Overview
- On Wednesday, Stephen A. Smith unleashed a blistering on-air rant on ESPN's First Take calling the New York Mets 'trash,' urging Chris Christie to disassociate from the team and then standing up and walking off the set as the show went to break.
- The rant followed a series of public embarrassments for the Mets that included being mathematically eliminated from playoff contention and Pete Alonso returning to Citi Field to hit his 300th career home run and receive a visiting-player curtain call.
- Smith explicitly named president of baseball operations David Stearns and owner Steve Cohen in his criticism and demanded leadership changes, with multiple outlets reporting calls for Cohen to fire Stearns.
- Coverage notes the Mets entered 2026 with one of baseball's largest payrolls but shows inconsistent reported figures across outlets, which has fed debate about whether spending matched roster construction and results.
- The episode has intensified scrutiny of the franchise and set expectations for a consequential offseason focused on front-office accountability, roster fixes, and restoring fan trust.