It hasn’t even been a month since Shannon Sharpe debuted on First Take, but his feud with his former Undisputed co-host continues to heat up.
Appearing on The Stephen A. Smith Show earlier this week, the Hall of Fame tight end addressed his time at Fox, where he had co-hosted the daily debate show with Skip Bayless since its launch in 2016. In doing so, Sharpe took aim at the cast that has since replaced him—featuring a trio of former NFL stars in Michael Irvin, Keyshawn Johnson, and Richard Sherman—as well as his former co-host, Bayless.
“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.”
The three-time Super Bowl champion didn’t stop there.
“Now, if Stephen A. says, ‘Shannon, I want to go in a different direction,’ you all are still not [going to beat First Take in the ratings],” Sharpe 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.”
Smith didn’t rule that scenario out.
“That possibility is open,” Smith, who has dabbled in political and entertainment coverage, in addition to sports.
To Sharpe’s point, First Take‘s ratings have exploded since Sharpe joined the show in early September and he and Smith haven’t been shy to take their victory laps. This also isn’t the first time that Smith has hinted at Sharpe being his successor on First Take.
As for Undisputed, the show has continued to struggle to find its footing post-Sharpe. And while Sharpe has made it clear he didn’t have much of a personal relationship with Bayless, the reality is that it’s still somewhat jarring to see the former co-hosts feud so publicly.
The reality is that as long as the two shows are both on air, they’ll inevitably be linked. Currently, however, the rivalry is about as even as one between a bug and a windshield wiper — and Sharpe isn’t being shy about letting people know.
