Tuesday’s edition of First Take contained some fireworks between commentators JJ Redick and Stephen A. Smith. The two fiercley debated how the NBA was covered with Redick saying it was a disservice to the league that ESPN only focuses on a handful of teams and Smith arguing that it is a star-driven league and networks are just giving fans what they respond to.

“You didn’t play, Stephen A.,” Redick, a 15-year NBA veteran, said. “You don’t understand athletic mortality [with] three games at whatever… Winston-Salem State doesn’t count.”

“I got you. I understand,” Smith chimed back. “I got a degree and I’m here on TV with you; I must be doing something right.”

Denver Sports 104.3 The Fan’s afternoon program, The Drive, reacted to the light altercation amid the conversation about James. The show is hosted by former defensive end Derek Wolfe and commentator Darren McKee, presenting a similar type of dynamic with a former athlete and bonafide radio professional.

“I do think it can apply in certain circumstances,” McKee said Wednesday regarding former athletes accentuating their experience over all else. “I do think that you guys – ex-pros – I do think you can put it in your back pocket for some circumstances. If you use it all the time, it’s pretty weak.”

Wolfe replied by stating he does not try to use that epithet on the air because it does not make for a fair argument, but did assert that there are instances of events in locker rooms the media would be shocked to discover occur on a daily basis.

“Every day something wild happens,” Wolfe said. “It’s wild.”

While they took little issue with the back-and-forth between Redick and Smith, the part they were surprised about was First Take host Molly Qerim precipitously attempting to resume the conversation about James rather than letting the banter continue. At its core, sports studio shows provide both information and entertainment; however, they felt as if Qerim was acting in a paternal manner towards her colleagues.

“God forbid you have some fun conversation,” McKee said. “‘Oh come on guys. Stop it guys.’ Thanks Molly.”

The two apologized to one another on the air Wednesday to smooth over the situation, and Smith addressed it in detail on his podcast, The Stephen A. Smith Show. It is safe to say there is no hostility between the two, and that they will continue providing First Take fans with distinctive commentary. That is – unless Redick is named as the new head coach of the Toronto Raptors, as he reportedly interviewed to fill the vacancy earlier this month.

“I love JJ Redick by the way,” added Wolfe. “…People are seeing him say, ‘You didn’t play,’ but they’re not seeing the part where he took a shot at him to try to get it going.”

The NFL deciding to allow flexing for Thursday Night Football games from weeks 13-17 has been the subject of plenty of discussions, and that continued Wednesday on 670 The Score in Chicago with Mike Florio.

Florio was asked by Dan Bernstein about the motive behind the league choosing to add Thursday games into the flex mix, and Florio said it’s about making sure Amazon gets as many eyeballs as possible.

“This is about getting maximum numbers to Amazon,” Florio said. “And they don’t want to have the full season average get cratered by a late-season game between two bad teams without a great quarterback that nobody wants to watch during the holiday season.”

Now even with YouTube now being the home to NFL Sunday Ticket, the league is shifting more focus on streaming as viewers continue to cut the cord.

“This is all about the looming and ongoing pivot that our entire society is experiencing from TV to streaming,” Florio said. “It explains the two exclusive Peacock games this year, and I work for Peacock.”

Florio added that even though the NFL is at the beginning of this newest media rights deal, the added attention on streaming is viewed as a tune-up for the next deal. Florio believes the league will be negotiating a new contract by the end of the decade.

“They want to have streaming companies that will do what networks traditionally have done which is pay way too much – more than they should – for this content,” he said.

Florio mentioned the idea that the league floated about going direct to consumer with Sunday Ticket. But the league recognizes that because the TV networks make the league and themselves so much money, the asking price was too good to pass up.

“They’re hoping that streaming platforms will do the same thing, and one way you get them to do that is to deliver massive audiences,” Florio said. “I think that’s what it’s all about. It’s not just Amazon. It’s about Peacock, it’s about Netflix, it’s about anybody else that may come to the table and bid on the packages the next time around.”

The 107th running of the Indianapolis 500 is on Sunday, and SiriusXM has announced its programming plans for the weekend.

It all starts Friday with the final stretch of practice time on track for the 33 IndyCar drivers competing in the race, also known as Carb Day. SiriusXM IndyCar Nation will air live coverage of the practice starting at 11 a.m.

On Friday afternoon, two IndyCar shows will broadcast live near the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway Pagoda. NTT IndyCar Series drivers James Hinchcliffe and Alexander Rossi will host their podcast Off Track with Hinch and Rossi starting at 1 p.m. Comedian and Indianapolis native Joey Mulinaro will be the show’s special guest.

From 2-4 p.m. driver Tony Kanaan and broadcaster Jack Arute will host Brick by Brick, an exclusive IndyCar show. Kanaan won the 2013 Indy 500 and will compete in the race for the 22nd and final time on Sunday.

Listeners of both programs can expect to hear insider perspectives from the drivers on competing in the sport’s biggest event, as well as interviews.

Race day coverage of the Indy 500 begins at 11 a.m. on Sunday and can be heard on both IndyCar Nation and NBC Sports Audio channel 85.

This is also SiriusXM’s Listen Free event, so you can try out the service at no charge and listen to all the action.