Shannon Sharpe leaving FS1’s ‘Undisputed’
Shannon Sharpe’s partnership wit𓆉h Skip Bayless soon will be coming to aꦐ conclusion.
Sharpe and Fox Sports, the parent company of Fox Sports 1, which airs “Undisputed,” have reached a buyout agreement, sources have ⭕told The Post.
Sharpe’s final show i�൲�s expected to be aired after the 2023 NBA Finals conclude in June.
Sharpe’s popular “C🦋lub Shay S♕hay” podcast, which draws a big audience on social media and YouTube, will also be leaving Fox Sports, a source said.
There was public fr𒊎iction between Sharpe and Bayless on the s⛄how after Bills safety Damar Hamlin collapsed on the field during a Week 17 game against the Bengals this past✱ NFLꦑ season.
Bayless, in a stream-of-consciousness tweet sent after Hamlin had collapsed, but before the rest of the game 🐻had been canceled, wrote: “No doubt the NFL is considering postponing the rest of this game — but how? This late in the season, a game of this magnitude is crucial to the regular-season outcome … which suddenly seems s꧑o irrelevant.”
Sharpe stayed 🍸home from “Undisputed” the following morning.
W🐠hen he returned a day 𝓡later, he said that he had wished Bayless would take the tweet down, while Bayless said that he stood by it.
The two then had disagreement on whether the FS1 bosses wꦯanted Bayless to offer an explanation for th🐓e tweet.
At that time, there were a number of armchair observers, including former FS1 host Marcellus Wiley, who predicted the duo were headed for a breakup.
“I cannot even get th൩rꦰough a monologue without you interrupting me,” Sharpe said.
“This is primal. This is two alphas fighting for terr🌼itory,” Wiley said on Instagram. “This is about power. Because that dynamic of power on that show has shifted, whether it’s real or imagined. Right now, we’re all seeing that battle for it. Let’s see who comes out undisputed.”
People close to Sharpe🉐 said privately he did not seek to🍌 be the unquestioned leader on the show, but wanted to be an equal with Bayless in the program’s topic selection.
Another element that seemed to bleed over between the t✨wo was that Sharpe is close wi♉th LeBron James, while Bayless has been a hard grader of James’ performance over the years.
Sharpe, 54, was the unquestioned choice to join as Bayless’ cohost on “Undisputed” after Bayless left his ESPN “First Take” partnership with Stephen A.💙 Smith and joined FS1 in 2016.
Sharpe had filled in for Smith i♏n debating Bayless oꦦn the program, and the two had dynamic chemistry.
Plus, in a rarity, the “Fওirst Take” viewership numbers did not fall off with one of the hosts off the set.
Sharpe is a three-time Super Bowl champion, a four-time All-Pro and enshrined in the Pro F♈ootball Hall of Fame.
Sharpe and Bayless did not immediately respond to 🦄requests f൲or comment, nor did a Fox Sports spokesperson.
It is unclear at this t♐ime what FS1 will do to replace Sharpe on the show.
