Many might expect Shannon Sharpe to do a victory lap as his former Undisputed cohost unceremoniously exits FS1 this summer amid reports his contract will not be renewed.
But rather than throw dirt on Bayless’ grave, Sharpe took the high road on Monday in an episode of his YouTube show Nightcap.
“I want Skip to win. I wanted Skip to succeed, and Undisputed,” Sharpe said. “And just because I’m not there, that doesn’t mean I don’t want him to succeed. I just realized that he and I couldn’t succeed at the same table.”
After initially putting his head down after effectively being forced out at FS1 last summer, Sharpe has shared more about the situation on Undisputed over time.
While Sharpe has been consistent in praising and appreciating Bayless, Jamie Horowitz and the FS1 team for giving him a shot on a major studio show, Sharpe has been just fine since leaving the network. His massive podcasts Nightcap and Club Shay Shay are bigger online than Undisputed, and he secured a golden parachute at ESPN with a recurring First Take role.
Still, Shannon Sharpe has never said an ill word publicly about Bayless despite their on-air relationship fraying by the end.
“I’m not jealous of anybody, I’ve never been jealous of anybody. That’s not how I operate,” Sharpe said. “I don’t know what Skip’s going to do. I wish him the best.”
Nobody really knows where Bayless goes from here. The longtime Dallas columnist turned sports debate pioneer is 72 without a clear next move.
The sports media industry has honored Bayless since the news emerged rather than kicking him while he’s down. Former cohost Stephen A. Smith praised Bayless for his successful career, while Dan Le Batard expressed remorse that Bayless may not go out on his own terms.
About Brendon Kleen
Brendon is a Media Commentary staff writer at Awful Announcing. He has also covered basketball and sports business at Front Office Sports, SB Nation, Uproxx and more.