Early on Monday, former NFL star Shannon Sharpe made his long-awaited debut on ESPN.
Sharpe had recently signed a deal to join Stephen A. Smith on ‘First Take.’
The Hall of Famer showed up locked and loaded and ready to kick off this new chapter in his career.
However, regardless of his preparation, he still made a hilarious blunder in his first appearance on the show, calling Stephen A. ‘Skip’ while he was talking (via NBA Central).
Shannon accidentally calls Stephen A. Smith “Skip” 😅😅😅 pic.twitter.com/17e9QqNgye
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) September 4, 2023
Sharpe was quick to right his wrong, but it was already late, and the footage went viral in the blink of an eye.
Of course, it’s tough to blame him after he spent the past seven years as Skip Bayless’ co-host on Undisputed.
Sharpe agreed to a contract buyout with Fox Sports to terminate his partnership with Bayless after several run-ins in the latest season.
Notably, Bayless has gone the extra mile to try and make up for Sharpe’s loss, putting together a superteam that includes the likes of Lil Wayne, Josina Anderson, Rachel Nichols, Richard Sherman, Michael Irvin, and Keyshawn Johnson.
Nonetheless, early reports state that the strategy of signing former ESPN on-air talent hasn’t exactly paid off for Skip, as First Take has beaten them in ratings every day since the season started, according to Front Office Sports (via Stephen A. Smith).
And now that Shannon Sharpe has officially taken the scene, this could be even more lopsided.
NEXT: Stephen A. Smith Shades Skip Bayless Over New Version Of 'Undisputed'