FIRST TAKE | Will Packer joins Stephen A. Smith on “Fight Night” movie & Super Bowl team prediction

your friend of the show newly announced limited partner of the Atlanta Falcons will Packer looking clean it's so good to see you let me ask you a question now you got a great lineup of HBCU you guys have been to which one was your favorite Molly answer carefully come on you see that didn't even blink I hope that Stephen A want you want to know why it's not a disc to Stephen or Shannon or they and I'm most excited to go to Howard this year to be honest with you as well we had that outdoor crowd and that turnout I mean obviously we had you we had Kevin Hart but that was unbelievable that was one my favorite shows ever shout out to my guy St for bringing it down I appreciate you I'm I'mma tell you the real reason why the best show wasn't at FAMU because we supposed to be the stars because we're supposed to be the stars and you stole a damn show well out there hying the crowd I mean come on Stephen you knew when you came down the highest Shannon Shannon you and Stephen A obviously have a lot going on a lot of Products Company shows Etc right these are two busy men uh highly yeah will I've been a little busy we've got the book yes we've got the show uh we got fam you I don't know where to start I actually want to start with Atlanta okay a limited partner of the Atlanta Falcons you know I love the NFL nothing's better what do you hope to accomplish in that role you know what the biggest thing is the Optics right there people that are that are watching the show right now that want to be professional athletes or have kids that want to be professional athletes and that's amazing if you're in that top you know 1% right you can be a Shannon sharp be a Hall of Famer but I wanted to show and I had the opportunity to say there's also other ways to be successful and there's another box another Suite another level that you can reach and somebody doesn't matter what you look like you might look like will Packer and be able to say you know what I am a limited partner I now have ownership in one of the biggest sports leagues the biggest sports leagues in the world that was important I give all props to Arthur Blank for offering that opportunity you know what it is Molly it is working hard and putting yourself in a position so when that door opens because somebody said Hey how do I do that right I want to be an owner or something like they not just you can't just go to CVS and like sign up you know and buy a piece of the your favorite NFL to it don't work like that you got to work hard and position yourself so that you can be considered when it's time for those opportun it's even more than a seat at the table owner doesn't get higher than that huge huge congrats to you and wife on that I appre that well you myself Stephen A we're all proud HBCU alums when you left when you went to FAMU and when you left FAMU I know Stephen A we've talked about this a lot did you ever imagine the HBCU would receive the love and adoration that we've been getting over the past five or 5 to 10 years it's so great to see man it really really is I don't know you know I always one thing about HBCU is that it teaches you that anything is possible Right you take people put them in a safe space and tell them go off and be great there is no ceiling there is no Sky that's the limit for you and that's what I learned at my HBCU experience right and so that's the thing that's why I'm a big proponent of it I tell people you put kids give them an opportunity and tell them go off and you can be anything that's part of what I try to do when I talk to people you do that they they will go off and try to do and be anything and there's no limitations and so you know I always dreamed of having HBC be at the Forefront of a lot of conversations and it's great I love the the profile that the football teams are getting that folks like myself you Stephen A were able to give it it's important it is important and listen just like pwi get a lot of love and get a lot of resources get a lot of money we it's our job we got to now pay that forward we are three very successful graduates of those schools I want to say to that next Generation come to a fam you right go to a Winston Salem OR Savannah State orio it doesn't matter you can do whatever you want to do and you can do it from here because that's exactly what we did well you know you got a book coming out who better than you that's the title of it we all looking forward to it you know you're doing phenomenal things in the world of film television and Beyond now you're a part owner you know you got an ownership stake and an NFL franchise or what have you one of the things that in knowing you the way that I have for years and being the the kind of the brother to me that you have been is you've always talked about paying it forward but you reach back to pay it forward and so many times you know we don't talk like Shannon does so much for HBCU obviously I do what I do you do what you do speak to that for a second in terms of letting the audience know what so many people out here even people like Chris Paul Carmelo Anthony LeBron James and others who didn't attend HBCU have done for HBCU and why it's so important to make that kind of contribution because it's what you just said you are not what you accomplish you are not the things that you have or the things that you buy or the things that you own you know what you are you are the cumulative effect of your legacy of what you give back of Who You affect of whose lives that you touch that is the power that each of us have those casts you talked about you talked about LeBron Chris Paul one of my best friends who didn't go to HBCU but every chance he gets he's trying to give Spotlight and resources to those institutions same with Carmelo Anthony because we are the cumulative effect of what we leave behind right when it when our time is up and they say you know what he was great Stephen A God bless