Shannon Sharpe on First Take Photo credit: ESPN

After Jerry Jones threatened a local sports radio host, Shannon Sharpe entered the chat, telling the Dallas Cowboys owner to pick on someone his own size.

In the wake of the Detroit Lions recently handing Dallas their worst loss since 1988, Jones made his weekly appearance on 105.3 The Fan Tuesday morning. And as bad as the Cowboys’ performance was on Sunday, Jones’ performance on 105.3 The Fan’s morning show Shan & RJ was even worse. During the interview, Shan Shariff attempted to press the Cowboys owner on his team’s offseason failures, prompting Jones to threaten the radio host’s job.

“This is not your job,” Jones ranted to Shariff. “Your job isn’t to let me go over all the reasons that I did something and I’m sorry that I did it. That’s not your job. I’ll get somebody else to ask these questions.”

Shortly after Jones went off the rails and threatened Shariff’s job on 105.3 The Fan, ESPN’s First Take discussed the bizarre exchange, with Sharpe going off on the 82-year-old Cowboys owner.


“I hate, I detest, I despise someone that will prey on the weak,” Sharpe ranted. “And because Jerry Jones is in an advantageous situation, because he has the power in this situation, he would actually say that publicly. That tells me a lot about a man. That will tell me a lot about a man that has power and would abuse that power to tell that man, ‘I will get somebody in here to ask me favorable questions.’ That is absolutely that guy’s job.”

“And I don’t take this lightly,” Sharpe continued. “If the Cowboys don’t win another playoff game or another game as long as Jerry Jones is the owner, I’ll be the happiest man in the world. For that man to put that man in fear for his job, now you know moving forward…you know he’s not gonna ask him anything tough because that man needs this job. And for Jerry to say this publicly and say, ‘I’m not laughing, I’m not joking,’ I’m out.”

Sharpe is right. Jones attempting to flex his muscle by threatening a local radio host for asking fair questions was gross. But Sharpe is probably mistaken in believing the Jones’ threats directed at Shan & RJ will convince them to start lobbing softball questions in future interviews.

They’ve been dealing with the Cowboys owner for years and it’s highly unlikely that Shariff or co-host RJ Choppy were rattled by this latest exchange. Jones’ bullying attempt won’t impact Shariff’s job status with the station or its highly successful morning show. It might convince the 82-year-old to take a break from going on 105.3 The Fan, but even that’s unlikely considering he can’t help himself from making media appearances. Jones attempted to flaunt his power and it backfired. And if his next move is anything other than an apology, Jones will only keep digging himself a deeper hole.

[First Take]

About Brandon Contes

Brandon Contes is a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. He previously helped carve the sports vertical for Mediaite and spent more than three years with Barrett Sports Media. Send tips/comments/complaints to bcontes@thecomeback.com