Shannon Sharpe is enjoying this next chapter of his TV career being a recurring guest on ESPN’s First Take, and the Hall-of-Famer is thrilled to be a part of a ratings juggernaut.
Sharpe, who was a guest on The Stephen A. Smith Show on Monday, was very open about his experience at FOX and working with Skip Bayless on Undisputed. Sharpe and Bayless had a series of on-air arguments that eventually led to Shannon leaving the show after seven years.
Sharpe obviously has since moved on to ESPN, while FOX and Bayless have retooled Undisputed similarly to First Take. Bayless instead of just debating one co-host all the time now gets to go back and forth with Michael Irvin, Keyshawn Johnson and Richard Sherman.
But Sharpe did not hold back from talking trash to FOX, saying First Take won’t be beaten.
“Y’all not going to be better than me and Stephen A. That’s not going to happen,” Sharpe said. “I promise you, that is not going to happen. Ever. Ever.”
Shannon continued, adding that it doesn’t matter whether at the end of the day he stays or goes. First Take will always be the more successful show.
“Now, if Stephen A. says, ‘Shannon, I want to go in a different direction,’ you all are still not,” he said. “Because Stephen A. is that dude. If Stephen A. ever decides to leave and turn the reins over to me, you all know I’m that dude. I’m him. Now the problem y’all got is you got two hims to go up against.”
Given Stephen A.’s own comments about not wanting to stay in sports media forever, there has been speculation that the plan at ESPN is to hand the reins of First Take over to Sharpe whenever it is Smith is finished. Smith didn’t rule out the notion completely.
“That possibility is open,” he said.