him rip rip Shannon sharp will Packer he's gone it's the people that we leave behind that will be our True Legacy and that's our true power guys that is what we got to remember so folks watching right now it's great do it for you do it for your family but do it for your community do it for other folks and when you give that's when you really receive period there you go all right let's transition to your show and then we're get and then we're getting to your book so your latest series Fight Night the million dooll Heist it's set to come out this Thursday on peacock now you've called it a love letter to Atlanta yeah tell us what we can expect because I need a new show to watch molly I got it for you let me tell you this is I haven't been this excited about a project in a very very long time so check it so we all know Muhammad Ali and we know he's an iconic sports figure Back in 1970 he was a very polarizing figure right he was somebody that refused to go to Vietnam he said said that it was against his morals a lot of people it divided America we can imagine that America was divided and a lot of people said he's a draft Dodger right he won't fight for his country so he was able to go and fight he was black balled most places but Atlanta Georgia a very interesting collaboration of politicians Hustlers and promoters got together and said we'll let him fight here and he fought an unsanctioned boxing match true story in Atlanta Georgia and it attracted people from all over because this was still Muhammad Ali and so it invited it attracted celebrities it attracted uh high-profile athletes and also gangsters from all over the country and you had a local promoter who did an underground casino night and that casino night got robbed they came in they laid everybody down and then these gangsters all blamed the promoter who threw that fight they said we know who did this and there was one black detective on the police force at the time his job was to try to keep that promoter alive long long enough to determine who really pulled off this Heist the promoter played by Kevin Hart wow the detective is played by Don cheel the big gangster is played by Sam Jackson the one and only Terence Howard is in there he's part of the Black Mafia uh teraji P Henson is in there he is Kevin She Taj got aist come don't you're not on the a list I'm going you're not you're not coming to the C that's it period yes a list only I'm sold I don't know about you and you want to jump in well he he brought out the heavyweight for this why would why did you feel this this this project was so important to to to be seen you know what because it's it's interesting that it's an origin story of Atlanta right we all know Atlanta it's a major Market busiest airport in the world host of the Olympics Global Market Back in 1970 though it was at a time when it was at an inflection point and you had a lot of folks that were dreamers that dreamed Atlanta could be taken seriously like a New York la Miami it wasn't at the time so now you look at all the the celebrities that we attract there in Atlanta back then it was just a bunch of dreamers and Hustlers the Civil Rights Movement was at an inflection point the city was at an inflection point and so this was looked at as an opportunity to bring all this attention to Atlanta let's have this Muhammad Ali fight then everything went horribly wrong and so the city then had to come back from that and prove that number one we can actually clean this up and figure out who did this but also that we are a city to be reckoned with and this is what repelled Atlanta it's a true story into being the Atlanta that we all know today you know it's interesting because like again you talking about Atlanta obviously that's a mosaic we all know how we all feel about Atlanta brothers and sisters we love some Atlanta Georgia the ATL without question that's one element that's one element yes I'm trying to get some lemon pepper wings right now look at his face you know he know about it think yes he does yes he does the other thing the other thing that is worth noting will the other thing is worth noting is that again we sit around and we think about the contributions that we make to so many other people's lives and you talk about telling stories telling odd stories etc etc and there's I don't know anybody that's a greater Storyteller than you in this day and age but I want to applaud you for this as well because I'm looking at the actors Kevin Hart is phenomenal Samuel L Jackson is a legend and stuff like that but to Raji be Henson I want to mention her I'm so happy that you are are gonna have her in this with this project because I know she made some noise months ago about what she deserves ladies and gentlemen I want to say on National Television she ain't lie she does deserve she is one of the great ones and so for her to be working with you on this project to me is just something that accentuates the level of greatness that her and so many of our sisters doing great great work in Hollywood devoid of the recognition that they deserve I'm so happy that you give it to her your response to that at all well it's my responsibility it goes back you just hit it on the head it goes back to what you referenced Molly giving back is paying it forward and that is truly how we are to be judged and so you got somebody like me that's in a position and I'm deciding who's going to be in these projects and and what are they going to be paid Raji came out and was vocal about pay equity in a very challenging adversarial industry it takes guts to do that and so you know I applaud her for doing it to rajie knows I'm very very proud of the fact that it's funny because every time I pay Raji and I I say this is is this your highest payday and I get it here Tyler Perry comes and one UPS all right so I just Tyler relax I just want to say that to him he's got a he's got a few dollars he got a couple dollars real quick we're going to go through a few NFL rapid fire questions but real