The sports media landscape is abuzz with excitement as former NFL player and Hall of Famer, Shannon Sharpe, will join forces with outspoken sports commentator Stephen A. Smith on ESPN’s flagship show, First Take. This pairing promises to bring a new level of entertainment, insight, and debate to the world of sports analysis. However this pairing for now will only be twice a week. Smith has let it be known on his podcast and other places that he would welcome Sharpe as a partner on the show, however he said it was not his call. The decision, of course, was on the shoulders of higher ups like Dave Roberts, senior vice president and head of event and studio production at ESPN, (leading the network’s NBA and WNBA coverage), in addition to in-studio shows like First Take, Get Up, PTI, Around The Horn, ESPN Podcast content and ESPN digital shows.
EDITED 10:30 PM 8/17/23
The New York Post was the first to report this story: