AS far as First Take is concerned, there appear to only be three major team sports that "count."
The voice of the New York Yankees, Michael Kay, was asked on Thursday which team in the Big Apple is next in line to win a championship.
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His response? The Rangers.
But as it turns out, "they don't count" according to host Molly Qerim.
Fellow host Stephen A. Smith explained that the "Only thing I know about hockey is that the puck is black and I love Gary Bettman.
"That's my buddy who I always trip to the hockey game with. That's it."
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While Qerim clarified that they meant "no disrespect to the Rangers," for Smith's sake they wanted to stick to football, basketball, and baseball.
In this case, Kay went for either the Yankees or Mets.
But by this point, the damage was done as far as some fans were concerned.
One took to Twitter, calling the segment brutal "pretty brutal. Embarassing one would say."
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Another said: "Lmao wow… I’m actually speechless"
While others blasted ESPN as a result, such as one who wrote: "ESPN who now broadcasts hockey says the Rangers don't count as a professional NY sports team. Pathetic."
Since their broadcast, Smith has taken to Twitter seemingly in response to the criticism being levied his way.
In a video posted on Thursday evening, he told Rangers fans to "Calm down!"
He said: "I was having a good time, having fun.
"Gary Bettman is my friend, okay?
"Relax y'all. Relax. I understand the Rangers are all that.
"But they got a championship since 1994. It's them d**n Knicks that haven't won since 1973.
"I'm sure you can understand why I'm aching a little bit more for the Knicks than the Rangers, okay?
"Marc Messier erased that 40-year curse, alright? or 50 years?
"Bottom line is this: The Rangers have a championship more recently than my New York Knicks.
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"But I root for all things New York. And that includes the Rangers.
"So guess what Rangers fans? Calm down!"
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