Shannon Sharpe’s Departure from “Undisputed”
In a poignant moment, Shannon Sharpe, the celebrated Hall of Fame tight end, bid farewell to his co-hosting role on the immensely popular morning show, “Undisputed.” After a remarkable tenure of seven years, Sharpe officially concluded his last episode on Tuesday. His partnership with co-host Skip Bayless had spanned since September 2016.
In an emotional statement, Sharpe announced, “Ladies and gentlemen, this is officially my last day at work. After seven years, the train stops with Shannon Sharpe and ‘Undisputed’ right here.”
Sharpe’s departure follows the recent reports by the New York Post regarding his buyout agreement with Fox Sports. The conclusion of the NBA Finals marked the end of his last show.
Shannon Sharpe’s Gratitude Towards Skip Bayless
Expressing his gratitude for the opportunity to host the show, Sharpe extended his heartfelt appreciation to Fox Sports and other individuals. Particularly, he thanked Skip Bayless for granting him the chance to appear on air and delivered an emotional goodbye.
“Skip Bayless, you fought for me. I’m here because of you. You’ve allowed me to share the stage with you. You allow me to share the platform,” Sharpe expressed with sincerity. “The opportunity that you gave me, to become what I became, I’m forever indebted to you. I’ll never forget what you did for me. You’ve helped me grow more than you ever know.”
Skip Bayless Acknowledges Shannon Sharpe’s Contributions
Bayless himself became emotional while reflecting on their time together on the show. He expressed his gratitude to Sharpe for taking a leap of faith, despite the initial criticisms the show faced.
“When I first took this job back in June of 2016, we had a whole other format in mind. When it became clear Shannon Sharpe is available and I said I believe he can do this, and did you ever,” Bayless recounted. “I want to thank you for dedicating yourself to this job. It is a voracious beast of a show. Day after day after day, you dedicated yourself to this job just the way you dedicated yourself to professional football hall of famer.”
He further added, “I want to thank you for never taking a sick day. I want to thank you for preparing as hard as you could every single day, every single topic. I want to thank you for competing as long as you competed with me because the greatest compliment I can give you is you were a worthy adversary.”
Bayless reminisced about their spirited debates, ranging from discussions about the Cowboys to deliberations on whether LeBron James holds the title of the greatest NBA player of all time.
In a touching moment, both Sharpe and Bayless expressed their love and mutual admiration for each other.
Shannon Sharpe’s Future Endeavors
While Bayless eagerly anticipates Sharpe’s forthcoming achievements, acknowledging their inevitable occurrence, Sharpe himself stated that he currently has no specific plans following his departure from “Undisputed.”
“Ladies and gentlemen at home, thank you, thank you. You will see me again somewhere. I just don’t know where,” Sharpe shared before the show’s conclusion.
Although Sharpe’s next venture remains undisclosed, he continues to host the highly popular “Club Shay Shay” podcast, which boasts over 1 million followers on YouTube.Additionally, it remains uncertain who will fill the void left by Sharpe on “Undisputed,” as Bayless recently signed a lucrative four-year, $32 million contract with Fox Sports in 2021.