Pro Football Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe has been a fixture in the sports media world after his playing career ended in 2003.
Since 2016, that has included teaming up with enigmatic personality Skip Bayless on the oftentimes contentious FS1 show “Undisputed.”
This is no longer going to be the case. In yet another major sports media shake up, Sharpe and Fox Sports have agreed to a buyout that will lead to his departure once the 2023 NBA Finals between the Denver Nuggets and Miami Heat comes to a conclusion.
Ryan Glasspiegel of the NY Post was the first to break the news. And while he didn’t directly point to a rift between Shannon Sharpe and the controversial Bayless as a reason for the former’s departure, it’s certainly insinuated.
Glasspiegel’s report looks at an issue between the two after Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin suffered a near-fatal injury during a January game against the Cincinnati Bengals and Bayless’s reaction to it.
Bayless opted to focus on how canceling an important late-season game made no sense in a series of social media posts. At about that time, Hamlin was battling for his life after going into cardiac arrest in Cincinnati.
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Sharpe opted to remain away from the program the following day, and continued to have issues with Bayless once he did return. The interaction we saw between Sharpe and Bayless was more than grandstanding for ratings.
In terms of other issues, Sharpe wanted to be on equal footing with Bayless when it came to the direction of the show. That never ended up materializing.
It’s not yet known what the future holds for Bayles and “Undisputed.” It takes a special personality to be able to handle what he brings to the table.
As for Shannon Sharpe, he’ll have other opportunities out there.
All of this comes amid Pat McAfee leaving FanDuel for ESPN and continued media shake ups around the sports world. But this one feels a tad different. It feels personal.