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Shannon Sharpe will debate Stephen A. Smith twice weekly on ESPN’s ‘First Take’

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James Foglio
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James Foglio Sports Editor

James is a Basketball Insiders contributor. He earned his bachelor's degree in English and Creative Writing from Southern New Hampshire University. James enjoys watching sports and helping gamblers win money.

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Updated18 Aug 2023

Shannon Sharpe will debate Stephen A. Smith twice weekly on ESPNs First Take

NFL Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe, the former co-host of FS1’s “Skip and Shannon: Undisputed,” will debate Stephen A. Smith twice weekly this fall on ESPN’s “First Take“ show, according to the New York Post.

However, Smith disputed the report on social media on Thursday night. “It’ll be great to have him. Here’s the issue, we don’t. Sorry, Andrew Marchand of the New York Post. It’s a bit premature.

“Shannon Sharpe has yet to sign on the dotted line to be a member of ‘First Take.’ It has not happened yet. I’m still confident it will happen. I still believe it will happen. I think it needs to happen. And I have no doubt that I’m going to exhaust any means I have available to me to make it happen.”


If the rumors are true, Sharpe is scheduled to debate Stephen A. on Mondays and Tuesdays on ESPN during football season. Sharpe co-hosted his last episode of “Undisputed” on June 13.

Skip Bayless, his longtime co-host partner on FS1’s show, previously worked as a commentator alongside Stephen A. on “First Take” from 2004 to 2016.

Sharpe enjoyed defending LeBron James while criticizing seven-time Super Bowl champion quarterback Tom Brady and the Dallas Cowboys during debates. Smith is a New York Knicks fan and also despises the Cowboys, needless to say.

Former FS1 “Undisputed” co-host Shannon Sharpe will debate Stephen A. Smith twice weekly this fall on Mondays and Tuesdays on ESPN’s “First Take” show

Sharpe made guest appearances on “First Take” with Bayless when the show aired on ESPN2. The former NFL tight end is also expected to soon find a landing spot for his “Club Shay Shay” podcast, per Marchand.

For the bottom line, Stephen A. Smith is interested in Sharpe returning to the network. The featured columnist for the Worldwide Leader in Sports and The Philadelphia Inquirer made it known during another interview.

“I want Shannon Sharpe on First Take, and I aim to get him,” Smith said. “We are definitely talking to Shannon Sharpe. The conversations are official. The reports have not been misnomers. Or misreports or anything like that.


“We are talking to him. I am hopeful, very hopeful, and very confident that ultimately, we will be announcing sooner than later that he will be on ‘First Take.'”

Meanwhile, former ESPN sportscaster Rachel Nichols is set to join Skip Bayless on “Undisputed,” replacing Sharpe. She will join former NFL cornerback Richard Sherman and rap star Lil Wayne as panelists on the show starting Aug. 28.

Additionally, Malika Andrews of “NBA Today” replaced Mike Greenberg as ESPN’s new NBA Finals host last week. Jeff Van Gundy and Mark Jackson were both fired by the network. Mike Breen will also now be joined by Doris Burke and Doc Rivers on the lead play-by-play team.

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