Earlier this week, First Take host Max Kellerman crapped all over hockey by saying that nobody cares about the sport. People then queued up to call him a jabroni, or point out the irony of a boxing fan ripping hockey.

Regardless of whether Max is right or wrong, he apparently annoyed some of his ESPN colleagues, among them veteran Linda Cohn:

ESPN does not have the NHL television rights, which is why they never talk about the sport. You’re lucky to get maybe 30 seconds of Barry Melrose, mic’d up in storage closet B, doing two highlights from the Capitals/Penguins game, then it’s back to arguing about LeBron James and Michael Jordan for the millionth time.

For what it’s worth, the NHL’s TV contract expires after the 2021-2022 season, and ESPN is reportedly interested in bidding. If hockey would return to ESPN, Max Kellerman would be on First Take 24 hours later talking about that night’s matchup between the Bruins and Rangers. That’s what ESPN typically does – just ignore something completely unless you’re the rights holder, then put non-experts on the topic (see: UFC on ESPN – Dillashaw vs. Cejudo).

This strategy doesn’t mean they hate hockey or any other non-rights holder sport, it’s just not in their interest to give a platform to something they don’t air.

Carry on.