We’re to blame for the rise of 'Hot Takes'

Do you know who is to blame for the rise of Hot Takes when it comes to sporting discussions? I’ll give you a not-so-subtle hint – go take a look in the mirror.

See that impressive looking specimen staring at you? Them. It’s them. They’re the ones to blame for those wretched Hot Takes.

Yes, sadly, it’s you – and me – that’s at fault here.

For the uninitiated, the Wikipedia definition for a ‘Hot Take’ is:

“A journalism term derisively used to describe a piece of deliberately provocative commentary that is based almost entirely on shallow moralising in response to a news story, usually written on tight deadlines with little research or reporting, and even less thought.”

Ouch.

So based on that classification, it’s fair to say that when someone describes an article or opinion as a Hot Take, they’re not quite being complimentary. Hot Takes occur because many people will stop at nothing to be heard. They’ll let nothing get in the way of making you read or listen to their opinion.

Now on the surface, that’s not such a bad thing.

With the proliferation of platforms that allow people to speak their mind, it becomes harder and harder for opinions to cut-through and be noticed. You really do have to grab people’s attention and force them to take notice of you.

As an example, the phrase ‘click bait’ gets thrown around a lot, but I actually have no issue with attention-grabbing headlines. A headline should make you want to read on. I do have an issue when said headline ends up having little to do with the actual article, but that’s a rant for another day.

However, I do have an issue with Hot Takes, primarily because most of the time the intent behind said opinion or article comes from a place of simply wanting to be noticed. There’s no intelligent, well-reasoned commentary; there’s just a desire for attention.

It’s what might be called the ‘Skip Bayless Effect’.

Skip Bayless is an American sports personality, who also happens to be the patron saint of Hot Takes. He’s gained notoriety for his outlandish comments that are designed to do little else but rile people up. To make them respond.

Skip will basically say anything to get you to listen. He doesn’t care about being right or wrong, he cares about your attention: good or bad. If he has to annoy you to get your attention, then so be it.

Now you may well ask, why does an organisation employ someone like that? Why would they want an attention seeker on their books? The answer is simple. Once Skip has your attention, you’re watching, you’re listening or you’re reading. Once you’re watching, listening or reading, then you’re a consumer. And once you’re a consumer, you’re revenue. And businesses love revenue.

So, if you watch, listen, read – and above all, react – to Hot Takes, then you’re to blame for the rise of them.

(AP Photo/Tony Dejak)

Now Skip is hardly alone on an island of one when it comes to Takes of the Hot variety. His old sparring partner on ESPN’s First Take (the home of the Hot Take), Stephen A Smith, is arguably more annoying than Bayless, because he does it while always yelling in a painfully arrogant voice.

There are plenty of noisy blowhards in the States.

Closer to home, don’t think for a second that Australia is immune to the Hot Take trend. There are a large number of Hot Take merchants on our shore, and I could easily rattle off five right now without thinking. Log on to Twitter and it should take you about five seconds before you’re suitably warmed up by a scorching Hot Take.

However, it’s important to remember that just because you disagree with an opinion – and perhaps even find it utterly ridiculous – it doesn’t make it a Hot Take. There is a significant difference between believing and delivering an unpopular opinion, to just trying to get people’s attention.

Differing opinions are what make discussions about sport engaging and entertaining, so beware the urge to spontaneously label something you vehemently disagree with as a Hot Take.

It may well be that it’s your stance that is the true Hot Take.