Sports World Erupted Upon Seeing Shannon Sharpe, ‘First Take’ News

After previously debating Skip Bayless, Sharpe will reportedly now face off with Stephen A. Smith on ESPN twice a week during the football season.

Frankie Taddeo | Aug 17, 2023

One of television’s most popular shows, ESPN’s “First Take” will soon have a new look.

Shannon Sharpe will debate Stephen A. Smith twice a week during the upcoming football season, per a report by New York Post’s Andrew Marchand and Ryan Glasspiegel.

Sharpe, who previously worked alongside Skip Bayless on FS1’s “Undisputed", is a popular figure among fans after winning three Super Bowls with the Broncos and Ravens. The 55-year-old member of the NFL’s 1990s All-Decade Team left Fox Sports back in May.

The Hall of Fame tight end, who is never short of strong opinions, will go head-to-head with perhaps the most opinionated personality in all of sports media.

The new dynamic pairing marks Sharpe’s return to ESPN after first making occasional guest appearances on the hit program when it was co-hosted by Bayless and Smith years ago.

Anticipating fireworks on a weekly basis, fans went wild on social media, going as far to also reshare hilarious clips of Sharpe stating that Bayless could never gain a yard in an NFL game on Jason and Travis Kelce's podcast 'New Heights.'

Published Aug 17, 2023

FRANKIE TADDEO

Frankie Taddeo is a successful high-stakes fantasy football player who created the first-ever DFS program offered in a Las Vegas sportsbook. Besides contributing NFL fantasy analysis with a Vegas slant, Frankie primarily performs as Sports Illustrated's Senior Betting Analyst providing his significant experience and resources in the sports betting scene.