We’ve seen Skip Bayless vs Stephen A. Smith and Skip Bayless vs Shannon Sharpe, what about a show built around Boomer Esiason vs Deion Sanders?
A sports show with Esiason and Sanders never happened, and by all accounts it never will, but it was a thought. Monday morning, Esiason and his WFAN co-host Gregg Giannotti discussed Stephen A. Smith’s contract negotiations with ESPN. During the segment, Esiason noted how well Chris “Mad Dog” Russo’s discourse with Smith has been received on First Take, prompting him to recall a one-on-one sports show that was pitched to him earlier in his media career.
Boomer Esiason vs Deion Sanders? pic.twitter.com/E9F1s0B15s
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“Once a friend of mine who was a producer in TV, brought up an idea to me, way back when and I presented it to Deion Sanders when we were working together at CBS,” Esiason said. “I think we still liked each other at that point. Actually, it might have been at a point where we didn’t like each other, I don’t know. And the concept was ‘in black and white.’ We would have our discussions based on the way we saw life because he and I obviously see most things a little bit different just because of the way we were brought up.”
That’s what made the Stephen A. Smith and Skip Bayless era of First Take a TV sensation. Smith has been open about realizing very quickly that he could not agree with Bayless on anything because they see the world from different perspectives. Similar discourse could have been created with Esiason and Sanders.
Esiason recalled Sanders living in Texas at the time and not being interested in a commute to New York. Because of that, the show never grew beyond the idea stage. But if the show did become another version of PTI, First Take or Undisputed, Esiason doesn’t believe it would have lasted long.
“I think we would’ve gotten so heated,” Esiason said. “Not hate each other, it’s just that we had such differing opinions and we didn’t really want to hear each other about whatever the opinion may have been.”
Sanders and Esiason spent two years together as analysts for The NFL Today on CBS, where they became known for sparring with several notable on-air disputes. In 2003, Esiason disagreed with Sanders publicly lobbying for Dan Reeves’ job when he was coaching Michael Vick and the Atlanta Falcons. Their most memorable on-air bout occurred that same year over Lawrence Taylor’s off-field issues. At least one TV producer saw enough to think an entire show could have been built around their argumentative nature.
[WFAN]