June 13 marked the last time Shannon Sharpe would host UNDISPUTED. After seven years, the NFL Hall of Famer left the talk show he co-hosted with Skip Bayless. Reportedly, the relationship between Sharpe and Bayless had drastically deteriorated, prompting Sharpe to leave Fox for greener pastures. Sharpe’s final day was marked by the bizarre retweeting of an adult content creator and a moving behind-the-scenes video of his final broadcast.
Sharpe’s departure was yet another seismic shift in the sports media landscape. It came less than a month after Pat McAfee announced that he was leaving FanDuel to join ESPN. While many people have commented on Sharpe’s tearful departure, some of the most insightful thoughts came from Stephen A. Smith. Smith is in a unique position to comment, having also spent considerable time as a co-host to Bayless. The pair co-hosted First Take between 2012 and 2016.
Stephen A. Says He’s “Proud” Of Sharpe
Smith addressed Shannon Sharpe’s final day on his show. “Shannon Sharpe said goodbye on FS1. I’ll confess, I was a bit surprised. I was surprised at the tears. I was surprised at the emotion. I’m quite sure that some people out there thought it was fake as hell. And I was really, to be honest with you, I was proud at the way they ended their time together. And again, I’m assuming, because I don’t know, that the feelings weren’t everything that was expressed in Shannon Sharpe’s sign-off. Because in this business, you just don’t see things happen that abruptly.”
He continued. “But I got to tell you, it could not have been handled any better by Shannon Sharpe and Skip Bayless. That’s how you do it….Shannon brought up all the great points that he should have brought up, and there’s nobody on the planet that can relate to what Shannon Sharpe had to say to Skip Bayless better than me. And that is that.” Smith also praised Bayless for his role in forging numerous careers. Sharpe’s next landing spot is still unknown, but ESPN has been floated as a possibility. Follow all the latest sports news here at HotNewHipHop.
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