Heated debates are the norm in sports shows these days. It’s what drives reactions from people, and the TV networks encourage them.
Sometimes, though, the audience feels like analysts play a character and say things they don’t mean. That could sometimes be true, but it’s also not uncommon for these sports commentators to lay their feelings on the line.
Case in point: Chris Broussard. In a segment of First Things First on FS1, Broussard and co-host Nick Wright are weighing in on James Harden’s decision to get traded to the Los Angeles Clippers. The former went on a tirade and, from out of nowhere, used the “R” word. Broussard then backtracked when Wright called him out and used “developmentally disabled” himself.
Broussard: “Nick, is the man ret—-d?”
Wright: “Oh, you shouldn’t use that word.”
Broussard: “Developmentally disabled. To think that he is going to go to the Clippers and have Kawhi Leonard as the No. 1 option and Paul George as the No. 2, and with Russell Westbrook there, and think that he’s going to shoot 25 shots.”
Wright: “I didn’t know what you were gonna say today. I’m shocked. This is not gonna work.”
Broussard: “Let me apologize for using that word.”
Chris Broussard and Nick Wright’s exchange on First Things First
Yes, Broussard pulled up the “first cousin” card in his apology. The worst part is that his “developmentally disabled” cousin is dead.
Will this bit put Broussard in hot water, or will the Fox Sports management let it slide?
Aftermath of the James Harden Trade
While it’s too early to foretell if this trade works for Harden or not, it’s a curious choice for the former MVP. As Wright pointed out, Harden may be looking for one last big payday, the kind of money that only Steve Ballmer is willing to give.
If that’s his objective, he must walk the talk first. Harden has already alienated himself with the extrication jobs he pulled in Brooklyn and Philly. It wouldn’t take long for the whole league to notice and blackball him. Matt Barnes suggested that possibility, and it won’t be the first time, nor will it be the last.
For now, the Clippers lose much of their depth and a slice of their future. That said, a player of Harden’s caliber doesn’t grow on trees. He just has to prove he’s in it for the long haul.
