A FIRST TAKE

The crew at ESPN’s “First Take” should be saluted for devoting so much time to discuss its own network’s “slave” auction disguised as a Fantasy Football draft.

The debate, a two-on-one affair — Will Cain vs. Stephen A. Smith/Max Kellerman —was riveting. It also left us with some questions. The debaters, especially Smith and Kellerman, highlighted ESPN management’s role in employing a diverse staff. Question: If ESPN is so “diverse,” how come there were apparently no black executives in the meeting where this brilliant idea of having an auction was hatched? It’s one thing to have a diverse roster, but if you don’t put the players in the right position — in this case, the Fantasy Football production meeting — what good is all that diversity?

So it appears while diversity is not a problem at ESPN, management stupidity is. You can applaud all you want about employing staffers who bring a certain sensitivity and life experience to the organization, but if you don’t use them properly you are not maximizing their skills and insights.

This is no small point, but it’s not made to detract from the fact “First Take” put its own network under the microscope. At a time where the social fabric of our nation is being pushed through the everlasting Grinder of Ignorance, sports cannot, and should not, be a place to escape. Reality is not leaving town any time soon.

It was mind boggling to listen to both sports