What a run! Shannon Sharpe announced his departure from the hit sports analysis talk show, Undisputed after seven years. NFL players often take unique routes after retiring– some sell Pokemon cards, while others become TV personalities.
Shannon Sharpe decided to use his knowledge of sports as a means to express his opinions and created an engaging talk show out of it.
His co-host Skip Bayless was the one to rope Sharpe in for the show. Skip was previously a sports columnist and had a decent following for his op-ed pieces. He later took the role of an ESPN commentator for the show First Take with Stephen Smith.
He left the show in 2016 and collaborated with Sharpe on Skip and Shannon: Undisputed.
Ironically, every episode would end up in a dispute, banter, or grueling debate, but both maintained a cordial relationship after wrapping the show. Hence, the last episode was particularly sentimental for both with Sharpe’s farewell.
However, the fine line between professional and personal boundaries seems to have cracked with a few (un)disputes. Why exactly did Sharpe leave the show?
Did Sharpe Leave Undisputed? Why Is Shannon Sharpe Leaving Undisputed?
Shannon Sharpe is officially leaving the show after he and Fox Sports have finalized the buyout agreement. Sharpe’s hit podcast, Club Shay Shay, is slated to leave Fox Sports as well.
However, fans quickly speculated myriad cracks in their dynamic as the real reason.
So the saga began earlier this year–
Buffalo Bills were playing against Cincinnati Bengals for a week 17 game of the NFL season. Damar Hamlin, who plays Safety for the Bills, tackles wide receiver Tee Higgins.
Subsequently, Hamlin collapsed on the field and needed urgent medical treatment after he fell down again after momentarily standing. The paramedics rushed to give him CPR; turns out that he suffered a cardiac arrest and required CPR. This incident shocked the fans, and the game was postponed indefinitely.
Amidst this chaos, Skip tweeted his instant reaction before the postponement of the game was announced–
“No doubt the NFL is considering postponing the rest of this game — but how? This late in the season, a game of this magnitude is crucial to the regular-season outcome … which suddenly seems so irrelevant.”
Sharpe strongly disagreed with his co-host, perceiving the tweet as insensitive towards human life. He did not attend the show that morning and demanded Bayless take the tweet down. However, Skip stood by his statement; after the FS1, Fox Sports executives wanted an explanation.
On the next taping, Shannon expressed his disaccord on the issue while being constantly interrupted by Bayless.
This created a further rift between the two. Most comments pointed out Skip’s disregard for others’ opinions or decency to let people talk while also pointing out that he still thinks there’s nothing wrong with the tweet.
On the other hand, some netizens said that the tweet was misconstrued and that Skip had worded it poorly. He might have actually meant that Hamlin’s life is more important, and the game is irrelevant. (Let us know what you think about this argument).
Nevertheless, it was a dealbreaker dispute!
Next, Skip made personal jabs at Shannon during the Tom Brady debate. Fans believe this was it….the end of the show.
There was also the factor of the clash of the two alphas. Many have pointed out that Skip’s ego is the reason for projection and personal jabs at his fellow hosts.
Fans also pointed out that Shannon’s podcast was doing much better in numbers than The Skip Bayless Show. Viewers noticed definite signs of envy, but both still maintain that they never take their professional rifts outside the studio.
Regardless, Shannon is out for good.
What Is Shannon Sharpe Doing Now?
Sharpe has not disclosed his future plans yet, but there are rumors of him joining ESPN. Stephen Smith is ready to welcome him on First Take as a guest panelist. Although it’s a step-down, ESPN does have better exposure than FS1.
Another option would be to return to CBS, where he previously worked for CBS’s pregame NFL show, NFL Today.
Since Club Shay Shay is a hit among the masses, he should take up a FanDuelTV agreement to produce his podcast on a larger scale. Plus, he gets complete creative control over his podcast.
There are no definite decisions from Shannon yet. Wishing him luck in his future endeavors.
What are your thoughts on this case? Do you think there is animosity between Shannon and Skip? How would you interpret Skip’s Tweet on Hamlin? Was the situation blown out of proportion?
Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.
