Mina Kimes continues to be defended by her ESPN colleagues after ex-NFL quarterback Jeff Garcia took a shot at her.
Friday on “First Take,” host Molly Qerim said she was disappointed in Garcia, whom she previously worked with at NFL Network, for calling Kimes ‘a joke’ for her thoughts on 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo.
“I hope he retracts these statements and comes out with an apology,” Qerim said. “I admire Mina Kimes so much. I have sat on this set with Super Bowl champions and watch them ask Mina’s opinion. Mina is a pioneer. I’m friends with everyone on ‘NFL Live’ and I know part of the reason that show is doing so well is they respect each other and their opinions, including Mina. It’s just extremely disappointing.”
Qerim noted that if playing a sport is a qualifier to opine on it — as posited by Garcia on Instagram — many men in sports media would not have jobs.
“If you have to throw a pass, there’s quite a few high-paid men that should not be talking about sports,” she said. “And I’ll just say this: We’re not going anywhere, women are not going anywhere. Okay? We’re going to have a seat at the table in all respective industries so get used to it.”
The monologue prompted co-host Stephen A. Smith to chime in.
“Be around Mina for a couple minutes and everyone knows that about her [that she is smart and prepared],” he said.
Kimes analogized Garoppolo — coming off a 13-10 win over the Packers in which the San Francisco offense did not score a touchdown — to a student on a group project who does no work but gets an A anyway. Her comments that stirred up Garcia.
Garcia, 51, was a four-time Pro Bowler during his 11-year NFL tenure, including three straight selections as a member for the 49ers from 2000-02.
“Who the hell is Mina Kimes and when is the last time she threw a touchdown pass in a game?” Garcia wrote in the comments of a meme post of Kimes’ take. “Never! Ever! has she taken a snap or can truly understand the ability, the mindset, the physical and mental toughness, that it takes to play the QB position or any position in the NFL.
“The fact that there are people out there given a platform to talk about something that they have never done is hilarious and that’s how you have to look at her, she’s a joke! So let’s just laugh at her and support Jimmy, root on our Niners to go out and beat the living f–k out of one more team. That’s what it takes. She will never know that feeling. Can I get an AMEN? Peace.”
If Garcia woke up on Thursday and asked himself how he could do Mina Kimes the biggest favor possible for her, there’s approximately zero chance he could have come up with a better idea.
It is relatively simple to mount a defense of her preparation, and the fact that people like Stephen A. Smith, Max Kellerman, Colin Cowherd, Skip Bayless, Tony Kornheiser, Michael Wilbon and Mike Greenberg all have big opinion platforms despite never having played.
The vocal defense for Kimes from Qerim, Smith and myriad other colleagues inside ESPN and elsewhere in the sports media has undoubtedly reinforced her relevance to decision-makers in the industry.