Shannon Sharpe and Skip Bayless are officially breaking up.
The long-time talking heads have cohosted FS1's "Undisputed" since the program debuted in 2016. However, the partnership is set to end shortly after the 2023 NBA Finals, as Ryan Glasspiegel of the New York Post reports.
According to Glasspiegel, Sharpe has reached a buyout with Fox Sports, the parent company of FS1, that will allow him to leave the network. He will also take his popular "Club Shay Shay" podcast with him.
Sharpe made it official the day after the NBA Finals ended, thanking Bayless and getting emotional as he signed off for the final time.
Shannon tears up as he thanks Skip pic.twitter.com/Xja5ld7XqL
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) June 13, 2023
But why is Sharpe leaving "Undisputed" after all these years? It would appear that the 54-year-old Pro Football Hall of Famer's decision is related to the decaying relationship with his long-time cohost.
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Why is Shannon Sharpe leaving Undisputed?
Shannon Sharpe has not yet announced exactly why he is leaving Undisputed. However, it appears that his departure is related to his tense relationship with Skip Bayless.
Bayless and Sharpe have been known to spar on air frequently. Of course, that is the point of the show, but there have been a few instances where there has seemingly been legitimate animosity between the pair.
For example, the two once nearly came to blows when Sharpe took offense to Bayless' characterization of his playing career. It came while Bayless took a shot at Sharpe while praising Tom Brady for his lengthy career.
"This man is playing at a high level at 45 when you had to stop at 35," Bayless said, per the New York Post.
That led Sharpe to snap back at Bayless.
"Every time I call something into question, I get it … I did what I did! You make it seem like I was a bum!" Sharpe said. "I’m in the effin’ Hall of Fame. I got three Super Bowls!"
Unc Shannon sharpe got pissed after Skip Bayless took at shot at him while talking about Tom Brady 😭😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/Hddec3qI9y
— Shannonnn sharpes Burner (PARODY Account) (@shannonsharpeee) December 12, 2022
So, a collection of minor incidents of that ilk took a toll on their relationship. However, the friction between the long-time cohosts reached a boiling point following Damar Hamlin's collapse during the Bills vs. Bengals "Monday Night Football" game in Week 17 of the 2022 NFL season.
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Skip Bayless and Shannon Sharpe's beef over Damar Hamlin
Bayless' comments about Damar Hamlin's cardiac arrest seemed to signal the beginning of the end of Sharpe and Bayless' relationship.
After Hamlin's collapse, Bayless crafted a tweet about Hamlin's collapse that many deemed insensitive. He received blowback from many NFL players, both current and former, for expressing his thoughts about the continuation of the Bills vs. Bengals game, and Sharpe was evidently upset by his cohost's comments.
Sharpe did not appear on Undisputed the day after Hamlin's cardiac arrest. When Sharpe did return to the program, he attempted to address his absence, which was in protest of Bayless' tweet.
However, his cohost interrupted him before he could complete his point. This frustrated Sharpe, who then criticized Bayless openly about what he had posted.
"I cannot even get through a monologue without you interrupting me," Sharpe said before adding. "I was just gonna say, Skip, I didn't want yesterday to get into a situation where Damar Hamlin was an issue. We should have been talking about him, and not [getting] into your tweet. That's what I was gonna do. But you can't even let me finish my opening monologue without you interrupting."
MORE: Full breakdown of tense exchange between Sharpe, Bayless on "Undisputed"
Meanwhile, Bayless responded that he thought they weren't going to discuss the tweet. That only made the opening of the show more uncomfortable.
Have never seen a show get off to a worse start pic.twitter.com/nH5Xxavdi0
— Kyle Koster (@KyleKoster) January 4, 2023
Many observers noted that the tension between the two during this segment was real and palpable. As such, many predicted that the two would soon break up, including Marcellus Wiley, who worked alongside both at FS1 from 2018 to the summer of 2022.
“This is primal. This is two alphas fighting for territory,” Wiley said in an Instagram video. “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."
"Reminds me of a Wiley-ism: Any relationship that ends, you spend half your time breaking up,” he added. "What we’re witnessing right now, on live TV, is them breaking up. You could tell they don’t even speak outside the building, outside the show. Want to know how I know? We all saw it. Felt like an ambush to Skip."
Indeed, as Wiley pointed out, the relationship between Bayless and Sharpe was fraught. Now, it will no longer exist — at least in a professional capacity.
The only questions remaining are about where Sharpe will take his podcast and who will become Bayless' next partner on "Undisputed."