quick I just want to ask you before we do that with your new book Stephen I mentioned it who better than you but it says the art of healthy arrogance AR and dreaming big so here's what I want to ask you someone who is raised be humble be humble be humble right or they say what are you like in a man and it's like you want confident but not cocky what is healthy arrogance not arrogance just to be arrogant right just to say look at me beat my chest it is the belief right this book dares you to believe that you not only could be successful you not only should be successful but that you will be successful that you deserve success you me and everybody watching this show right now that starts with this mentality right here you have to believe in yourself and then Force others to believe it as well not about just being arrogant healthily arrogant and dreaming bigger than anybody else around you well got to believe it to receive it Molly I never I never will is my brother I've known him for years but i' I've never spoken to him about it never spoke to Shannon about it because I don't have to what I'm about to say Molly they will absolutely confirm I have no doubt when you are a black man there have been a multitude of people with you on the come up trying to squash you trying to tell you what you're not and what you can't be and they pigeon hole and marginalize or what have you and so in order to survive you've got to have that intestinal fortitude within yourself to say yes I can yes we can this is what it's about we know we have that potential and sometimes that's interpreted as arrogance when in fact it's a mechanism utilized to ward off the naysayers that are trying to squash you while you're trying to elevate so it's not really about arrogance it's about an intestinal belief in yourself and you're saying I'm not going to let you break me I'm coming will Shay am I right no absolutely right and I will say this working in an industry like you all do right a very tough adversarial industry like Hollywood what I'm doing in this book is I'm telling stories about how I'm dealing with all these huge Egos and all these challenges that I had to overcome and the tools that I use and how you can use those no matter what your industry is you don't have to be in sports you don't have to be in Hollywood it is what Stephen A just said that intestinal fortitude that you have to have it's persuasive it's pervasive it makes other people feel like you know what maybe I can too and maybe I should resp Molly a little bit differently because she believes it so sincerely in her soul when she says that I can do something and I deserve something when Stephen A says he makes me want to believe it because he truly believes it but you got to believe it and that charge with change starts with a change in mentality that not enough of us have and believing in yourself before anyone else will you kicked it off with that facts all right well ready for a little rapid fire I'm ready big NFL fan and now now now part owner the Atlanta Falcons it's never too early do we have my music do we have my NFL music no you're good here we go um we're working on that all right all right which team there we go which teams will be in the Super Bowl and who wins can the Falcons play the Falcons is that a um how are we going to do the the objective stop it B we here to inspire people Falcons and Chiefs come on let's go Falcons and Chiefs yeah there you go Molly right now why are you looking at me like that we just talked about believing cousin's I believe in the Falcons and what we got going on down there ATL Dirty Bird believe Nation I thought we were doing how are you I thought we were really answering this and not acting I want y'all to save Molly hating on my bir when it happens okay who's going to win MVP oo you know what um don't say cousin surprise know what easy I'm I I'm since you're not going to let me go with the Falcons again all right I think Lamar's going to have a c czy I really really do seriously um but if you force me right now I'm going say Josh Allen cuz I think people going to be very surprised at how he deals with what's perceived to be a lack of weapons now in Buffalo I think he's going to still ball out but I think Lamar Jack going to have a incredible year Hall of Famer how do you feel about his picks I like it but you know how New Orleans feel about atlantans there's a rivalry between the Saints and the Falcons and so you better be careful if they go down to New and in the Super Bowl whe listen listen that would break every Saint's heart every Saint's heart if the Falcons go down there and play in a Super Bowl in New Orleans listen shanon I'm so serious about my I'm not eating Gumbo all year no gumbo for me no Marty no beads nothing that's how it goes you just deprive of yourself just yourself and I don't know why sh and I you just deprive of yourself and I don't know why Shay say he likes it how the hell you liking the Falcons and the Super Bowl stop that of Philadelphia Detroit Green Bay San Francisco stop it man stop it y'all stop it I still want to Sten I still want to go home I got go home he knows better he knows Heen I'll cut him off them lemon pepper Rings will get cut off from him know he got to come home there Molly Molly Molly this is a real bad day for Shannon he made a pick about the Mount Rushmore because of emotion and now he's sitting up there making a pick about cuz he want to go home in you can't listen to Shannon today you can't listen to Shannon today that is called smart and strategic don't back down Shannon don't listen to him I got you back brother 8 down you already know baby not on this one not on this one not on this one stop that we got to leave it there guys got to get into commercial break will you are the absolute best congrats on everything you're so inspiring You're such and so appreciate you all right the show's out this Thursday on peacock we'll talk to you soon night 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