A major move is going down in the world of sports media, as reports indicate that Shannon Sharpe will end his seven-year stint on Undisputed. Sharpe apparently agreed to a contract buyout with Fox Sports, and as a result, his time sparring with Skip Bayless is going to reach its conclusion after the NBA Finals.
It’s apparently a clean break between the two sides, with Sharpe’s “Club Shay Shay” podcast also getting out from under Fox’s umbrella. While Charles Barkley decided to take a more sarcastic tone over the entire saga, Stephen A. Smith opened the door for Sharpe to make his way over to ESPN, if that arrangement would work out for Sharpe.
I don’t know what @ShannonSharpe’s plans are right now…but I know that if he wants to make his way on over to First Take…I am here for it pic.twitter.com/jqZSUCXfzS
— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) June 2, 2023
“I don’t know what his plans are, I don’t know what he’s trying to pursue, I don’t know what he’s after,” Smith said on his podcast. “But if Shannon Sharpe needs me, I’m happy to be here for him. And if that included him wanting to come on First Take, the bosses at ESPN know that is something I would support.”
Smith and Bayless, of course, were a longtime duo on First Take before Bayless left the network. The two butted heads last year over some comments Smith made about how he joined the program, but Smith claimed that the two addressed the matter in private. There have been times recently where things have seemed awfully tense between Sharpe and Bayless on Undisputed, and it’s unclear what Bayless would think about Smith and Sharpe joining forces over on ESPN.