HBCU, NFL Legend Shannon Sharpe Leaving 'Undisputed,' Taking 'Club Shay Shay'
HOUSTON — According to a report from the New York Post's Ryan Glasspiegel, Shannon Sharpe, an HBCU and NFL legend, will depart from Undisputed following the end of the 2023 NBA Finals. Also, Sharpe and the network are discussing his buyout for the show, including his award-winning podcast Club Shay Shay.
Sharpe and his Undisputed co-host Skip Bayless had great chemistry during his tenure with the program. In January, the two hosts had on-air friction following Bayless posting a controversial tweet regarding Buffalo Bills player Damar Hamlin's injury.
Bayless tweeted, "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 so irrelevant." Later on the talk show, Bayless clarified his statement but failed to apologize. The Pro Football Hall of Fame player Shannon Sharpe had an issue with his co-host's position regarding the tweet and did not appear on the show.
According to Andrew Marchand of the New York Post, the Pat McAfee Show is planning a switch from FanDuel to ESPN for a five-year, $85 million deal. McAfee, a former NFL player, has one of the most popular podcast shows with regular guests who would appear to break headline news. One of his most notable guests is New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
When Shannon Sharpe leaves Fox Sports, he has the potential to secure a lucrative multi-million dollar deal with a growing network that values popular podcasts and personalities like him and Club Shay Shay. His podcast included Deion Sanders, Terrell Owens, Will Packer, T.I., Waka Flocka, Kandi Burress, Eddie George, Michael Vick, Bubba Wallace, Tyreek Hill, Steve Harvey, and many other popular guests.
The Denver Broncos selected Sharpe as the 192nd overall draft pick in the seventh round of the 1990 NFL Draft out of a small HBCU college in Georgia, Savannah State. Before his retirement, he won three Super Bowl rings with Denver (XXXII, XXXIII) and Baltimore (XXXV). He set an NFL record with the most receiving yards in a single game by a tight end with 214 yards. Sharpe played 14 seasons in the NFL and caught 815 receptions for 10,600 receiving yards and 62 touchdowns.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame inducted Shannon Sharpe in 2011. His No. 2 jersey was retired by Savannah State of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) in 2009 following his induction into the Division II Football Hall of Fame. The Black College Football Hall of Fame enshrined Sharpe in its Class of 2013.