Take, since Skip left, it’s been a revolving door. People in and out. I, hand to God, had no idea Cam Newton was on that show.
“I know Stephen A. does First Take, I got no clue who his partner is at this point,” Portnoy continued. “I had absolutely no idea Cam Newton was on it, I didn’t even know Cam Newton worked for ESPN, I thought he did his own gig. So, to call Drake Maye, a man of honor, a man of integrity, to call him a liar, to say his family are liars, he’s from a family of liars…because he doesn’t know Cam Newton is on First Take – I think, if you polled 100 percent of sports fans, ‘what does Cam Newton do in sports media?’ 60 to 70 percent are not going to know. And you call the MVP of the league a liar? Well, you owe us, me, Drake Maye, the Krafts, all Patriots fans an apology.”
Smith probably isn’t going to apologize to Portnoy, Maye, the Maye family or anyone else. In fact, he doubled down on the take during his Thursday afternoon show for Mad Dog Sports Radio on SiriusXM, insisting Maye should be more appreciative of past athletes having voice in sports media.
Despite Smith’s willfulness, it was ridiculous of him to assume Maye must be lying about not knowing Cam Newton has appeared on First Take twice a week this NFL season. Maye probably knows Smith is on First Take because he’s been there for over a decade. But it’s reasonable to assume Maye doesn’t consider First Take to be appointment television enough to have noticed Newton on the show as a part-time contributor.